Everything is new for a new mother and sometimes, welcoming even a second or third newborn brings along new experiences. Let’s face it, if every child is different, then so are the trials and tribulations. And while breastfeeding is considered to be one of the most natural aspects of motherhood, a million questions bounce around your head as you hold your newborn close to your heart.
While there is no harm in patiently listening to the suggestions pouring in from well-meaning family and friends, a few important medically supported breastfeeding tips can make the breastfeeding journey smoother. Nursing your baby may not seem as natural as it is hyped up to be but with these tips from experts, you can take the pressure off your chest and heave a sigh of relief. All puns intended. .
Breastfeeding Tips – Relax, Mom!
Breastfeeding Tips For new Moms, breastfeeding can be a little difficult, here we have some useful tips for moms. Breastfeeding is not only essential for baby and mother to improve immunity but also helps to create an emotional bonding.
Breastfeeding Tips | Comfort – While you ensure your baby’s comfort before she latches on by supporting her head gently at the nape, do ensure that you too are in a comfortable position that does not strain you while you feed your baby. Whether you are sitting/reclining with your baby in your arms or lying down with your baby facing you, remember you will be spending quite a bit of time nursing and getting back, shoulder, or neck pain in the long run will breastfeeding a painful affair.
Breastfeeding Tips | Worry Less – Am I producing enough milk? Am I nursing long enough? Am I overfeeding or underfeeding? Is my milk too watery? Is my baby gaining enough weight or is she undernourished with my breastfeeding? You are not alone in fretting over these worries but your child’s pediatrician and/or your health consultant at a renowned mother and child health establishment will put your doubts at rest and enable you to enjoy this special part of being a mother.
Breastfeeding Tips | Baby First – Let your baby take the lead in announcing her hunger rather than you anticipating her needs and remaining on tenterhooks by constant clock-watching. And no, you don’t need to wake her up for feed time. Also, your baby naturally discovers her best comfortable position to feed and you and your baby will soon fall into a comfortable rhythm. Just make sure that the baby latches on to the entire areola and not just the nipple, and the nostrils are not blocked by the breast so that the baby can breathe freely while nursing.
Breastfeeding Tips | Leaking is Normal – Sometimes in the beginning, when there is a long gap between breastfeeding sessions or if you hear another baby cry (or perhaps you just think about your baby), your breasts may leak which is a common reaction. This disappears when your baby continues nursing and all you need to do is wear absorbent nursing pads in your bra.
Breast Care Essentials to avoid sore nipples, take care of your breasts by patting your breasts with a soft dry cloth after each feeding. Remember to air them periodically to prevent them from getting chafed. Avoid over-washing and if the skin does turn dry or painful or there is cracking around your nipples, your doctor may suggest a soothing balm. Sometimes mastitis (an inflammation or soreness linked with breastfeeding) develops due to blocked milk ducts and can be healed by gentle massage and hot fomentation before breastfeeding. However, do seek medical advice right at the onset to avoid further complications. Also, to prevent any engorgement or hardening of the breast, nurse your baby frequently and it will ease soon enough. .
You have Enough Did you know that your breasts have been preparing milk for your baby from the start of your pregnancy? Your baby’s suckling then produces hormones within you which stimulate your milk production. So the more your baby nurses, the more you’ll produce. In the first 2-3 days, you might see a yellowish discharge. This is colostrum, a superbly nutritious fluid containing high levels of natural antibodies to help your baby fight infections right from the start.
Breastfeeding Diet – Eat Well, Nurse Well
Maintaining a healthy breastfeeding diet will go a long way in ensuring both you and your infant. When the elders said you are now eating for two when you were expecting, it did not mean piling up on unhealthy foods to feel full. In fact, it meant increasing your proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, and fats in a phased manner to add strength to you and the baby growing slowly and steadily in your womb. And the healthy diet continues as you start nursing because the nutrients continue to flow from breast milk to your baby. .
If you are exclusively nursing for the first 6 months, you will need to add about 450-500 healthy calories to your diet. Having an inadequate diet will certainly interfere with your milk supply. Eat a variety of foods as your baby does get to taste the flavors in the breast milk. .
Healthy Food Choices Reach for an apple or banana instead of a bag of chips. Protein-rich foods like eggs, lean meats, legumes, and beans ensure you and your baby get the required nutrients. Remember while the baby is growing, the same nutrients are helping in rebuilding the wear and tear you may have experienced at the time of delivery as well as preventing any nutrition loss in your body as you nurse. Make the most of iron, protein, and calcium – the three pillars of a breastfeeding diet.
Multivitamins Your doctor might also recommend you take multivitamins and mineral supplements till you wean your baby off breast milk to ensure a steady supply of essential nutrients.
Hydrate Drink at least 8-10 glasses of water and other pro-biotic fluids and juicy fruits throughout the day. But don’t replace them with packaged juices, sugary and/or caffeinated drinks that not only contain empty calories and unnecessary sugar but also make your child sleepless. .
Vegans Alert Remember to replace essential food nutrients so that your diet does not make you or your baby get less nutrition, especially if you are not consuming milk or milk-based foods. .
Avoid Caffeine, alcohol, and certain seafood that could have an allergic reaction to your breastfeeding baby. In fact, some aerated sugary drinks and chocolate could make them fussy or restless. Strong-smelling foods like onions and garlic make a difference in behavior. Look out for any rash, diarrhea, nausea, or wheezing, and avoid the foods that could have caused such reactions.
A healthy baby will be active and grow steadily strong and have enough milk through the lactating process – all thanks to you and your dedication towards your diet, new mom. .
Breastfeeding reduces the risk of Breast Cancer
How often have you heard that breastfeeding for the first six months is the best gift a mother can give her baby? Well, the opposite is true too. Breastfeeding is a boon for the mother too as it lowers the risk of breast cancer, be it pre- or post-menopause. .
Research shows that when a woman breastfeeds, she experiences a delay in her menstrual cycles. As a result, there is a decrease in her exposure to estrogen in her lifetime, which is a hormone associated with the development of breast cancer. .
Breast cancer symptoms include:
1. New lump in the breast or underarm (armpit).
2. Thickening or swelling of part of the breast.
3. Irritation or dimpling of breast skin.
4. Redness or flaky skin in the nipple area or the breast.
5. Pulling in of the nipple or pain in the nipple area.
6. Nipple discharge other than breast milk, including blood.
7. Any change in the size or the shape of the breast.
8. Pain in any area of the breast.
To put any doubts at rest, visit your doctor without delay. .
Breastfeeding thus is a win-win for both baby and mom. This is why this unbeatable natural phenomenon is celebrated across the world with World Breastfeeding Week from 1st August to 7th August, lauding the efforts of billions of women, down the ages, from across the world. Join us at Apollo Hospital. .
