Breastfeeding Facts!

Hi, I'm almost 29 weeks and have a flat nipple and an inverted one. I really want to breastfeed. Please advise on how I can prepare myself.

Hi Shantal

Congrats on the birth of your little baby. So glad that he is latching on perfectly!!!

Eating as healthy as possible & keeping hydrated is mostly for your own health even though keeping up the water intake can help with your supply later on but your supply is still being established and will start settling at about 6weeks. Just keep on feeding on demand. Throw away that clock hehehe

It is perfectly normal not to have a major appetite after a C-section & also to be so thirsty(that is normal in the early weeks of bf but will get better). Just always make sure you have something on hand to drink when you bf.

You can maybe go for a b12 injection weekly or buy it yourself & let your husband inject you once or twice a week. Just don't get the B6 one as it can decrease your supply.

I'm sure you've heard about the jungle juice recipe. It doesn't help to increase your milk but can help with energy. The problem is, it contains loads of sugar & that can cause thrush - something you don't want to get.

So I would say, try & rest & sleep as much as you can - I know it's difficult. Get those B12 shots & you can drink anything that ends with ADE, like energade, powerade etc.

As for the MYTH that says if you don't eat enough nutritious meals, then your milk will lack vitamins...........complete nonsense. Your milk gets made from your blood. Even a woman from Ethiopia where they suffer with nutrition can successfully bf her baby even though she's not eating. It is just important to get enough fluids in.

Your milk constantly changes to adapt to the needs of your baby. When it's very hot outside, your milk will be more watery to quench baby's thirst. Your baby doesn't need anything else until the age of 6months. No water, no juice, no foodies. If baby gets more hungrier as he is growing, he'll just feed more often

I hope this helps.

Shout if you have any more questions

Hi

I am a first time mum, my baby is 2 weeks old and managed to latch on perfectly from day one. He is great although my concern is myself, since my c-section I have had major loss of appetite but I try to get decent portions in during meal times.

I am constantly drained of energy. I'm always thirsty and could drink anything. I'm getting loads of water in aswell

Can you advise on what I could have to gain some energy?
Also is it true that if I don't have enuf nutritious meals, then my milk will lack vitamins?

Hi there Lkdebeer

Well done on bf so far! A lot of women give up before even reaching 5weeks.

It is difficult if you can't express enough during the day because of time, space etc but you are trying & that is excellent.

Bf works on supply & demand, the more milk that gets taken out, the more it will make & unfortunately your milk supply will adjust according to how you feed & express.

Ways of increasing your milk :

1) Feed on demand whenever your lo is with you & especially weekends - don't work on a schedule
2) Drink lots of water
3) Try to pump over weekends whenever you get a chance. Your supply is usually higher in the mornings
4) The milk that you express can be kept at the back of the fridge for 3-5days & will still be fine. So whatever you express, keep in fridge & give the "oldest" milk first. You can buy freezer bags as well & just mark the date on & freeze it.
5) See if you can maybe work in an extra pump session at night & early morning(I know it's hard).
6) Fenugreek tablets - some mothers claim it works for them

How much does your lo drink during the day, per bottle? Remember to let the caregiver do paced bottle feeding. It will prevent baby from overfeeding & will basically feed the way she feeds on the breast.

Here is a link on it kellymom.com/bf/pumpingmoms/feeding-tools/bottle-feeding/

My son is almost a year now & still only drinks between 60 - 90mls per feed as a bf baby drinks anything between 60-120mls. Very seldomly will they drink more than 120mls. That is why the teat should always be on the slowest flow & paced bottle feeding.

Bf babies & formula fed babies don't consume the same amount of milk.

Here is another link where you can calculate roughly what your lo needs - this is only a guideline

kellymom.com/bf/pumpingmoms/pumping/milkcalc/

Ask away if you have any more questions & see if you can join the la leche league group on fb. They are absolutely wonderful with all the help and advice that you get

If interested, let me know & I will send you the link

Hi Momtoc,

Thank you for the interesting facts! As a first time mom I have been scouring the internet for information and encouragement about breastfeeding, it is really sad to hear how many women give up breastfeeding in the early stages. I think the worst enemy we encounter is the self doubt that we are not giving our babies enough. And sometime it is the people who should be encouraging us that cause the thoughts of self doubt

My baba is almost five months old now and I breastfed until I had to come back to work when she was 3 1/2 months, She is at chreche now and I breastfeed her at night and in the morning before we leave and then try to express during the day at work so I can send as much breastmilk with her the next day as I can. I then top up with formula during the day because I am just not expressing enough for her for the whole day and the small precious stach I built up for her has dwindled away Unfortunately finding the time to express at work is not always easy so my milk supply has obviously dropped. There are some days whe I feel so guilty when I look at the 1 x 100ml bottle I have managed to express and I really do not want to just give up all together.

Do you perhaps have any advice for me to increase the supply again?

Hi there StellaK, congrats on your pregnancy!

Answers to your questions :

1. how would you know if baby does not latch properly?
New mothers may experience some sensitivity or tenderness, but you shouldn’t feel outright pain while nursing. This means your baby is likely chewing on your nipple instead of gumming the areola. The fix: Unlatch (break the suction by putting your finger into the corner of her mouth) and try again.
You hear clicking noises, which indicate your baby's not latched on properly (and is likely only sucking the nipple). Again, unlatch and start over.
Your baby is so eager to suck that she grabs onto any part of the breast (missing the mark completely) and continues to suck even if no milk is forthcoming. The result: a painful bruise on your oh-so-tender boob — and a very hungry baby. Unlatch and redirect that misguided little mouth to the nipple and areola.

2. how would you fix it so that baby latches properly? See above and also You want the baby’s mouth to be open wide as she latches on, with her chin pressed into your breast and her head tipped back so that her nose is away from the breast. Make sure your hand is not behind her head, as that can prevent a good latch.The easiest way to learn about good latch-on is in a one-on-one session with a knowledgeable lactation consultant, who can show you, rather than tell you, how to get baby latched-on correctly. Many hospitals offer lactation services to postpartum mothers. You might also consider working with a La Leche League Leader in your community. With proper latch-on, puts most of mother’s areola into his mouth. Mother’s nipple goes to the back of baby’s mouth.The tongue is forward, underneath the breast, over the lower gum, and its motion helps baby draw out the milk (have a look at some youtube videos just to get an idea).

GETTING POSITIONED

How you sit, how you hold your baby, and how you offer your breast all affect how baby latches on. Ultimately, these facts determine how comfortable you will be during breastfeeding but I will cover each topic weekly

@Deja, sounds like a plan. I'm just not sure how to write articles as I'm a terrible writer hehehe
Maybe you can give me some guidance. I will email you later in the week.