While the expectant mother is still pregnant, she rarely thinks about breastfeeding, especially if the baby is her first. Typically, she is more concerned about how breastfeeding may affect her breast health. And those who are expecting their second or third baby may be anxiously awaiting the start of feeding: will everything work out? Therefore, they often begin to prepare the breasts for feeding during pregnancy. But is it necessary to do this?
Some care is actually needed, because from the moment the umbilical cord is cut, the breast will become the main organ connecting mother and baby. But everything should be within reasonable limits. Lactation is not a disease, but a normal state of a woman! Moreover, this condition - like pregnancy - gives each of us a special reason to lead a healthy lifestyle. A normal, average woman just needs to act as if she is simply taking good care of her health. There are, of course, special cases, but before birth the opportunity to influence them is not too great. What may require our special care?
How to prepare for breastfeeding
While still pregnant, a woman must psychologically prepare for the fact that she will breastfeed her newborn. A pregnant woman should be fully aware of the importance of mother's milk for the baby and create a mindset for breastfeeding in advance.
Relatives and friends of the expectant mother can also help her with this, instilling confidence in both the successful outcome of the birth and the appearance of good lactation.
Feeding after caesarean section
If you are planning a surgical delivery, try to arrange for it to take place under epidural anesthesia. Its advantages are not only that you will be aware of what is happening during childbirth, but also that the baby can be immediately put to the breast. Ask the medical staff about this.
After general anesthesia, the baby should be fed as soon as the mother regains consciousness, but you may have to wait about four hours, according to domestic recommendations.
It would be best if the child is left with you in the room, and at the same time someone close to you can be nearby and help (some maternity hospitals offer the “Home Birth” service, which provides the opportunity for the baby’s father or grandmother to be with him and the young mother around the clock).
Starting breastfeeding
To prepare your breasts for breastfeeding, a woman needs to start following some recommendations in advance:
- Previously, it was customary to advise hardening the breasts and rubbing the nipples with a rough towel. In fact, such preparation does not justify itself and makes no sense. Such recommendations were given to prevent the formation of cracks in the nipples during feeding in the future. It is important to understand that after the baby is born, the skin on the chest secretes a special lubricant that protects the nipples from damage. To avoid cracks and other problems with the breasts, the expectant mother needs to understand how to put the baby to the breast. It is the correct latching of the breast by the baby that will ensure good lactation and prevention of nipple damage.
- Check to see if you have inverted or flat nipples. To do this, lightly squeeze the areola from below and above the nipple with your fingers. If the nipples are inverted, then you need to regularly massage them, pulling them out, lubricating them with baby cream in advance. To prepare for lactation, you can massage the mammary glands themselves. This should be done carefully, stroking the chest from the edges to class=”aligncenter” width=”459″ height=”521″[/img]
- Learn how to latch a baby to the breast, what the latch should be like, why breastfeeding is so important, and how breast milk is beneficial for a baby. This information will help you overcome all difficulties and establish breastfeeding. Almost all mothers face problems in the first month of breastfeeding. Most often this happens due to ignorance of information about breastfeeding.
- Choose a special nursing bra with wide straps that will provide excellent support for your breasts. For greater feeding convenience, choose fabric, sports or with detachable cups.
- The first application to the breast is of great importance for the appearance of milk in sufficient quantities. This must be done immediately after the baby is born. If you are unable to feed your baby, do everything possible to give him the breast rather than a bottle as soon as possible. In the first days there is no milk yet, there is only colostrum, the newborn will be happy to get enough of it, because it is very thick, tasty, healthy and quickly absorbed. Colostrum is incredibly beneficial for the child in the development of his digestive system, immunity and harmonious development. Three to four days after birth, the woman will have transitional milk, which in about a couple of weeks will acquire a constant composition and become mature.
Why is breastfeeding worth the effort?
- Breast milk contains the necessary substances for the growth and development of all organs and systems of the baby, and vitamins and minerals are in a form in which they are very easily absorbed by the baby’s body, unlike formula components. In addition, the mixture reproduces the composition of this natural elixir only partially.
