LACTATION & BREASTFEEDING

It’s Breastfeeding Week (1st to 7th August 2016).

So we thought of bringing you this blogpost with details and tips on breastfeeding and lactation.

LACTATION & BREASTFEEDING

Once you come to know that you are going to be a mom your baby starts to occupy 90 percent of your thoughts and 100 percent of your heart. Body starts to prepare itself to welcome a new life even before you are aware of that.

Nature has designed everything perfectly so that the baby is nourished well inside the womb and even when it arrives in the world. Good lactation for the mother is most important for proper growth and development of the baby. Along with that it helps to develop a bond between the mom and the baby. It is not only important for the baby but it also helps moms in plethora of ways.

Benefits of Breastfeeding:

• Natural way of nourishment and always readily available.
• Promotes bonding between mother and baby.
• Satisfies baby’s emotional needs.
• Breast milk provides perfect infant nutrition.
• Decreases mother’s risk of breast cancer.
• Breast milk imparts immunity to babies.
• Breast milk is more digestible than formula.
• Babies on breast milk are less prone to lactose intolerance, indigestion, loose motions and constipation.
• Suckling of the baby helps to shrink the mother’s uterus after childbirth.
• Nursing helps moms to lose weight after the baby is born.
• Breast milk is an intestinal soother.

When to start preparing for lactation?

Your body starts to prepare for breastfeeding as soon as the embryo gets implanted in the womb. Breasts usually become tender and increase in size during pregnancy. Along with that, if you make some conscious effort, you can have a hassle free lactation.

What to do?

• Eat healthy: healthy diet is pretty much important for a healthy lactation.
• Correct the nipples if you have inverted or flat nipples with the help of a lactation exper

Know your nipple type

Before your baby is born, it is helpful to know what type of nipples you have. There are three different variations of nipples

• Normal
• Flat
• Inverted

To determine whether you have flat or inverted nipples do the following:

Pinch your breast between your thumb and forefinger on the areola, the dark area about an inch above and below the nipple.

• If your nipples become erect, it is normal.
• If they neither protrude nor retract, it is flat.
• If they invert or retract into the breast, it is inverted. One inverted and one protruding nipple is called unilateral nipple inversion.

The degree of inversion can vary from slight to severe. Your doctor will also be able to tell you whether your nipples are inverted or flat.

What can you do for inverted or flat nipples?

• Give proper support to the breasts
• Start using nipple formers
• Massage your breasts from 8th month onwards
• Talk to your experienced friends or relatives about lactation; they can impart comfort and confidence into you.

Common problems faced during breastfeeding and how to tackle

• Less milk production: Start with Ayurvedic supplements. Eat lactation enhancing food.
• Inverted nipple and flat nipples: Start to pull your nipple with inverted syringe, breast shells or breast pumps.
• Sore nipple: Poor positioning and improper latching are the main reasons for that. Proper training should be given on how to position the baby while breastfeeding.
• Nipple cracks: Use of nipple care creams and some Ayurvedic medicated ghee can address the issue.
• Engorged breasts: Milk should be pumped out if the baby is not able to have the entire milk that is being produced.
• Excess milk production: This is not a major concern, but the neck of the nipple should be held tightly to adjust the milk flow to avoid choking hazards.

How to hold the baby while breast feeding?

There are 4 main breast-feeding positions: The cradle hold, the cross-cradle hold, the football hold, and lying down.

• Cradle hold

This is the most common position. This is when you are sitting with your baby in your lap and the baby’s head is resting in the crook of your elbow on the same side where you will breast-feed. The baby’s chest should be against your chest so that he doesn’t have to turn his head to reach your nipple. Make sure the arm of the chair is at the right height to support your arm. Use pillows to support your back, your arm, and the baby’s head. A footstool can be helpful to raise your feet.

• Cross-cradle hold

The cross-cradle hold is similar to the cradle hold except your baby is supported on the arm and hand opposite the breast you are using. The baby’s head rests between your thumb and fingers and his upper back is in the palm of your hand. Though this is a good position when first learning to breast-feed because it gives you more control of the baby’s head while you are helping your baby take the breast in his mouth, it can cause shoulder pain for the mother. It is a good position for small babies and babies having trouble learning to latch correctly.

• Clutch hold (Football hold)

Hold your baby like a football along your forearm, with the baby’s body on your arm, his feet pointing toward your back, and his face toward your breast. Use your other hand to support your breast. The football hold is helpful if you have engorged breasts or sore nipples. It is also a good position if you have had a cesarean section and cannot lay the baby on your stomach. If you often have plugged milk ducts, the football hold can help your baby drain the ducts at the bottom of the breast. It is also a good position for nursing twins!

• Lying down

Breast-feeding when you are lying down is good for night feeding. Lie on your side and place the baby on his side facing you, with his head near your breast and his mouth lined up with your nipple. Be sure that the baby can breathe through his nose and your breast does not cover the baby’s face and nose.

Though this position is restful for you, please be careful of not dozing off to sleep due to tiredness. By changing your position slightly, you can feed the baby from both breasts while lying on one side. It is also a good position if you have had a cesarean section and cannot lay the baby on your stomach.

