Breast Feeding And Positioning

Breast Feeding And Positioning

For some people, the process of breast feeding seems to come natural, although there's a level of skill required for successful feeding and a correct technique to use. Incorrect positioning is one of the biggest reasons for unsuccessful feeding and it can even injure the nipple or breast quite easily.

By stroking the baby's cheek with the nipple, the baby will open its mouth towards the nipple, which should then be pushed in so that the baby will get a mouthful of nipple and areola. This position is known as latching on. A lot of women prefer to wear a nursing bra to allow easier access to the breast than other normal bras.

The length of feeding time will vary. Regardless of the duration of feeding time, it's important for mothers to be comfortable. The following are positions you can use:

1. Upright - The sitting position where the back is straight.

2. Mobile - Mobile is where the mother carries her baby in a sling or carrier while breast feeding. Doing this allows the mother to breast feed in the work of everyday life.

3. Lying down - This is good for night feeds or for those who have had a caesarean section.

4. On her back - The mother is sitting slightly upright, also a useful position for tandem breast feeding.

5. On her side - The mother and baby both lie on their sides.

6. Hands and knees - In this feeding position the mother is on all fours with the baby underneath her. Keep in mind, this position isn't normally
recommended.

Anytime you don't feel comfortable with a feeding position, always stop and switch to a different position. Each position is different, while some mothers prefer one position, other's may like a totally different position. All you need to do is experiment and see which position is best for you.

Engorged Breasts

Within the first two to three days after you have iven birth, you may discover that your breasts feel swollen, tender, throbbing, lumpy, and overly full. Sometimes, the swelling will extend all the way to your armpit, and you may run a low fever as well.

The causes
Within 72 hours of giving birth, an abundance of milk will come in or become available to your baby. As this happens, more blood will flow o your breasts and some of the surrounding tissue will swell. The result is full, swollen, engorged breasts.

Not every postpartum mom experienced true engorgement. Some women's breasts become only slightly full, while others find their breasts have become amazingly hard. Some women will hardly notice the pain, as they are nvolved in other things during the first few days.

Treating it
Keep in mind, engorgement is a positive sign that you are producing milk to feed to your baby. Until you produce the right amount:

1. Wear a supportive nursing bra, even at night - making sure it isn't too tight.

2. Breast feed often, every 2 - 3 hours if you can. Try to get the first side of your breasts as soft as possible. If your baby seems satisfied with just one breast, you can offer the other at the next feeding.

3. Avoid letting your baby latch on and suck when the areola is very firm. To reduce the possibility of nipple damage, you can use a pump until your areola softens up.

4. Avoid pumping milk except when you need to soften the areola or when your baby is unable to latch on. Excessive pumping can lead to the over production of milk and prolonged engorgement.

5. To help soothe the pain and relieve swelling, apply cold packs to your breasts for a short amount of time after you nurse. Crushed ice in a plastic bag will also work.

6. Look ahead. You'll get past this engorgement in no time and soon be able to enjoy your breast feeding relationship with your new baby.

Engorgement will pass very quickly. You can expect it to diminish within 24 - 48 hours, as nursing your baby will only help the problem. If you aren't breast feeding, it will normally get worse before it gets better. Once the engorgement has passed, your breasts will be softer and still full of milk.

During this time, you can and should continue to nurse. Unrelieved engorgement can cause a drop in your production of milk, so it's important
to breast feed right from the start. Keep an eye for signs of hunger and feed him when he needs to be fed.

Avoiding Foods While Breast Feeding

Many women find that they can eat whatever they may like during breast feeding. Even though it's true that some strongly favored foods can change the taste of your milk, many babies seem to enjoy the varieties of breast milk flavors. Occasionally, your baby may get cranky at the breast after you eat certain foods. If you notice this happening, simply avoid that particular food.

The most common offenders during breast feeding include chocolate, spices, citrus fruits, garlic, chili, lime, gassy vegetables, and fruits with laxative type effects, such as prunes and cherries.

You can have a cup or two of coffee a day, although too much caffeine can interfere with your baby's sleep and even make him or her cranky. Keep in
mind, caffeine is found in many soda's, tea, and even over the counter type medicine as well.

