Nasobuddy’s All-Inclusive Breastfeeding Guide
Breastfeeding is the most amazing part of motherhood as it not only nourishes your baby but also builds a bond of love. However, a new mom will realize in a few days after starting to breastfeed that it is no easy feat and it needs a lot of patience, tolerance, and practice before she and her baby get it right. It can take a few days for some, a few weeks for some, and even a few months for some to cross all blocks successfully. Are you pregnant? If so, you should know all about breastfeeding, its benefits, the possible issues, the pain involved, the remedies, and many more before delivering your baby. Here is an all-inclusive breastfeeding survival guide from Nasobuddy with the most significant tips.
Colostrum
Breast milk is the best food for your baby for the first year of your baby’s life. It helps your baby to be healthy and grow strong. Everyone knows this fact but not many are aware of colostrum and its benefits. The colostrum, which is produced immediately after giving birth is super rich in nutrients, protein, antibodies, and white blood cells. It is pale yellow in colour and is thicker. It is a superfood for the newborn and should never be wasted.
What are the benefits of breastfeeding?
It is true that it is the personal decision of the mother to breastfeed her baby or not. However, any woman who is aware that breastfeeding is beneficial to both her and her kid will never choose not to breastfeed. Let’s know the benefits of breastfeeding in detail.
Breastfeeding benefits for baby
- Breastfeeding provides all nutrients essential for the baby. It is the perfect combo of vitamins, proteins, fat, and everything else a baby needs to grow.
- It also contains antibodies that are necessary to fight against illnesses caused by bacteria and viruses. Mother’s milk decreases the risks of allergies and infections.
- Reports from research suggest that breast-fed babies have a better IQ and shine better in studies than formula-fed children.
- The risk of obesity and overweight is lower when your baby is breastfed.
- The rate of cancer, gastrointestinal issues, and ear infections is also lower.
- Above all it creates emotional support and bonding.
Breastfeeding benefits for the mom
- Breastfeeding burns extra calories. So, you can lose your pregnancy weight faster.
- Oxytocin, a hormone is released while breastfeeding. It helps your uterus to shrink back to the pre-pregnancy size.
- It can decrease the risks of cancers like uterine, breast, and ovarian cancer.
- There is no need to spend your precious time sterilizing bottles and measuring formulas. Breast milk is available at the right temperature. So, you get time to relax and more time to spend with your baby.
- The risk of postpartum depression is lower in a breastfeeding woman.
- It helps you to save money spent on buying formulas.
Some important things about breastfeeding are proper latching, breastfeeding pain, low milk supply, and nipple biting. All of them are discussed in detail below.
How to get a proper latch?
Getting a good latch is the most important thing in breastfeeding because it helps your baby to get more milk. It may take some time to get a good latch but with a little practice, you will get it right. Here are a few simple tips to guide you.
How to know if your baby is getting a good latch?
Look out for the following signs that prove that your baby is getting a good latch.
- Baby’s chin rests on your breast.
- Your baby’s mouth is not on the nipple alone but wide around your breast.
- Your little one’s lips are turned away and tongue is under your breast.
- He is comfortable and his latch doesn’t hurt you.
- You are able to hear or see your baby swallowing.
- He starts with short sucks and then proceeds to suck deeply and slowly.
Breastfeeding pain – Causes and remedies
Breastfeeding can be rewarding if it is painless. However, it can be scary if it is painful. Don’t worry. You can get relief from pain and make it enjoyable if you know the reason and remedies for pain.
- Engorgement
What it is?
Swelling of breasts that causes tenderness and pain is called engorgement of breasts. This is very common after childbirth and it is caused because of increased milk and blood flow to the breasts. Breast engorgement usually occurs after the first or second week after delivery. It can occur again anytime if you are continuing to breastfeed your little one. It may also occur if you miss out on a few feeding sessions. Engorgement of breasts is also called ‘Milk fever’ because it can cause fever. It can occur from the third to fifth-day post-delivery for moms who are not planning to breastfeed. The breasts will produce milk automatically and your breasts tend to engorge when the milk produced is not released.
