Belly Balls

motherstouchdoula · 10-16-2006, 05:31 PM

Lactation Tool
This tool makes it easy for new parents to visualize the size of their newborns stomach and how much milk it can hold at birth. This reinforces that supplements are not needed and that colostrum, the early milk, is more than enough to meet a newborn's needs.
But there is more. Researchers have found that on Day 1, the newborn's small stomach does not stretch to hold more as it will even a day or two later. This explains the experience of countless hospital nurses who have learned the hard way that when newborns are fed and ounce or two by bottle during the first days of life, most of it tends to come right back up. The walls of the newborn stomach stay firm, expelling extra milk rather than stretching to hold it.

On Day 1, a newborns stomach capacity is about one-sixth to one-quarter of an ounce (5-7mL) per feeding. Not superisingly, this amount of colosturm is ready and waiting in the breast. By Day 3, as the baby idealy gets more of these small, frequent feedings, his stomach expands to about the size of a shooter marble to hold more milk. By Day 10, it is the size of a ping pong ball.

IT IS A GOOD IDEA TO GIVE A NEWBORN MORE MILK AT EACH FEEDING TO TRY TO STRETCH OUT THE STOMACH SOONER?
NO. THIS IS NOT A CASE OF MORE IS BETTER. WHY NOT??

Small, frequent feedings set up a healthy eating pattern right from the start. Adults are now advised by experts that it is healthier to eat smaller amounts more often and the same is true for babies and children. Coaxing a baby to take more milk leads to overfeeding. If feeling overfull at feedings becomes the norm for a baby this may lead to unhealthy eating habits taht contribute to childhood obesity later.

Small Marlble= Stomach capacity of a newborn on Day 1 (5-7mL)
Shooter Marble= Stomach capacity on Day 3 (22-27mL)
Ping Pong ball=Stomach capacity on Day 10 (60-81mL)
Softball= Stomach capacity of an adult

Stacie · 10-16-2006, 06:17 PM

I use a golf ball instead of a ping pong ball. If anyone is interetsed in more ieas like these, I highly suggest Linda Smith's book, Coach's Notebook. This idea is in there, as well as many others.

douladot · 10-17-2006, 06:07 AM

Thank you Tera and Stacie -- I can now proceed with my display!! I am so excited and I am also going to look up that book, Stacie!! You all are the best!

everydaymiracles · 10-17-2006, 07:28 AM

Thanks so much for explaining it! I am a very visual learner myself (which is why my first purchase for my CBE classes was a pelvis - it just makes sense when you can see the movements that the baby needs to move through). It is one thing to say baby's tummy is small, but to show them a familiar object to show exactly HOW small should make an impact! I guess I am off to my local dollar store before my class on Wed! R

fearlessbirth · 10-17-2006, 10:09 AM

I love this! My doula trainer showed us this and I was amazed....when people are concerned that their babies won't get enough to eat, I just tell them their tiny bellies are the size of a marble!! Then those drops of colostrum seem like plenty.

Why would God/mother nature created a woman's body to not produce milk until the 3rd day if their babies were going to STARVE to death without MILK ASAP??? Lol Just something that annoys me.

jesscardona · 10-17-2006, 10:23 AM

Thats what I say.. but I never heard of this until my doula training either..

chocolatedoula · 10-17-2006, 01:44 PM

Awesome information! I've never heard any of this but now I have some solid info I can present to Mamas to tell them why it's unnecessary to give them sugar water or formula in the nursery. If the baby's crying it's probably something other than hunger. Thanks for the info!

Babies_Bellies_Boobies · 11-03-2006, 07:29 PM

:thumb