[Nicole Hmelnitsky]

I hope someone has an answer to my question.   I am a newly graduated Certified Midwife working in a large teaching hospital. I need to find out other policies regarding the number of breastfeeds required in the first 24 hours of a healthy term newborn. If a baby has not breastfed at delivery, some midwives will perform a heel prick test for a blood glucose level after 6 hours and some will try and give a comp feed of artificial formula. I don’t believe in either. Some literature has said that a newborn will feed 3 times in the first 24 hours, and the some WHO literature says a newborn should feed 8 times in the first 24 hours. I really need to know if anyone has established a policy and guideline regarding this matter.   Thanks, Nicole.