A mother continues to breast-feed her 3-month-old infant. She tells the nurse that over the past 3 days she has not been producing enough milk to satisfy the infant.
The nurse advises the mother to do which of the following?
A . “Start the child on solid food.”
B . “Nurse the child more frequently during this growth spurt.”
C . “Provide supplements for the child between breastfeeding so you will have enough milk.”
D . “Wait 4 hours between feedings so that your breasts will fill up.”
Answer: B
Explanation:
(A) Solid foods introduced before 4C6 months of age are not compatible with the abilities of the GI tract and the nutritional needs of the infant.
(B) Production of milk is supply and demand. A common growth spurt occurs at 3 months of age, and more frequent nursing will increase the milk supply to satisfy the infant.
(C) Supplementation will decrease the infant’s appetite and in turn decrease the milk supply. When the infant nurses less often or with less vigor, the amount of milk produced decreases.
(D) Rigid feeding schedules lead to a decreased milk supply, whereas frequent nursing signals the mother’s body to produce a correspondingly increased amount of milk.