Benefits Of Breast Feeding

Breast Feeding is beneficial for both mother and new born.

Mother’s milk provides vitamins, proteins carbohydrates and other essential nutrients in exact required quantity and that too of tolerable quality to the baby

• Gives immunity to baby and protects against many diseases
• It is available at time whenever baby needs it, & at right temperature.
• It is free of any bacteria or contamination and hence very safe.
• Helps to develop a bond between mother and baby.

Benefits to Mother

• Hormonal changes in mother help prevent conception in initial one and half month.
• Reduces Bleeding.
• Helps reduce weight.
• Incidence of breast cancer is less in those women who have breast fed their baby.

Changes in Breasts during pregnancy.

• Breasts increase in size and become heavy.
• Nipples and Areola –the circular part around nipples become dark/ black.
• Sometimes sticky clear liquid comes out of breasts.
• They may become painful.

What care should be taken?

• Clean breast & nipples during bath and wear well supporting brassieres.
• After 34 weeks ,
  • You may massage breasts lightly. Apply petroleum jelly over areola if skin is dry.
  • Clean nipples and remove blockages.
  • If nipples are inverted you may need to use syringe.

• When ?
  Soon after delivery, within thirty minutes.
• How long ?
  As long as baby is sucking .Initially baby needs time to learn & practice the technique. Time required for it different for different babies. Feed completely on one breast. Next time on other breast -The milk which come out initially “Fore - milk” contains more water & which comes out later “Hind - milk" contains more nutrients, so feed on one breast completely.
• How many times?
  Whenever baby demands. If baby sleeps for more than three –four hours then wake-up & feed.
• How ?

  Mother &baby both should be in comfortable position. Surrounding environment should be quiet & room should be clean. You can breast feed baby in sitting or lying down position also. There is little risk that mother may fall asleep while feeding at night so be alert /or avoid breast feeding in lying down position at night. Stay positive and calm. Mother may need emotional support also.
  

• When baby is satisfied he /she will stop taking feed /leave the breast.
• Baby will pass urine at least 5/7 times
• Baby will gain weight. Babies lose weight by 10-20 % in first 10 to 12 days and then baby will gain weight by 200 grams /weeks for first three months

Avoid giving any other top feeds,it affects breast feeding and baby gets nipple confusion.

१) Milk comes out from other breast while feeding on one breast
This is normal. It may not happen with everyone.
Solution: use bra pads or clean cloth, wash, clean and dry it after use.

२) Pain in Breasts :
Reasons :

• Milk gets collected in large quantity due to blocked tubes
• formation of galactoma
• if nipples are inverted /retracted milk won’t flow out and gets collected

Solution:

• Cold fomentation with ice packs.
• Express out milk.
• Feed baby on both the breast
• If you think that tubes are blocked, consult your doctor .
• Wash your hands before you handle your breasts for expressing out milk etc.

३) Cracked nipples /soreness /burning sensation over nipples:
Reasons :

• When baby is forcefully removed from breast while still sucking Dry skin.
• When baby ‘s tongue presses on areola milk comes out easily,but when baby suckles only on nipple, milk .does not come out easily, he/she then applies more force and thus nipples become sore

Solution:

• See if baby has opened its mouth completely and part of areola is within baby’s mouth
• Ensure proper position and latch-on.
• You can apply hind milk on nipples and allow it to dry. Milk itself has healing property
• Do not unlatch baby forcefully .You can insert your little finger in baby’s mouth gently to loosen its grip on nipple &then withdraw it.

४) Mastitis
Breasts are very painful, there is redness over skin, fever – consult your doctor

• If you need to use nipple shield, breast pump, get well informed about how to use, it clean it ect.

• Balanced and nutritious diet
• Every 3-4 hourly feeds
• Should contain green leafy vegetables, sprouts, fruits, milk and, Milk products, dry fruits etc.
• Can eat non veg food also
• She should be given properly cooked fresh food, prepared in same manner as for other family members.
• Doctor may advice you supplement nutrition /medication if required

• Wash your hands
• Can use a glass or steel container with lid. Keep it in boiling water for 10 min & then use
• When stored it in clean, covered container can be used up to four hours
• If stored in fridge, bring it to room temperature before use. Can be stored for 24 hrs

If you need to take any medication for flu, headache, fever etc. tell your doctor that you are breast feeding the baby If taking medicines for any old illness then ask if changes in dose/drug are required as you are breastfeeding the baby, and effects of medicine on milk & baby

These are general guidelines for storing human milk at different temperatures. Various factors (milk volume, room temperature when milk is expressed, temperature fluctuations in the refrigerator and freezer, and cleanliness of the environment) can affect how long human milk can be stored safely.