How to boost Milk Supply?

Suffering from Low Milk Production??? It really may not be the case. You may just need to change the way you nurse to see a considerable change in milk production. As it has been said demand increases the supply as well. This basically means that your body is capable of producing enough milk that your child needs. The more she nurses your body is capable of pumping out to meet her needs. Nevertheless you may follow some basic steps that will help you maintain a good supply of milk for yur child's growing needs.

Start with drinking atleast 5 litres of water a day which is very essential for your body to be able to produce sufficient milk for your child.

Take sufficient rest as mental stress can adversly affect the prodction of milk. Make sure you nap as and when possible to give your body that well deserved rest.

Frequent nursing helps stimulating production of milk so try to feed yor baby as many times with as shost an interval as an hour to 90 min. Offer both breasts to make sure both breasts are completely drained out and produce milk again.

If your child refuses to nurse at very short intervals you may try pumping out to stimulate milk production.

Try to encourgae your baby to suckle as often as possible. You may eliminate the use of a pacifier and instead let him suckle as this helps in increasing the milk supply.

Avoid supplementing your baby with formula feed as she will feel less hungry and nurse even lesser which will make your milk production dip considerably.

All these tips may help increase your milk supply, but if you still feel your milk supply has not gone up you may consider intaking small amounts of herbs that aid in milk production. These herbs are refered to as Galactogues and studies have shown improve in quantity and quality of breastmilk in mothers who consume them.

There are few cases where the breast feeding mother may have underlying thyroid problem that may result in very less production of milk. Please consult your doctor when you feel that these home remedies do not seem to make any difference.

Is my baby getting enough milk?

Is my baby getting enough milk. This is a question most mothers have at some point of time or the other while especially when they begin breast feeding their young baby. Many mothers tend to think their milk supply has reduced when they compare themselves with other young mothers. Most of the time mothers begin to think that less milk is being produces cus they cease to feel theor breast being heavy or due to slow or diminished let down and leaking of breasts. It is very important to know that the mothers body adjusts to the need of her child over a period of time and hence she may not feel the heaviness she earlier experienced. It is not possible to measure the number of ounces of breast milk that your baby is consuming however the best way to know if your baby is getting enough milk is a steady weight gain.

Some basic observations that can keep you reassured that your baby is getting enough--

As mentioned earlier the most logical sign is steady weight gain. Your baby usually gains about an ounce a day in the first few months of it's life. Your baby should regain the birth weight in about a fortnights time. Most babies shed a few ounces after birth but quickly regain it in a few days time.

Your baby nurses frequently for about ten to fifteen min in an interval of two/three hours reaching upto 8 feeds a day. As the baby masters the technique of latching on and nursing efficiently she may nurse for a smaller duration of time instead of 15 min every feed.

While nursing you can see a silver halo like lining around his lips to know he is feeding efficiently. You may also hear him swallow. The typical way a baby drinks milk is drinking for a while pausing to swallow and drinking again.

Your baby wets about 8 cloth diapers and 6 disposable diapers this is an approx number and your baby may wet more numbers than mentioned which need not be reason for panic.

Most importantly your baby seems content and not cranky after a feed and is active and healthy which indicates he is getting enough nourishment.

We sometimes over ride the possibility of low milk supply so in case you are in doubt feel free to see a specialist to get expert advise.

The best indicators that your baby is feeding well is his activity, steady weight gain and bowel movement.

Read about how you can boost your milk supply in my other posts.

Bowel movement can also be a good indication that your child is feeding well. However do not be alarmed if your baby does not pass motions everyday. Most breastfed babies after the first month may skip passing stools for a day or two which is quite normal and is not considered constipation.

Cracked Nipples

Cracked nipples are more often than not the direct result of follwoing impoper nusrsing techniques. Yes cracked nipples can indeed be painful and worriesome. Here are few reasons that cause niples to crack and also some tips to treat the condition.

While the main reason for cracked nipples is improper positioning of the baby at breast while feeding there may also be other reasons that cause nipples to crack which we shall quickly go through first.

Bloody discharge that occurs in the week following child birth may be due to increased blood flow to the breast and this will settle with time. Nipples also tend to crack due to dry skin conditions caused sometimes due to application of certain ointments or lotions to the breast. Try and eliminate the causes of dry skin by change of ointment, powder, cologne etc and also detergent used to wash clothes as residues may also trigger a skin allergy.

Cracked nipples may also be due to your child having thrush and this may need medical attention. Read about thrush in my other post.

Tips to help treat cracked nipples:

Like i earlier mentioned the most common reason is the baby has not latched on properly which causes your nipples to get sore cracked or bleed. This is generally observed in the immediate weeks following birth when mother and child are adjusting to breastfeeding. Once the baby learns the technique you will find that it is a lot easier to nurse without much effort. If you continue to feel your child is unable to latch on properly do go through the post of “different positions to nurse with comfort”.

Most importantly your baby has to take in not just your nipple but a good mouthful of areola as well. Areola is the dark skin surrounding your nipple. When your baby sucks on the areola milk is secreted through the nipple. The best position is to lie your baby facing towards your nipple lining up his nose with your nipple such that your nipple is at the back of her mouth and much of the areola below the nipple is inside the mouth. Changing of position at every feed will make sure that the pressure is at different areas of the breast hence not causing pain to one spot only.

