Lactation - 10 Mistakes Breastfeeding Moms Make, Answers To Popular Questions

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Video: Lactation - 10 Mistakes Breastfeeding Moms Make, Answers To Popular Questions

Video: Lactation - 10 Mistakes Breastfeeding Moms Make, Answers To Popular Questions
Video: 3 common breastfeeding problems and solutions 2024, March
Lactation - 10 Mistakes Breastfeeding Moms Make, Answers To Popular Questions
Lactation - 10 Mistakes Breastfeeding Moms Make, Answers To Popular Questions
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10 mistakes breastfeeding moms make while breastfeeding

Content:

  • Lactation period - what is it?
  • A little about lactation as a physiological process
  • 10 mistakes breastfeeding moms make
  • Popular questions about lactation
  • How long should I breastfeed my baby?
  • Menu of a young mother to increase lactation

Lactation period - what is it?

Lactation is a natural physiological process for the production of a specific nutrient - mother's (breast) milk. The lactation period lasts from the end of labor and the first attachment of the baby to the breast until the cessation of milk production. According to research data and the recommendations of obstetricians and gynecologists, the baby should be applied to the breast immediately after childbirth.

Despite this, the mammary gland does not begin to secrete milk immediately after childbirth. However, the mother's body synthesizes colostrum, useful for the child's body, which plays a huge role in the development of children's immunity.

Lactation, as a physiological process, begins approximately 2-3 days after the end of labor. At this time, a woman may begin to experience uncomfortable and even painful sensations: pressure in the chest, enlargement of the mammary glands, small pulling pains. This is a physiological norm.

Lactation period
Lactation period

From the moment breast milk appears, the infant should be applied to the breast as often as possible. Only in this way can lactation become sufficiently stable. Expressing or other methods will not help establish stable lactation. Otherwise, there is a risk that the milk will go to waste.

14 - 21 days after childbirth, the next phase of the lactation period begins, the so-called "mature lactation". In some cases, it can come later - after 1-1.5 months.

During this phase, it is no longer necessary to feed the baby as often as possible. Lactation is stable, which means that the baby can be applied at the breast on demand. The intervals between each subsequent feeding should be about 2 hours (at least). In the future, as lactation comes to an end, the breaks should be increased to 4 hours.

Only in this single case, the entire period of breastfeeding will be as comfortable and useful as possible, both for the child and for the mother herself.

A little about lactation as a physiological process

As mentioned, lactation is a natural process during which there is a synthesis, accumulation and further release of a specific nutrient - breast milk. Lactation is an extremely complex process. It is caused by the production of a variety of hormones. The main active substance that affects milk production is the pituitary hormone prolactin.

It directly affects the mammary glands, giving them a "command" to produce milk. The intensity of production directly depends on the concentration of the hormone in the blood. Milk accumulates in the glands themselves and in the so-called lactiferous ducts, through which milk is released.

Another hormone important for lactation is oxytocin. This active substance is intensively produced during the sucking of the mother's breast by the infant. When muscles contract, milk leaves the body faster. The hormone does not directly affect the intensity of milk production, but it helps it to evacuate faster, which means it prevents milk stagnation and the development of such formidable complications as lactostasis and mastitis. In addition, oxytocin contributes to the contraction of the muscles of the uterus, and therefore, the rapid stop of postpartum bleeding.

The first two to three days after birth, mothers do not yet produce milk, but colostrum is excreted. In some cases, colostrum begins to be synthesized even during gestation.

It is important to keep in mind that the hormone oxytocin is released during breast stimulation, so women who develop colostrum at the end of pregnancy should not express it. Oxytocin contributes to the contraction of the uterus and the onset of premature labor.

Colostrum is replaced by breast milk about 3-5 days after the baby is born.

In the first days of life, colostrum is enough for an infant. You should not feed the baby in addition to formula milk or anything else.

