Question

The nurse makes a home visit to a postpartum client and the two-week-old infant. The client is breastfeeding and tells the nurse the baby nurses 8-9 times per day, has regained all of the lost birth weight, has 6-8 wet diapers per day, and usually has one bowel movement per day. Which response by the nurse is best?

A. 'You should try supplementing with formula.'
B. 'It seems like your baby is not getting enough milk.'
C. 'This is great! It sounds like your baby is doing well.'
D. 'You should breastfeed less frequently to avoid overfeeding

Answer 1

The best response by the nurse would be to confirm the baby is doing well based on the information provided by the mother. The infant's feeding frequency, weight gain, and diaper output are all signs of good nutrition and hydration from breastfeeding.

Step-by-step explanation:

The correct response to the situation where a postpartum client reports that her two-week-old infant is breastfeeding 8-9 times per day, the baby has regained all of the lost birth weight, has 6-8 wet diapers per day, and usually has one bowel movement per day is option C: 'This is great! It sounds like your baby is doing well.'

These signs indicate that the infant is feeding well and receiving enough breast milk. The number of feedings per day is normal for a breastfeeding infant, and the number of wet diapers along with weight gain are strong indicators of adequate nutrition and hydration. Breast milk is specially formulated to meet all the nutritional needs of a newborn, and it adapts to the baby's changing requirements over time. Colostrum, produced in the first few days, and the subsequent mature milk supply provide vital nutrients and immunological protection.

It is not necessary to supplement with formula, as suggested in option A, or to worry about the baby not getting enough milk, as stated in option B. Additionally, there is no indication that the baby is being overfed, so reducing the frequency of breastfeeding as per option D is not advised.