- It contains immune factors that protect the infant’s fragile body from many infections, especially gastrointestinal and respiratory ones. If a mother gets sick, antibodies to the causative agent of her disease enter the baby’s body through feeding and protect him, so most likely he will not become infected. And if the baby gets sick, breast milk changes its properties, promoting his speedy recovery.
- Children who were breastfed for more than nine months were less likely to develop ear infections and other ENT diseases in the future.
- Breast milk protects your baby from allergies and, according to some reports, from inflammatory bowel disease and certain types of cancer.
- Bifidus factor contributes to the formation of healthy intestinal microflora in the baby, and colostrum components help the epithelium of the digestive tract quickly prepare for work.
- Later, breastfed people are less likely to become obese and score better on intelligence tests.
- Breastfeeding provides not only the baby's need for nutrition, but also tactile contact, affection and care, establishes a strong connection with the mother, and is usually a reliable way to calm the baby and put him to sleep.
- The milk in the breast is sterile, it does not need to be heated, it is always with you. Breastfeeding eliminates unnecessary hassle and significant material costs.
- Breastfeeding is beneficial for the mother’s body: it promotes contraction of the uterus after childbirth, weight restoration, and also reduces the likelihood of developing breast and ovarian cancer, type 2 diabetes, and osteoporosis.
- For some, the contraceptive effect will be a plus, which is quite reliable as long as the child does not receive any other food other than breast milk and is fed on demand.
Of course, it is not necessary that an individual infant will be healthier and happier than his peer receiving formula. But he will definitely feel better than if he had not been breastfed.
How much does a newborn eat?
In the first couple of days after birth, the baby will only need 10-15 grams of colostrum. Any mother can give this amount to a baby. No need to worry about lack of milk or flat nipples. On days 4–6, colostrum is replaced by milk. The volume per feeding gradually increases to 50 - 80 ml. By 1 week, the baby already eats about 400 ml of milk per day. By the second week of life, the baby eats 80-110 ml of milk per feeding.
How much should a child under one year eat eat here.
To avoid problems with lactation, it is important not to be nervous, eat well, put the baby to the breast more often, then you will be able to maintain and continue breastfeeding. For the first two weeks, you may feel pain in your breasts during feeding. This is the norm, since the skin is still very delicate and unaccustomed to constant resorption. It is normal to experience pain in the first seconds after latching on, but if it is constant throughout the feeding, then you still need to work on proper attachment. Monitor the condition of your nipples to prevent the appearance and development of cracks.
After 2 to 3 weeks, most mothers begin to enjoy breastfeeding and closeness with their baby. The main thing is to be persistent and not pay attention to the difficulties that may arise. Good lactation depends on the frequency of breastfeeding, especially at night, and the baby’s correct latch on to the breast.
The right attitude is the key to success
Doctors consider the so-called dominant breastfeeding to be one of the important factors for successful lactation. This concept includes the mother’s conviction in the need to breastfeed (we hope that the previous section of the article contributed to this), as well as her confidence that she will be able to feed her baby.
Often women are afraid that their milk will not come or the amount will be insufficient.
There is good news about this: only about 3-5% of mothers suffer from true hypogalactia, that is, a lack of milk.
This may be due to anatomical features, breast surgery and diseases that affect hormone production.
In other cases, the baby will have enough milk, and if problems arise, they can be solved by properly organizing breastfeeding. You will definitely succeed!
About feeding positions
In addition to the above-mentioned position, there are many more positions from which you can breastfeed your baby. We will briefly describe only a few of them.
- The classic position is considered to be the “cradle”, when the baby is pressed with his tummy to the mother’s stomach, and his head lies with his ear on the bend of the elbow (according to some versions, on the forearm) of the mother’s hand, which holds the baby’s back.
- The “reverse cradle” (the baby is in the same position, but the back and head are fixed with the other hand) is convenient for correcting the latch on the chest, then it can be changed to a regular one.