10 mistakes breastfeeding moms make

10 mistakes
10 mistakes

Many women, due to inexperience or ignorance, make quite serious mistakes:

  1. In no case should you set a schedule (regimen) for feeding the baby immediately after childbirth. The child himself knows how much and when to eat. It is advisable to establish a feeding schedule only at the onset of the period of the so-called mature lactation (after about 14-21 days) and closer to its completion (intervals of 2-4 hours). Starting to feed the baby in this way, the mother runs the risk of losing milk very quickly, since lactation is extremely unstable at the initial stage.
  2. It is not recommended to supplement the baby with artificial formula. This is probably one of the most serious mistakes mothers make. For one reason or another, a woman decides that the child does not have enough milk and buys an artificial formula. Such a diet can lead to a variety of adverse effects. Firstly, it is much easier to suck from the nipple than to apply to the breast, and secondly, the mixture has better taste properties, which means that there is a high risk that the baby will completely refuse breast milk. Despite all the positive properties of artificial mixtures (similarity in composition to breast milk), they are not able to completely replace breast milk. In addition, the mixtures provoke a lot of side effects. The child may develop colic, problems with digestion and immunity, and allergic reactions.

  3. Do not add water to your child. Contrary to popular belief, milk is not just food. Almost 90% of it consists of water, which means that this is quite enough for the child. If the mother suspects that the child is thirsty, the best solution would be to stimulate lactation and "unplanned" next feeding. If the baby uses water in addition to milk, this can lead to a refusal to eat. The fact is that as the stomach fills, the brain receives a signal about this, and a feeling of artificial satiety sets in. It is possible to give water to the baby only in two cases: if the time has come for the introduction of complementary foods (not earlier than from 6 months), or if the child is initially artificially fed. Otherwise, kidney problems may begin, and the development of edema is not far off.
  4. Hunger is not always the cause of crying. The baby is designed so that crying is the only way to get attention. But there can be a huge variety of reasons for crying: a child may have colic, abdominal pain, he may have a headache, a baby may be simply bored, he may want to be taken in his arms, teeth may be cut, the baby may be scared, the time has come change a diaper, etc.
  5. For some reason, many mothers are sure that firm and firm breasts are an indicator of a large amount of milk. This is a huge misconception. If seals are felt in the breast, this indicates not an excess of milk, but the onset of lactostasis. The chest, on the contrary, not only can, but should be soft. Moreover, a woman with the normal development of lactation should not experience a lot of unpleasant sensations. Therefore, a dense breast is not a reason to avoid feeding in order to reduce lactation, but a signal that the glands need to be strained.
  6. You should not express breast milk without a good reason. Expressing milk, a woman loses the most useful part of it, the so-called "back" milk. Instead of expressing, it is better to offer the baby the breast once more. Expression is advisable only if there is lactostasis.
  7. You should not use outdated data on weight gain in babies. Many pediatricians use old schemes and tables of weight growth ratios, etc. These data were relevant 10-20 years ago, and the materials were compiled for children who are bottle-fed.
  8. If possible, avoid giving a dummy to a baby. The baby's sucking reflex is satisfied by the mother's breast. If the baby is crying, you need to find and eliminate the cause of irritation, and not plug the baby's mouth with a dummy.
  9. Checkweighing an infant is useless. Often mothers will weigh their baby before and after feeding to see how much they have eaten. But the fact is that, firstly, the baby consumes an insignificant amount of milk. To reflect such a small result, very sensitive scales are needed, which cost a lot of money. Ordinary household scales will not tell the truth. Secondly, each time the infant consumes a different amount of milk. It is not advisable to use this control method. Weigh your baby once a week, that's enough.
  10. Do not introduce complementary foods too early. Complementary foods should be introduced no earlier and no later than 6 months. If you enter it earlier, there is a risk of allergic reactions and the development of problems with the gastrointestinal tract, if later, mental and physical development disorders are possible. (How to introduce complementary foods to a child - a table of complementary foods for children up to a year by months)

Popular questions about lactation

Popular questions
Popular questions

Is it possible to get pregnant during lactation?

In order to get pregnant, you need a certain hormonal background. During lactation, hormones are synthesized in a woman's body, which inhibit reproductive function. These hormones are almost 100% likely to prevent the onset of repeated pregnancy immediately after childbirth. The concentration of specific hormones in the blood rises the more, the more often the woman breastfeeds the baby. Therefore, frequent breastfeeding reduces the risk of pregnancy during lactation.

However, in some cases there are exceptions. So, due to physiological characteristics, in some women (about 10% of the total), the reproductive function is fully preserved even during lactation.