What to do?
- Apply a warm compress before/after feeding will help a lot. When you use a warm compress before feeding it helps the milk to flow. When you use a warm compress after feeding it induces the production of oxytocin, a hormone responsible for assisting milk let down. You can use an all-natural Breast Therapy pack from Nasobuddy. This pack is made from undyed pure cotton and is filled with lavender-infused rice. All you have to do is microwave it for a minute. It holds warm heat at the right temperature for
quite some time. This is really helpful.
- Keep on nursing or pumping frequently, at least, every two hours.
- Applying cold compression helps to decrease inflammation and pain.
- Massage your breasts lightly while feeding. If you feel lumps massage them. This will help in the free flow of milk.
- Alternate breasts while feeding to make sure that the baby empties both breasts and no milk gets accumulated.
- Clogged ducts and milk bleb
There are numerous ducts that carry milk to the breasts. One of the clogs can get blocked or may have poor drainage. It may occur if your breast is not completely emptied after a feed or if you are under stress. The symptoms of a clogged duct include a lump in the breast, pain in the breast, engorgement, milk bleb, and discomfort that becomes better after nursing or pumping. Milk bleb refers to a blocked nipple pore. It is also called a milk blister. You will be able to see tiny spots on your nipple. The spots may look very tiny but can cause extreme pain. This is caused by an oversupply of milk or poor latch or tight-fitting bras.
What to do?
- Applying warm heat therapy will give relief.
- Nurse your baby. This may help to open the clogged duct.
- Massage the clog.
- Avoid wearing underwired and tight-fitting bras. Wear loose-fitting clothes.
- Over-the-counter pain relievers will help in pain relief but talk to your obstetrician before starting on pain medication.
- Don’t try to open the bleb at home. It may result in infection.
- Sore and cracked nipples
What it is?
Sore and cracked nipples are a common issue in breastfeeding. The causes of sore nipples are poor positioning of the baby, wrong usage of a breast pump, and infection. It can be really painful that some mothers to stop breastfeeding. Don’t do it. You can get relief and breastfeeding can become comfortable again with a few simple remedies.
What to do?
- Nipple healers from Nasobuddy are nursing cups that can be worn directly on the nipples under the nursing bra. Its custom-made round apex shape allows air to circulate around the nipple. This gives instant relief from pain. Express a few drops of breast milk into the cups and place them directly on your nipples. Keep it on in between feeding sessions and remove them while feeding. It has been proven that breast milk has healing properties. It has been proven that breast milk has healing
properties. So, the breast milk that gets collected beneath the healer moisturizes and heals the nipples naturally. As it is worn over the nipples, it protects the skin from rubbing against the clothes that can aggravate the pain. You will find a marked improvement in just 24-48 hours. You should wear it until the sores are fully healed but you should remove it while breastfeeding. The best thing about nipple healers is you can treat sore nipples without using nipple cream and a nipple shield.
- Use a warm compress. This will soothe your breasts and give pain relief.
- Breast creams and ointments can help but they can be risky because the creams may contain chemicals. If your baby ingests them, it can be harmful to your baby.
- Nipple shields can be used but if you use them for a long time, they can reduce milk secretion. So, it is better to avoid them.
- Improper latch
What it is?
An improper latch is one of the most common causes of breastfeeding pain. If your baby starts from the tip of the nipple and then continues to the areola, it can cause pain because there are many nerve endings in the tip of the nipples.
What to do?
- Apply a warm compress to get relief from pain.
- Proper latching technique is the permanent solution. The right latch is when the baby has a large portion of the lower areola in her mouth and the nipple is against the roof of your little one’s mouth. How to get the perfect latch?
- Hold the baby with her nose to your nipple. Then wait for your baby to open the mouth.
- When your baby opens her mouth wide, you should move her to your breast with the nipple right on top of the mouth.
