Breastfeeding Tips

When a baby is on breastfeeding, the mother’s milk provides him with all the nutrients needed for his proper growth and development. In this case, the mother’s diet has an impact not only on her well-being, but also on the health of the baby.

The diet of a breastfeeding mother

In the first months of life, the baby’s gut microflora and the mechanisms responsible for digestion are just forming. Therefore, during lactation it is better for the mother not to eat “heavy” foods (allergenic and gas-forming products). Allergenic foods primarily include: whole cow’s milk, citrus fruits, tomatoes, strawberries and grapes. Also breastfeeding mothers should not eat foods high in sugar, such as honey, and you should limit the use of confectionery and chocolate. Avoid preservatives and dyes, and various food additives, as any chemical impurities can affect the baby’s health. Specialists do not recommend eating vegetables such as cabbage, beans, and radishes, since they promote gas, which causes colic, bloating, and sometimes constipation in your baby. Be careful with seafood (crab meat and shrimp, some types of fish, such as mackerel), it is better to limit their consumption in advance. As for drinks, the mother for the time of lactation, it is better to give up carbonated drinks with dyes and high sugar content, and alcohol is also not recommended. Try to drink weak tea, coffee drinkers are advised to reduce the amount of your favorite drink during breastfeeding.

What should a breastfeeding mother include in her diet?

• Dairy and fermented milk products;
• High-protein foods: meat and fish, but choose only lean meats;
• Hard cheese;
• Low-fat cottage cheese and cottage cheese products with low sugar content;
• Vegetable and butter oils;
• Cereals and pasta;
• Fruits, except citrus fruits and grapes;
• Vegetables, except tomatoes and cabbage, with potatoes being preferred;
• Water and “safe” drinks: morsels, tea.

Vegetables, meat and fish can be cooked with a small amount of vegetable oil, without abusing spices and products with detectable taste or smell (garlic, mustard, onion) – a specific taste may appear in the milk, which will not like the baby. It is not recommended to use various condiments and sauces (mayonnaise and ketchup), as these products usually contain a lot of fat and are allergenic.

It is safest to cook food in steam. In this regard, a universal steamer-blender will be indispensable. All you have to do is steam the food you’ve prepared, then flip the container over and turn on the blender to puree the food. Then, when your baby grows up and it’s time to introduce complementary foods, you can use the steamer again, delighting your baby with original dishes and tasty homemade food.

Breast milk bank

Breastfeeding is the most physiological process of nursing for mother and baby. However, in some cases it is necessary to use the breast milk to feed the baby. This happens when the mother has a flat, not readily correctable nipple, when the mother needs to be away from home due to going to work, school, a trip, when the mother has to undergo treatment that makes breastfeeding impossible. In all these cases, the breast milk bank will help to prolong breastfeeding. It is a breast milk bank, which is placed in portions in convenient containers, stored at low temperatures and can be used to feed the baby at any time.

Pumping milk

You will need a breast milk bank, hermetically sealed sterile containers or bottles, and a clean diaper. All parts of the breast pump, bottles, and containers that will come in contact with the milk must be sterilized.

Before pumping, massage your breasts, shower or wash your breasts with warm water, then soak them in a clean diaper.

Use the breast pump as described in the instructions.

Pour one serving of the pumped breastmilk into a container and close it tightly with the lid. Place the container in the refrigerator or freezer depending on how long you expect to use the pumped milk.

Teething and lactation

During the teething period, your baby may become cranky and demand breast milk more often, not to get full, but to soothe aching gums. How can you combine lactation and teething without hurting yourself and your baby?

How do you prevent it?

Often teething babies will start to bite and chew on the breast during feeding. Initially, this can be avoided by massaging the gums and using special teethers. The versatile elephant-shaped teether fits comfortably in little hands and is perfect for massaging gums gently at any stage of teething, so it’s pain-free. The teether is easily sterilizable, made of safe and different-textured materials so it will keep your baby occupied and satisfy their need to chew on different objects. If your baby’s gums are sore, you can put a teething gel on them to help them teething, or offer your baby a slightly cooled teether. Don’t let your baby chew on your fingers or any objects or toys: inflamed gums are a very vulnerable area and getting bacteria can only make it worse. It is especially important to massage the gums before breastfeeding, so that the baby is calm and ready to nurse.

How to fight it?