Other young mothers need to adhere to two recommendations in order to exclude pregnancy:

  • You should breastfeed your baby at least 8 times a day. The maximum interval between feedings should be 4-5 hours. It is optimal to adhere to the above scheme and apply the baby to the breast as often as possible.
  • You should not introduce complementary foods ahead of time and give the baby a dummy.

If at least one of the two requirements presented is not met, the woman should take contraceptives, since there is a high risk of another pregnancy.

When does your period start after lactation?

Menstruation is the end of a natural cyclical process, during which eggs mature in the ovary and enter the fallopian tubes, where they await fertilization, and the uterine endometrium prepares the "soil" for the future embryo. If conception does not occur, the soil is rejected and bleeding occurs. Menstruation, like pregnancy and lactation, is stimulated by specific female hormones.

During lactation, the pituitary hormone prolactin is actively produced. It is prolactin that is responsible for stimulating the breast. At the same time, prolactin suppresses ovarian function, and the eggs do not mature. This explains the impossibility of getting pregnant.

For the same reason, the timing at which the menstrual cycle returns to normal depends mainly on how often a woman breastfeeds and what is the concentration of prolactin in the blood.

If breastfeeding continues throughout the entire lactation period, it can last for several months. As soon as lactation stops, the eggs mature again.

Therefore, keep in mind that when taking specialized drugs and herbal infusions aimed at suppressing lactation (for reference, their action is based on suppressing the production of prolactin), as well as with premature termination of breastfeeding, the menstrual cycle is restored much faster.

What to do if the nipple hurts during lactation?

With the correct attachment of the baby to the breast, pain is extremely rare.

There can be several reasons for pain and discomfort:

  • The woman is incorrectly applying the baby to the breast. Most often, this problem occurs in inexperienced mothers. There can be many variations in this situation: incorrect posture, teaching the baby to the nipple, as a result of which the baby begins to suck incorrectly. The solution to the problem is very simple - seek help from a specialist. The best option would be to consult directly at the hospital or with a specialized doctor. Relying on illustrated diagrams and pictures is not entirely reasonable, since the process cannot be tracked in dynamics, and new errors may arise;
  • Improper nipple care. An anatomical structure as delicate as the nipple requires delicate and careful care. However, women often wash their breasts with aggressive substances (soap), treat with alcohol solutions, etc. This is a gross mistake. You need to pick up special care products and smear the nipples with special creams to eliminate cracks and soften the skin
  • Cracked nipples. Nipples can crack if the baby is not properly applied or hygiene is poor. Cracks can also form for natural physiological reasons. (Cracks on the nipples during feeding - what to do, how to treat? Ointments, creams);
  • Diseases and pathologies. The cause of nipple pain can be hidden in the presence of diseases. Lactostasis, mastitis, nerve damage, etc. In this case, the way to deal with discomfort is to get rid of the underlying disease.

What are the consequences of smoking during lactation?

Many women have such an addiction as addiction to nicotine. Even during pregnancy and lactation, a woman cannot give up cigarettes. It has been unequivocally proven that the quality of milk decreases, and, consequently, the effect on the child's body, if the mother smokes, is incredibly harmful. To reduce the risk of developing pathologies during gestation, as well as to guarantee the normal development of the child, you can only completely stop smoking in advance. Reducing the number of cigarettes per day will not help here.

The milk consumption of a smoking mother by a child leads to the following consequences:

  • Destruction of the nervous system. After the birth of a child, his nervous system is still actively developing. Nicotine "hits" the nervous system, causing excessive excitement. The child becomes anxious, constantly capricious and crying. In the future, the development of severe neurological diseases is possible;
  • Respiratory and immune system. Children who eat milk containing nicotine are more susceptible to the development of allergic reactions, as well as diseases of the lungs and bronchi: asthma, bronchitis, etc. The reason for this is not only the use of poisoned milk, but also the inhalation of cigarette smoke. The child becomes a passive smoker from the very first days of life;
  • Disorders of the gastrointestinal tract. In almost a hundred percent of cases, when drinking milk containing nicotine, problems with the gastrointestinal tract develop, at the first stages they are manifested by colic. In the future, more severe pathologies are possible;
  • Immunity disorders. The immunity of children of smokers is significantly weakened, since the body spends all its energy on fighting such an aggressive substance as nicotine;
  • Violations of the cardiovascular system. When drinking nicotine-poisoned milk, a child may develop hypertension, heart defects, arrhythmias and a host of other dangerous pathologies.