- Your baby’s mouth should be wide and cover the bottom part of the areola. The nipple should be over her tongue and should reach far back into the mouth.
- Mastitis
What it is?
Mastitis is inflammation of breast tissue. Mastitis that occurs during breastfeeding is called lactation mastitis. Sometimes, mothers may plan to wean their babies when they have mastitis as they cannot tolerate the pain. However, it is not a good decision. There are many simple remedies to treat mastitis. The symptoms are tenderness of breasts, lump in breasts, redness of the skin, fever, pain, swelling, and lump. It can be caused by a blocked duct or bacterial infection.
What to do?
- Apply warm breast therapy to give pain relief.
Consult a doctor as early as possible because if mastitis is left untreated it can cause serious consequences like pus collection in the breast. The abscess can be treated only through surgical drainage.
Low milk supply and how to increase milk supply?
- For the first few weeks your baby should wet his diapers at least 6-8 times a day. If not, it is a sign that your baby is not getting enough feed.
- Your little one will lose weight after birth but he should start regaining weight and should be his birth weight after two weeks and his weight should increase gradually in the following weeks. If there is a lack of weight gain, it is an indicator of insufficient milk supply.
- If your baby has not urinated for several hours and if he is sleeping excessively and low in energy levels, it may be signs of dehydration. Dehydration shows your baby is underfed.
How to increase milk supply?
- Add garlic, drumsticks, almonds, carrots, and beets to your diet. These ingredients have lactogenic properties.
- Make tea using fennel seeds and cumin seeds. They help to increase the milk supply.
- Avoid stress. Stay relaxed.
- Empty your breasts frequently. Breastfeed from both sides.
- Apply warm compress on the breasts. It stimulates the production of milk by increasing the levels of oxytocin, the love hormone associated with milk supply, and by increasing circulation. Warm compression also helps to treat issues like sore nipples and mastitis etc. that may affect milk supply. Moreover, the warmth helps to prevent and relieve clogged ducts. The effectiveness of warmth compression is proven through several studies.
Nipple biting
It can be very painful when babies bite the nipples while breastfeeding. Some babies bite rarely but some babies bite frequently. This is a problem to be taken care of immediately because it can really hurt. Some moms wonder if they have to wean their babies immediately when they get teeth. The answer is there is no need for weaning to avoid nipple biting. You can follow a few easy tips and continue to feed. Given below are the reasons for nipple biting and the remedies.
Reasons for nipple biting
- Teething is one of the reasons for nipple biting. Babies’ gums are sensitive while teething. Biting feels good and gives them relief. So, they bite the nipples just like they bite their toys.
- Babies may bite when the milk supply is very low or high. When it is low they feel frustrated and bite to show their frustration. When it is high, they bite to slow down or stop the milk flow.
- When your baby has an ear infection or if he is not feeling well, he may not be able to suckle and swallow. So, he may bite.
- Babies that are one year old or more may bite when he is feeling bored and he wants to get your attention.
- How to stop nipple biting?
- Try to take your baby off the breast. Don’t yank him. This can make your nipples sore. Instead, keep your finger ready near the corner of the baby’s mouth and insert it between your baby’s mouth and the nipples. When you keep on doing it persistently your little one will get the message that he will not get milk if he bites.
- Offer an alternative like a teether or other toys to make the baby understand he should not bite the nipples.
- You can offer something cold to chew before starting to breastfeed. This will reduce the risk of biting.
- Position your baby rightly to encourage him to latch deeply.
- Shouting can help but it may also lead to adverse effects. It may encourage your baby to bite if he likes your reaction.
If you have any serious issues it is better to consult a lactation expert.
Breastfeeding is the purest form of love, but it can be very challenging in the initial days and it could be very stressful for the mother and baby. But, persist with it and it gets easier and comfortable over time.
Nasobuddy has a Breastfeeding essential combo for breastfeeding difficulties faced by new moms. It’s available for purchase here.
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