Breastfeeding and Chestfeeding:
Different terms, related meanings.
Chestfeeding and bodyfeeding are gender inclusive terms used to talk about the different ways babies are fed breast milk or formula from someone’s chest. If you prefer the word chestfeeding, bodyfeeding, or any other terms, let your care team, friends, and family know. Philly Loves Families recognizes all different forms of human milk feeding.
Some of the many benefits of breastfeeding for your baby
- Breast milk has hundreds of components that help your baby grow and protect them from allergies and illnesses. Breast milk is alive!
- The components in your breast milk change over time to meet your baby’s needs.
- Breast milk is easier to digest than formula.
- Breastfeeding reduces the risk of SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) for your baby.
- Breast milk is your baby’s first “immunization” and is equally important for premature and full-term babies.
- Babies who drink breast/chest milk have fewer respiratory illnesses like asthma, less chance of allergies, ear infections, lower incidence of juvenile cancers, just to name a few!
The benefits of breastfeeding for you as a parent
- Breastfeeding helps your body relax by releasing a hormone called prolactin.
- Breastfeeding is an important way you can bond with your baby by producing the love hormone, oxytocin.
- By not having to buy formula, you produce less environmental waste, lowering your carbon footprint.
- Breastfeeding causes your uterus to contract, helping it to go back to its pre-pregnancy size and decreasing the risk of post-partum complications. Read about other physical and emotional benefits to breastfeeding.
- The longer you breastfeed, the lower your risk of ovarian and breast cancer.
Follow your baby’s feeding cues
Breastfeed whenever your baby is hungry. Babies show you they’re hungry by:
- Lip-smacking or sticking out their tongues
- Making sucking motions
- Moving hands or fists to their mouths
- Stretching
- Turning their heads to the side
- Nuzzling against you or looking for a breast
- Some signs your baby is full:
- Releasing or “falling off” the breast
- Turning away from the breast
- Relaxing their body and opening their fists
- Falling asleep
Tips for making sure your newborn is fed enough
- A baby's tummy is tiny.
- You'll need to feed your newborn on demand but at least 8-12 times a day (within 24 hours), whenever they want to, for as long as they want to. Here's a little way to remember: eight or more in 24!
- An average feed lasts 15-20 minutes, but babies can vary and sometimes want little snacks in between meals, just like adults do! Learn more about what the CDC recommends for how much and how often to breastfeed.
- 5-6 wet diapers and 1-3 dirty diapers in 24 hours will let you know your baby is getting enough breast milk during their first months of life.
