4. Breast infection

a. Problem: Symptoms include flulike feeling, redness, tenderness, and fever. This may be aggravated by not emptying the breast completely, abrupt weaning, or fatigue.

b. Solutions

1) Heat-warm, moist compresses

2) Rest

3) Empty breast—when nursing, direct baby's chin toward sore spot or lump

4) If temperature increases to 100 F, call physician

5. Growth spurts

a. Growth spurts are short periods of rapid cellular growth for the newborn and usually come within the first 10 days, 3 weeks, 3 months, and 6 months.

b. Baby may want to nurse more often as metabolism increases.

c. Nurse baby on demand to build up milk supply.

d. Do not give supplemental formula feeding, because this will interfere with necessary milk production. The frequent nursing is necessary to stimulate the production of a greater supply of breast milk to meet the increased metabolic needs of the growing infant.