It's okay to have an alcoholic beverage every now and the, although having more than one drink can increase your blood alcohol level, putting the
alcohol into your breast milk.

If you are planning to have more than one drink at a time, it's best to wait two hours or more per drink before you resume any type of nursing or breast feeding. There is no need to pump and dump unless your breasts are full and its time to feed your baby. While breast feeding, any type of heavy drinking should be avoided.

Before you actually omit any foods from your diet, you should talk to your doctor. If you avoid certain foods and it causes a nutritional imbalance, you may need to see a nutritionist for advice on taking other foods or getting nutritional supplements.

Health And Diet

The nutritional requirements for the baby will rely soley on the breast milk, and therefore the mother will need to maintain a healthy diet. If the baby is
large and grows fast, the fat stores gained by the mother during pregnancy can be depleted quickly, meaning that she may have trouble eating good enough to maintain and develop sufficient amounts of milk.

This type of diet normally involves a high calorie, high nutrition diet which follows on from that in pregnancy. Even though mothers in famine conditions
can produce milk with nutritional content, a mother that is malnourished may produce milk with lacking levels of vitamins A, D, B6, and B12.

If they smoke, breast feeding mothers must use extreme caution. More than 20 cigarettes a day has been shown to reduce the milk supply and cause vomiting, diarrhoea, rapid heart rate, and restlessness in the infants. SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) is more common in babies that are exposed to smoke.

Heavy drinking is also known to harm the infant, as well as yourself. If you are breast feeding, you should avoid alcohol or consume very small amounts at a time.

The excessive consumption of alcohol by the mother can result in irritability, sleeplessness, and increased feeding in the infant. Moderate use, normally 1 – 2 cups a day normally produces no effect. Therefore, mothers that are breast feeding are advised to avoid caffeine or restrict intake of it.

By following a healthy diet and limiting your intake of the above, you'll ensure that your baby gets the right nutrients during your time of breast feeding.
This stage of life is very important - as you don't want anything to happen to your baby.

Other Foods While Breast Feeding

Breast milk is actually the only food your baby will need until 4 months of age, although most babies do well on breast milk alone for 6 months or better. There is really no advantage to adding other foods or milks before 4 - 6 months, except under unusual circumstances.

Water
Breast milk is over 90% water. Even in the hottest days of summer, a baby won't require any extra water. If a baby isn't feeding well, they still don't require any extra water – although they will need the breast feeding problems to be fixed.

Vitamin D
Although breast milk doesn't contain much vitamin D, it does have a little. The baby will store up vitamin D during pregnancy, and remain healthy without any vitamin D supplementation, unless you yourself had a problem with vitamin D deficiency when pregnant.

Exposure to the outside will give your baby vitamin D, even in winter and when the sky is covered. An hour or more exposure during the week will give your baby more than enough vitamin D.

Iron
Breast milk contains less iron than formulas do, especially those that are iron enriched. Iron will give the baby added protection against infections, as many bacteria need iron in order to multiply.

The iron found in breast milk is utilized well by the baby, while not being available to bacteria. The introduction of iron should never be delayed beyond the age of 6 months.

Breast milk is the best that your can feed your baby, as it provides everything he will need for probably the first 6 months. After the first 6 months, you can introduce solid foods to your baby if he is taking an interest
to them.

Poor Milk Supply

Almost all women don't have a problem with producing enough milk to breast feed. The ideal way to make sure that your baby is getting enough milk is to be sure that he's well positioned, attached to the breast, and feed him as often as he gets hungry.

Some mom's that are breast feeding will stop before they want to, simply because they don't think they have enough breast milk.

There are signs that might make you believe your baby isn't getting enough milk. If your baby seems hungry or unsettled after feeding, or if he wants to feed often with short pauses between feedings, you may think he isn't getting enough milk - which are often times not the case.

There are however, two reliable signs that let you know your baby isn't getting enough milk. If your baby has poor or really slow weight gain, or is
passing small amounts of concentrated urine, he's not getting enough milk.

All babies will lose weight within the first few days after birth. Babies are born with supplies of fat and fluids, which will help them keep going for
the first several days.

Once your baby regains birth weight, he should begin putting on around 200g for the first four months or so. To get back to their birth weight, it normally
takes a few weeks.