- The “under-arm” position will be especially convenient for those who gave birth by cesarean section, since the baby does not put pressure on the mother’s stomach: he lies on a pillow on the side of the mother, and she feeds him, holding his shoulders and head with her hand.
- Also, after surgery or episiotomy, it will be comfortable to feed while lying down (and, by the way, any mother will need this position at night). The woman's head is on the pillow, the baby's head is at chest level. Both lie on their sides, stomach to stomach. You can place a cushion under the child's back to prevent him from rolling onto his back. You can feed from both the upper and lower breasts. The mother can place her lower hand under her or the child’s head (the ear will be in the bend of the elbow), after first lifting it by the shoulder blades and neck with the other hand.
Good chest grip: what is it like?
To prevent painful cracked nipples, as well as to ensure effective sucking (which, in turn, will allow the baby to eat enough and milk to actively flow), it is necessary that the breast latch is correct.
On the one hand, for many mother-baby couples, attachment does not look ideal at all, but at the same time it works perfectly.
On the other hand, there are some signs of a good grip that are worth paying attention to:
- The child should take into his mouth not only the nipple, but also a section of the areola with a radius of about 2.5 cm.
- More of the free areola should be visible from above than from below.
- The baby's lips are turned outward (especially the lower one), the angle between them is about 130 degrees, the cheeks are not retracted, and no extraneous sounds (except for sips) are heard.
To achieve high-quality attachment, sometimes you need to help the baby. Place your thumb on the edge of the areola above the nipple, and the rest below, at a distance of about 5 cm from the nipple.
Squeeze your chest slightly (like we squeeze a fluffy bun to make it easier to bite). If you press a little harder with your thumb, the tip of the nipple will rise.
Point it towards your baby's nose and tickle his lips with the lower edge of the areola. When the baby opens his mouth wide, place the breast there, at the same time as if putting the baby's head on it.
How to improve lactation if you are not together
When circumstances are such that after giving birth you are separated from your baby, then to stimulate lactation you need to pump every 2-3 hours, for 10 minutes on each breast. This will also help prevent excessive breast engorgement in 2-4 days when the milk comes in (some women who are breastfeeding on demand may also need to pump during this period).
To pump your breasts, wash your hands and take a sterile container (for a healthy full-term newborn, just a clean one is enough). Lightly shake and massage your breasts.
Then place your fingers around the nipple in a “C” shape: the big one just above the edge of the areola, the rest just below.
Now start pumping: the thumb and index fingers move towards each other, squeezing the glandular tissue.
Release your finger pressure, then repeat the movement. After some time, turn your hand slightly to release milk from the other lobes of the breast.
Pumping is also necessary if the baby is with you, but for some reason does not take the breast. The resulting colostrum or milk should be given to the baby, preferably not from a bottle.
There are various other methods of supplementary feeding: from a pipette, from a syringe without a needle, from a spoon, from a small cup (beaker), from a special soft spoon that has a milk reservoir at the end.
We put the baby to the breast
Before feeding your baby, be sure to wash your hands with soap, but do not do the same with your breasts (otherwise cracked nipples may occur); it is enough to wash them with water once a day.
A very comfortable position for feeding a newborn, and even an older child, is the so-called “relaxed feeding.” Mom half sits, half lies, leaning back on pillows that serve as support for her back and shoulders.
The baby in one diaper is on the mother’s bare chest (skin-to-skin contact is important), you can hold him by the back and shoulders. You shouldn’t rush your baby to take the breast, it’s better to wait until he starts looking for it himself, then it makes sense to help a little.
If the baby takes the breast and sucks, and it doesn’t hurt you, or it only hurts in the first few seconds, then everything is going right.
If the nipple is sore for a long time, you should not endure it; you need to carefully place a clean little finger in the corner of the baby’s mouth (this is important, because otherwise, when you pull out the nipple, you can damage it) and interrupt feeding, and then start all over again (for more information about correct breast latch, see below). below).