How long should I breastfeed my baby?

Popular questions
Popular questions

There is no consensus on this issue, both among specialists and among experienced mothers. Some believe that it is necessary to breastfeed a baby up to 1 year, and after a year it is impractical to do so, some continue to feed longer, and still others believe that the baby needs to be fed as much as he wants.

According to the recommendations of WHO and UNICEF experts, a child should be breastfed for up to two years and even longer.

The best solution is to breastfeed your baby for at least the first six months of life. During this time, milk should become the main source of nutrition for the baby. After six months, breast milk is no longer able to provide the baby with all the nutrients, and complementary foods are required.

From the second year, the child begins to eat almost like an adult. In the first and second year of life, milk plays the role of a factor supporting growth and development, but it is not absolutely necessary. Moreover, these days it is not difficult to choose a high-quality milk mixture. Despite this, there is no absolute replacement for breast milk.

Benefits of long-term breastfeeding

There are several advantages to long-term feeding:

  • High level of nutritional value. Breast milk is rich in all the necessary substances and it is extremely difficult to replace it, especially in the first months of life;
  • Stimulation of the development of immunity. Mother's milk promotes the production of specific immunoglobulins;
  • Reducing the risk of developing diseases caused by allergies. According to research by scientists, the risk of developing allergies is lower in those children who have been fed breast milk for a long time. In addition, the mother's milk itself is not rejected by the child's body and does not cause an immune response;
  • Formation of the correct bite and the development of facial muscles. The sucking reflex contributes to the development of facial muscles and a correct bite;
  • Optimal physical development.

When should you not stop breastfeeding?

You should not stop breastfeeding in two cases:

  • If the child is sick or unwell. Babies recover faster if they eat breast milk. With it, children receive ready-made substances necessary to fight the disease, and the body's immune system itself is strengthened;
  • In the hot season (late spring, summer). Food during such periods deteriorates faster, and the risk of developing poisoning is much higher. Therefore, breast milk in summer is an optimal and complete food product.

Menu of a young mother to increase lactation

Menu of a young mother to increase lactation
Menu of a young mother to increase lactation

To improve the quantity and quality of breast milk, a mother needs to eat a healthy diet and consume a number of foods in large quantities:

  • Tea. Green or black tea promotes more active milk evacuation;
  • Bread with caraway seeds and bran. Cumin seeds increase the amount of milk produced. During lactation, preference should be given not to plain bread, but bread with bran or caraway seeds;
  • Fruit compotes and decoctions. Decoctions and compotes from dried fruits or fresh berries increase the vitamin value of breast milk. They should be consumed as often as possible;
  • Pure boiled water. Pure boiled water increases the volume of milk and at the same time decreases its viscosity. This will help not only the child, but also the mother, since it will reduce the risk of lactostasis;
  • Nuts. Walnuts, cedar and almonds. You need to limit yourself to 1-2 nuts per day. Only then will the quality of the milk increase. In large quantities, nuts can harm the child, as they cause gas formation and persistent constipation;
  • Herbal teas. Dill, chamomile, etc. contribute to the calming of the child's nervous system and its further normal development;
  • Lactogonic products. Milk, kefir and other fermented milk products, low-fat cheeses (Adyghe cheese, feta cheese), low-fat broth soups, vegetables and fruits;
  • Fresh juices: carrot, berry;
  • Decoctions of barley. They also increase the amount of milk produced;
  • Radish and honey salads. However, large amounts of radish should be avoided. Radish can cause increased production of intestinal gas in an infant;
  • Hercules, oatmeal and buckwheat cereals, or dishes containing these cereals;
  • Watermelons and melons;
  • Vegetable salads with vegetable oil.

Based on the presented list of products, a nursing mother must independently choose a diet based on her gastronomic preferences. It is important to adhere to the principle of moderation.

Learn more: What can a nursing mom eat?

[Video] Menu of a young mother to increase lactation

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The author of the article: Lapikova Valentina Vladimirovna | Gynecologist, reproductologist

Education: Diploma in Obstetrics and Gynecology received at the Russian State Medical University of the Federal Agency for Healthcare and Social Development (2010). In 2013 completed postgraduate studies at N. N. N. I. Pirogova.

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