If the weight gain for your baby seems to be slow, don't hesitate to ask your doctor or nurse to observe you breast feeding. This way, they can make sure
that your technique is right and if they think your baby is breast feeding often enough.

To help you with your breast feeding, here are some ways that you can increase your supply of milk:

1. Be sure that your baby is positioned correctly and attached to your breast.

2. Let your baby feed for as long and often as he wants.

3. If you feel that your baby isn't breast feeding enough, offer him more breast feeds.

4. During each breast feed, make sure you feed from both breasts.

5. If your baby has been using a dummy, make sure you stop him.

6. Some babies may be sleepy and reluctant to feed, which may be the cause of problems with milk supply.

By following the above tips, you'll do your part in making sure you have enough milk when it comes time to breast feed. If you are uncertain or have other questions, be sure to ask your doctor, as he can answer any type of question you may have.

Low Supply Of Breast Milk

Almost all mothers who breast feed go through a period of questioning whether or not their supply of milk is adequate. Some mothers simply aren't
able to produce enough milk to meet the needs of her baby. According to many experts, true insufficiencies of milk are very rare.

A lot of women think their milk supply is low when it actually isn't. Thinking this can happen if you lose the feeling of fullness in your breasts or if the milk stops leaking from your nipples. Babies that go through growth spurts may want more milk than usual, and these more frequent feedings may leave your breasts less than full.

Causes of it
A mother's milk supply may diminish for a brief period of time if she isn't feeding her baby often enough due to nipple pain, or a poor latch on technique. Illnesses or estrogen containing birth control pills may also affect the production of milk.

What you should do
The best way to handle a low supply of breast milk is through a doctor's care. You should make sure that your baby gets frequent feedings and that nothing is wrong with your nipples or your milk ducts. Doctors are the best ones to
ask, as they can run tests to see if everything is fine within your body.

A low supply of breast milk can affect your baby, although it's more of a mental condition than anything else. If your baby isn't gaining any weight or if he is losing weight, you should call a doctor immediately. Improved
techniques for breast feeding will normally help, although in some cases weight gain or weight loss will indicate a serious concern.

In most cases, you can still nurse with a temporary decrease in milk supply, although frequent breast feeding is the key to boosting your production of milk.

Breast Compression

The sole purpose of breast compression is to continue the flow of milk to the baby once the baby no longer drinks on his own. Compression will also stimulate a let down reflex and often causes a natural let down reflex to occur. This technique may also be useful for the following:

1. Poor weight gain in the baby.
2. Colic in the breast fed baby.
3. Frequent feedings or long feedings.
4. Sore nipples for the mother.
5. Recurrent blocked ducts
6. Feeding the baby who falls asleep quick.

If everything is going well, breast compression may not be necessary. When all is well, the mother should allow the baby to finish feeding on the first side,
then if the baby wants more - offer the other side.

How to use breast compression :

1. Hold the baby with one arm.

2. Hold the breast with the other arm, thumb on one side of your breast, your finger on the other far back from the nipple

3. Keep an eye out for the baby's drinking, although there is no need to be obsessive about catching every suck. The baby will get more milk when drinking with an open pause type of suck.

4. When the baby is nibbling or no longer drinking, compress the breast, not so hard that it hurts though. With the breast compression, the baby should begin drinking again.

5. Keep up the pressure until the baby no longer drinks with the compression, then release the pressure. If the baby doesn't stop sucking with the release of compression, wait a bit before compressing again.

6. The reason for releasing pressure is to allow your hand to rest, and allow the milk to begin flowing to the baby again. If the baby stops sucking when you release the pressure, he'll start again once he tastes milk.

7. When the baby starts to suck again, he may drink. If not, simply compress again.

8. Continue feeding on the first side until the baby no longer drinks with compression. You should allow him time to stay on that side until he starts drinking again, on his own.

9. If the baby is no longer drinking, allow to come off the breast or take him off.

10. If the baby still wants more, offer the other side and repeat the process as above.

11. Unless you have sore nipples, you may want to switch sides like this several times.

12. Always work to improve the baby's latch.

Nest Page - A Mother Guide To Breast Feeding Part 3

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