Avoid nursing with longer spans of interval as your baby will get hungrier and nurse more harder which will in turn cause your already sore nipples to get worse.

Avoid painkillers as much as you can but if the pain is severe you may try some bruphen or paracetemol which will relieve your pain. Make sure you do not take this on an empty stomach and try consuming it about an hour before feed.

Use clear water to cleanse your breasts and minimize use of strong soaps ointments and colognes that may trigger dryness. U may also use Lansinoh (Pure Lan) available in most baby product shops and medical stores. Though on the expensive side costing about 700 Rs per tube it gives you instant relief from cracked nipples and is safe to use while breast feeding.

Also like mentioned in one of my other posts you may apply a bit of your hind milk (which is the thick milk that is rich in proteins vitamins and fats) on the cracked area after every feed to see remarkable results.

If you find that the cracked nipples don’t show any signs of healing you may need to consult a doctor for eliminating possibility of infection.

Do not get disheartened and let cracked nipples come in way of breast feeding and giving your baby those much needed vital nutrients and antibodies needed for her to grow. Keep in mind it is just a matter of time that you master the art of nursing and you will enjoy nursing your little one again.

Is it normal for a baby to be Nursing on single Breast?

Many infants especially new borns sometimes tend t prefer one breast over the other for various reasons. She may fuss while feeding on one breast and tend to pull away.

What causes this???
A new born may tend to prefer one breast as it may find it easier to latch on to that specific breast. The rejected breast may hence become more engorged and your child may further reject it as it may get harder to latch on.
Another reason may be your child just feels more comfortable being held in a specific way and hence the preference. Older babies may prefer one breast as the other may not be producing enough milk, slow flow or let down. She may not be patient enough for the let down reflex to set in.

Another reason could be cracked nipples that may be the reason for rejection. Apply Pure Lan which is the best remedy for cracked nipples and is safe while breastfeeding. Another remedy that my doctor suggested was to apply some of the hind milk secreted which will help heal the cracked nipples..you may want to try this it does work!!!

This will only worsen the situation. The more the baby sucks and nurses more is the production of milk. The supply is met as per the demand. So when the baby ceases to nurse from one breast the production reduces in that breast.

How to combat this????

Try feeding your baby from the less preffered breast when he is sleepy. Experiment with different positions that are comfortable for both you and your baby. Offer the less preffered breast first when he is hungr or other wise. You may also pump from the less preffered breast to keep up the milk supply and try persistently offering the breast until he takes to it.

Breastfeeding and it's Benefits

The long wait is over and your dear one is here...What next?? Anxieties related to feeding??? What is best for my child? How often should I feed my child? Is breast feeding good? Will it adversely affect my already bloated figure??? Relax sit back all your fears and anxieties end here...Just Read on....

The experience of breast feeding is very special for all mothers alike for a zillion reasons. Breast feeding is not just beneficial for your child but also for you as a mother.

First and foremost breastfeeding protects your baby, builds her immunity and gives her the feeling of bonding with you right from the start.

Researches done world wide support the finding that breastfed babies have lower risk to several illnesses like ear, stomach, lower respiratory infections when compared to formula fed babies. It is also seen that breastfeeding’s protection lasts beyond the breast feeding stage as well as warding away diseases that may strike later in life.

Early breast milk known as Colostrum is the thick yellow milk that is produced soon after child birth. In addition to the essential nutrients it also contains antibodies that help protecting your baby. By the third day the Colostrum changes into mature milk which has the right balance of all nutrients needed for your Loved One to get her quota of balanced diet. It has just the right amount of fat, protein, sugar, water antibodies and other nutrients to keep your baby on the go.

Secretory Immunoglobin that is present in large quantities in breastmilk helps guarding and building up your baby’s immunity. Your body responds to virus/bacteria and creates secretory immunes to those specific pathogens. In short your body produces secretory antibodies that pass on to your baby protecting her from whatever you are exposed to. Can it get any better than this??? Your Lil one is hence being protected from the pathogens that you are exposed to.

Breast Milk is also far easier for babies to digest even for the teeny weeny premies. Formula feed generally contains proteins essentially derived from Cow's Milk which the baby will find hard to digest. Breast milk helps boost up the immune system of babies and helps ward away several illnesses. Often formula fed babies develop various infections most commonly gasrtroentital and lower tract respiratory infections. Breastfeeding has also shown to lower risk of SIDS.

Breastfeeding builds a bond with your loved one. The close contact between you and your child gives her a sense of security, warmth, comfort and love.

How does breast feeding help you???

Research says that a breast feeding mother is sure to shed those extra pounds a lot earlier and easier than those mothers who prefer not to breast feed. Once you get the hang of breast feeding you will find that its a lot easier than going through the chores of washing sterilizing and making formula food. It not just saves you a lot of time but also a few calories.

You also save some bucks you can invest in other stuff for your child. Have you seen the price tags of formula feed??? Also breastfeed babies tend to be a lot healthier that avoids waiting in long queues to see the doctor.

Breastfeeding is said to lower the risk of fatal diseases like Ovarian and Breast Cancer and also helps beat Post partum Depression.

So be rest assured breast feeding is not just helping you bond with your Lil one but also is beneficial in several untold ways to both you and your child.

I need not repeat the already highly communicated message that you need to exclusively breast feed for the first six months of your baby's life and can choose to continue breastfeeding along with supplements up to the age of 2 years.