Bites can be fraught with cracked nipples, making an already established lactation painful and stopping breastfeeding. In fact, you may want to try to wean your baby off biting before you soon curtail lactation. At the first bite the mother’s cry is already a warning to the baby, but if this action has already become a habit, you have to fight it. If the baby does not learn the “etiquette” of behavior at the breast:

• Observe your baby during feedings. If your baby bites at the end of a feeding, watch his reaction and try to take the breast out of his mouth before the familiar movements.
• When biting, try to press your baby against your breast, not away from you. The baby will instinctively release the nipple when pressed down, because he needs to free his nose to breathe. You can also put the joint of your bent pinky finger in the corner of your baby’s mouth so that he releases the nipple.
• The baby must catch the relationship between biting and responding: as soon as he does, you stop feeding. Do not scold the baby, but show him that you are not happy with this behavior and do not intend to tolerate it. Children are sensitive to the state of the mother, so this educational moment is sure to have an effect.
• In the most extreme case, you can feed the baby with decanted milk from a bottle. Babies who cannot be re-educated should not be deprived of their mother’s milk.

After the first bites, even if the cracks are not visible, treat the nipples with sea buckthorn oil or protective cream. Micro-injuries that are not healed in time can become evident during the next feeding. Stop lactation just because of an incident with biting – an unjustified action, especially since the baby needs calcium and immune protective factors during acute teething. As you know, it is mother’s milk is absorbed almost completely, providing the baby with the maximum amount of useful substances.

Don’t be afraid to face lactation difficulties, but don’t endure the pain – breastfeeding should be enjoyable and beneficial not only for the baby, but also for the mother. Timely gum massage, use of a teether and getting your baby used to a comfortable behavior at the breast will eliminate the problem and allow you to continue healthy breastfeeding for as long as you want to.

Breastfeeding in the heat

All external factors have an impact on the health of the woman and baby, especially during the breastfeeding period. What to expect in the heat and how to maintain a breastfeeding regimen?

Breast refusal

Difficulties with lactation in the summer are often primarily due to refusal to eat. On hot days, the baby sucks less milk, which can reduce the mother’s milk production. Do not worry too much, because adults in this weather, too, have no appetite. It is important for the mother to make sure that the baby has enough fluid: you need to feed the baby between feedings with boiled water and offer him breast milk more often, because front milk makes up for the lack of liquid in the body. Try to create comfortable conditions for you and the baby: do not go out for a walk in hot weather, ventilate the apartment and humidify the air. Small children are often meteorosensitive, so a temperature increase can provoke a headache or malaise. Normalizing the temperature will help the child recover and restore his appetite. Feed your baby during cooler hours: early in the morning, in the evening, and at night. When the temperature drops, your baby’s appetite may wake up. Night feedings are useful for the mother – at this time a lot of prolactin is produced, which is responsible for good lactation. For any signs of rejection, offer the breast more often and persistently, use “skin-to-skin” contact, so that the baby will quickly return to normal mode.

Reducing the amount of milk

In hot weather, the body secretes more fluids to cool itself down. A water imbalance can also affect lactation: Dehydration can cause the amount of milk to drop drastically. Remember to drink enough water to replenish the balance. If you lose a lot of fluid, you should drink salted water (the body loses salts along with water). Hold your baby more often to stimulate milk production.

Increased amount of milk

Overheating of the body, especially the breasts, can lead to the opposite situation – an overfilling of the glands with milk that the baby is unable to suck. Overfilled glands should be decanted with a breast pump and soften with a pressure technique to make it easier for the baby to take the breast. You can always pump and freeze milk in breast milk containers in case the body has an unforeseen reaction to heat or a lactational crisis. The compact containers are easy to write the freezing date on, and the sealed lid lets you take them with you when you need them.

Breastfeeding in the heat can be quite unpredictable: from a categorical refusal of the baby to demands of the breast every 15 minutes. Don’t refuse your baby and breastfeed on demand. Frequent and short feedings indicate thirst – the baby just drinks the liquid “front” milk and stops suckling when the nourishing “back” milk starts coming. With decreased appetite, the baby’s body weight may also decrease slightly. There is nothing wrong with this, the important thing is to prevent dehydration and continue breastfeeding. The more persistently the mother will offer the breast, the faster the baby will return to normal rhythm of feeding.