BREAST-FEEDING

Why Should I Breast-feed? Breast milk meets the needs of the growing baby perfectly and is easily digested, causing little gas. It is the ideal source of food until the baby is ready for the introduction of solids at 6 months. Most importantly, colostrum (the yellowish liquid that is produced before the milk starts flowing 2 to 3 days after birth) and breast milk contain valuable antibodies that help the baby fight off infections.

How Do I Start Breast-feeding? Breast-feeding does not come naturally to either the newborn nor the mother, and it might be particularly challenging for premature babies and babies delivered by Cesarean section. In order to avoid the common problem of sore or cracked nipples that often make breast-feeding painful in the first week, the mother should ensure that the baby’s mouth is opened as wide as possible before quickly inserting as much of the areola (the dark area of the breast around the nipple) together with the nipple. It is recommended to get professional help by lactation consultants right from the beginning; hospitals offer helpful breast-feeding sessions, and home visits by public health nurses and 24 h phone lines are available to every new mother.

While the baby has to latch on properly and start sucking, the mother has to relax in order for the milk to start flowing. This is known as the let-down reflex and is often felt by nursing women.  The baby can get upset and cry on the breast if the let-down reflex is not setting in quickly enough; try to stay calm, or otherwise take the baby off the breast and calm him down before putting him on the breast again.

Am I Producing Enough Milk For My Baby? For the first few days after birth, the breast will produce colostrum, which provides sufficient nourishment for the newborn until the milk production has kicked in at about day 4.  New mothers often worry if they are producing enough milk for their baby.  Breast milk is amazingly capable of adapting to the baby’s needs as long as the mother always breast-feeds whenever the baby needs it (commonly every 2 to 4 hours);  the more the baby nurses, the more milk will be produced.  Therefore, supplementing with formula will undermine this system and should be avoided in a breast-fed baby. Breast milk has a different composition at the beginning and at the end of a 10 minute feed. The milk produced at the beginning of each feeding session is fairly watery, quenching the thirst;  towards the end of a feed, the milk is fat-rich and high in calories.  A baby should therefore always feed as long as possible on the first breast before being offered the other breast; otherwise, the baby may soon be hungry again.

What Are Some Problems Women Face While Breast-feeding? One of the first problems women experience is engorgement, or enlargement of the breasts. On the day that the breasts have started producing mature milk instead of colostrum, they may feel hot, heavy, big and hard.  The breasts can stay engorged for about 2 days.  Warm towels on the breasts, running warm water under the shower, massaging the breasts and then expressing some milk by hand, will ease the discomfort and help the baby nursing during those first days. Women may also develop sore or cracked nipples. This is often a problem for new mothers, because the technique of latching on has not been mastered.  Suggestions to relieve the soreness until the nipples are toughened and healed include air-drying the nipples, using a vitamin E cream, nursing in different positions and expressing instead of nursing from the worse breast for a day. Breast-feeding can also result in blocked ducts. Ducts are small tubes within the breast which lead the milk produced by cells to the nipple. When the ducts become blocked you can feel a hard, tender,  red lump in the breast.  Immediate treatment should prevent further problems - bathe the breast in hot water, massage the area gently and put the baby on the breast, stroking over the blocked area towards the nipple in order to drain the duct while the baby is nursing.  One can help prevent the occurrence of blocked ducts by avoiding clothing, e.g. a bra, that presses on the breast tissue. A blocked duct can also lead to infection of the breast, known as mastitis, which results in local pain, tenderness and flu-like symptoms. Urgently seek medical help (the physician will prescribe antibiotics) in order to avoid the formation of a breast abscess, which may require surgery.  Rest and nurse as much as possible in order to drain the ducts completely.  Prevent mastitis by always paying immediate attention to blocked ducts.