Breast Feeding
Every mother is asked to breast feed. But why is this so? Why is breastfeeding so important?
Breastfeeding has many advantages, these include:-
* Protects baby from illness and infection.
* Aids development of babies eyesight, speech and intelligence.
* Promotes a special loving bond between mother and baby.
* Can reduce chances of allergies.
* Lack of breastfeeding is linked with higher risks of SIDS.
These are just a few on the many many benefits of breastfeeding your baby. But are there benefits for the mother?
List of beneifts for the mother:-
* Helps your body return to pre pregnant state more quickly.
* Women who have not breastfed their babies have an increased risk of breast and ovarian cancer, heart disease and osteoporosis.
* Breastfeeding can delay return of menstruation. What bliss!!!!!
* Breastfeeding is easy and convienient Not to mention cheap!! Formula can easily cost $20 a week! Not to mention bottles and sterilising materials.
So now we know the benefits of breastfeeding, but its not an easy task! Breastfeeding is a difficult task to grasp.
What can we do to help this?
Good positioning
Your babies body shoul be positioned in a way that her head, neck and spine are in a straight line with her head tipped back over your hand or arm. Her body should be facing yours. She may have her body horizontal under your breasts, lying diagonally across your body or even in your lap. As long as her back is straight and her body close to yours that is all matters.
Attachment
Attachment is not a thing we are born to know how to do, its a skill to be learned. Poor attachment can lead to sore and cracked nipples.
Steps to attaching baby
* Sit or lie comfortable with back and feet supported
* Have your clothing open as much as possible with your first feeds.
* Gently brush your babies mouth with the underside of your nipple. This will encourage the baby to open her mouth wide. You may find holding your breast similar to a sandwich allows her to
take more of your areola and make it easier to attach. When your baby opens her mouth wide and her tongue comes forward over her lower gums quickly bring him to the breast with your nipple pointing to the roof of her mouth.
* As her mouth closes over the breast she should take in a large amount of the areola.
* If you are engorged expressing around the areola can soften it, allowing easier attachment.
Checking attachment.
* chin is touching the breast and nose is clear.
* Lips are flanged out not sucked in.
* Your baby has much of the areola in her mouth, more so on the chin side. There should be no serious pain in the nipple.
If you feel pain beyond the initial streching of your nipple, baby might not have had a big enough mouthful of your breast. You can break the suction by inserting a clean finger in the corner of her mouth, between her gums and try again. You may need to bring her more upright or she just may attach herself again. If baby becomes upset or distressed
during this, calm her first then start again.
Breastfeeding problems and treatments
Engorgment
This can occur around the third or forth day after baby is born. This can be prevented by baby feeding and attaching well. If you do become engorged it generally diminishes 1 to 2 days after without treatment. Continue to breast feed baby making sure she gets on well and is nursing well. Should engorgment get severe, cabbage leaves can help.
Wrap cabbage leaves around the breast and leave on for around 20 minutes. Twice daily should be plenty.
Increasing Milk supply
Several drugs are on the market to help increase your supply of milk. Of course there are also herbs that help. There are two herbs that can help increase your supply.
FENUGREEK - 3 capsules 3 times a day.
Blessed thistle - 3 capsules 3 times a ay.
Nipple soreness
The best way to avoid nipple soreness is an early start to breastfeeding and good attachment. If anyone tells you attachment is good if your experiencing pain, then its not.
Nipple ointments can help if you are experiencing moderate to severe pain. Creams such as Lanisoh are good but remember good attachment is the key.
Rub these creams in after each feed. There is no need to wipe off.
Conclusion
Remember to always seek help if you are having troubles with breast feeding. A Lactation consultant will be able to help you with any problem you may have.
Contact your hospital for a lactation constultant or contact the australian breast feeding association.
www.breastfeeding.asn.au
HELPLINES
ACT/Southern New South Wales (02) 6258 8928
New South Wales (02) 8853 4999
Queensland (07) 3844 8977 or (07) 3844 8166
Townsville (07) 4723 5566
Cairns (07) 4058 0007
Toowoomba (07) 4639 2401
South Australia and NT (0 8411 0050
Northern Territory counsellor contact line (0 8411 0301
Tasmania (03) 6223 2609
Tasmania - North (03) 6331 2799
Victoria (03) 9885 0653
Western Australia (0 9340 1200
Please remember you are NOT A FAILURE if you can not breast feed. Each child is different and may prefer the bottle. This does not make you a bad mother in anyway.
Links to images
http://www.medem.com/Medem/images/ama/ama_children_breastandbottlefeeding_lev20_breastfeeding_jpp_01.jpg
http://www.nes.scot.nhs.uk/pharmacy/breastfeeding/topic4/images/breast_diagram.gif http://www.abc.net.au/parenting/parenting_in_pictures/images/breastfeeding_positions_2.gif
Written and compiled by Tina
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Kind regards,
The Management
Family N Friends
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