• Laid-back nursing

For this position, lie back and place your baby’s tummy on your tummy. Gravity keeps your baby’s body securely against yours. This position may also help your baby to latch on properly and suck deeply with less effort.

Useful Tips on Breast-feeding Positions

• Generally, anything that works for you and your baby is OK as long as the baby has both the nipple and much of the areola in his mouth and he can breathe.
• Try changing the nursing position sometimes to make sure all of the milk ducts are drained of milk.
• Always find a relaxed and comfortable position and breastfeed in peace.

Special Situations to take care –

Nursing After a Cesarean Section

• The lying-down position may be more comfortable for breast-feeding after you have had a cesarean section.
• If you nurse sitting down, put a pillow on your lap to protect the incision.
• The football hold can also be used, since it keeps the baby from pressing on your incision.

Nursing Premature Infants

• The football and cross-cradle holds work best for premature babies.
• Support the baby’s head and neck in the cross-cradle or football hold with his body supported by your forearm. Use your other hand to support your breast and “sandwich” your breast between your thumb and fingers. Lightly touch his upper lip with your nipple. When he opens his mouth wide, bring him onto your breast.
• If the baby’s nursing reflex is weak, you can increase milk flow by briefly squeezing your breast between your thumb and fingers. No need to squeeze constantly. Just squeeze, release, squeeze again and release again. Your baby may start sucking again when the squeezing gives him extra milk.

Nursing Twins

• Use the football hold with pillows under each arm to support the babies. Using pillows helps free up your hands.
• You can use the cradle or cross-cradle hold and have the babies’ legs overlap.
• You can combine holds (for example, use the cradle hold for one baby and the football hold for the other).
• Don’t let one baby feed from just one breast. Make sure each baby feeds from each breast. This will help keep a good milk supply in both breasts.
• If you can tell that one of your babies is hungrier than the other, nurse the hungriest baby on the fullest breast.

What can cause decreased milk supply? 

• Stress: Mental and physical stress are proved to decrease milk flow
• Infrequent or improper feeding: More you put the baby to the breast, the more you lactate. Less frequency in feeding produces less milk. Improper latching can also cause decreased lactation.
• Improper diet
• Post-partum depression
• Mother suffering from any chronic illness
• Fear arising from painful lactation: Due to improper positioning, improper latching, sore nipples etc.
• Vigorous exercises: Post-delivery months are meant for recovery for the changes that your body has gone through. Indulgence in mild exercises after 2 to 3 weeks is ok, but don’t go for vigorous ones till the baby competes 6 months.

Lactation enhancing and must have food during post-natal period

• Oatmeal: It is a good source of fiber
• Salmon: A great source of Essential Fatty acids and Omega-3.
• Spinach and Beet Leaves: Spinach and beet leaves contain iron, calcium and folic acid but remember to eat spinach in moderation as too much could cause diarrhea in your baby.
• Carrots: It contains Vitamin A which boosts the quality of milk.
• Fennel Seeds: Have many health benefiting nutrients, essential compounds, anti-oxidants, dietary fiber, minerals, and vitamins. They also compose of health benefiting volatile essential oil compounds.
• Fenugreek Seeds: Rich source of minerals, vitamins, and phytonutrients.
• Bottle Gourd: High on nutrition.
• Basil Leaves: Great source of anti-oxidants.
• Garlic: It is considered the best food to increase breast milk, as it is well-known for boosting lactation in nursing mothers. It also has chemical compounds which help in lactation.
• Barley: It not only boosts lactation, but also keeps you hydrated.
•  Asparagus: It is a high fiber food. It is also high in Vitamin A and K.
• Brown Rice: It gives extra energy that is required post-delivery and has certain chemicals that help normalize the mood swings and sleep pattern
• Cumin Seeds: They boost milk supply. Make sure you have them in moderation though. These are appetizers and fat-burners.
• Black Sesame Seeds: These are a rich source of calcium.
• Oils and Fats: It is recommended to keep fats and oils in your diet to a minimum, post pregnancy. Do not avoid fat and oil in your post-delivery diet. They assist in absorption of vitamins and minerals present in other foods you eat and also aid in easy bowel movement.
• Apricots: Dried apricots have certain chemicals which balance out the hormone levels in your body. They are rich in calcium and fiber and help boost lactation.
• Cow Milk: It has calcium and EFA.
• Dill Leaves: They have a high fiber content and Vitamin K. These helps to replenish the blood loss that happens during delivery.
• Drumstick: It has high iron and calcium content.
• Poppy Seeds: These seeds have sedative properties that help you relax and calm down. Take caution to include it in a minimum quantity in your diet.
• Water and Juices: Drinking water and juices is supposed to boost lactation. It increases the total milk volume per feed.
• Almonds: They are rich in Omega-3 and Vitamin E.
• Sweet Potato: It is a major source of potassium. It has energy producing carbohydrate which is needed to fight the fatigue. It also contains Vitamin C and B-complex and a muscle relaxant mineral that is magnesium.
• Unripe Papayas: Papaya has been used as a natural sedative, which may help you to relax and feed baby better.

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