Dry breastfeeding means that your baby does not actually drink significant amounts of milk, but he is able to smell and taste the droplets of milk that remain in your breast after pumping. That is why they keep on sucking for a long time but still you have to feed them more because they are not getting the right amount of milk. If you are still confused about this term, then let us break it down for you.
- The human milk is nutrient-rich and custom made for the new baby but a lot of energy and love goes into making it. Just like in the marketplace, the supply will only come when there is demand so a baby needs to suck quite a bit for the mother’s milk to be produced.
- There is nothing like a mother not making milk. The first three-four days of the infant’s life are for dry sucking. The milk will be a few drops but perfectly fine. It could take a week before the milk production finally starts, so don’t worry if you are not producing milk at first.
- The baby’s stomach volume on the first day after coming into the world is just 7 ml. This is equal to just 2 tablespoons of milk. So just a few drops of milk on the first day after childbirth is fine.
- Newborns like to latch onto their mothers like there is no tomorrow. This is for their comfort, and the baby is basically using mommy as a pacifier. This is painful for the mother because excessive sucking causes nipple soreness. The mother’s nipple and the fluid in which the baby lived in the womb- the amniotic fluid, have very similar smells.
Many mothers get confused due to this problem, but I think we have cleared some of the air.
