Babies Tale

Whether you choose to breastfeed or not, your breasts will begin making and secreting milk. At first, they make colostrums, the perfect food for a new baby. Within two or three days the colostrum turns to milk. Sometimes when the milk “comes in,” your breasts become very engorged [full to the point of discomfort]. If you are breastfeeding, the best way to prevent excessive engorgement is to let your baby nurse frequently. If your baby is a sleeper or lazy nurser, you may relieve engorgement by expressing [forcing out] milk from your breasts, either by hand or with a breast pump.

If you have decided not to breastfed, effects will be made to reduce milk production. Cold packs, a well fitting bra, or medication may be used to slow down or prevent milk production. Usually within a few days, milk production stops.

Breastfeeding, obviously, is more economical than bottle-feeding. It also provides the baby with more intimate contact, and research has shown it releases hormones in the mother that stimulate maternal, tender feelings. Human milk is especially suited to human babies, is easy to digest, and actually helps the baby from getting sick.

Breastfeeding supplies are minimal:

1. Breast creams-aren’t necessary. If your breasts get sore, the best healer is fresh air and pure hydrous lanolin
2. Rubber nipple shields-don’t work well and interfere with the natural toughening process that eventually makes nursing more comfortable.
3. Nursing bras-come in a variety of styles that either fasten in the front center or have fold-down flaps. Flaps are easier. Some women prefer to use an ordinary stretch bra that they simply lift up. Whatever your choice, wait until your ninth month of pregnancy or until after the baby has been born to find your size, since you won’t be at your maximum size until then. If the bra is too tight, it will interfere with the down-flow of milk and be uncomfortable. Look for a bra that is machine washable. If your breasts are very heavy, select one with large, wide straps and extra support, like under wires. Try on several types and buy up to six of the most comfortable since milk leakage during the first few months will necessitate frequent washing [a damp bra can stimulate bacteria growth]
4. Breast pads-for milk leakage. You can use men’s cotton handkerchiefs tucked into your bra or mini-pads cut in half. Commercial breast pads are more expensive, but those made of washable layered fabric aren’t a bad investment. Disposable breast pads usually have plastic liners, which can irritate sore nipples by keeping moisture in.
5. Breast pump-you may need to pump milk if you will be separated from your baby for prolonged period. It’s best to pump while the baby is nursing on the opposite breast. There are four kinds of breast pumps. Hand operated pumps work with a rubber bulb for suction and can be purchased in drugstores. The problem with these is they usually don’t work well. To get them to work at all you must use an intermittent, gentle, tugging action rather than continual suction. Breast pumps that use piston or syringe cylinders also work with an intermittent tugging action, but are designed to be more effective than hand operated pumps. Get one that has adapters for different breast sizes and bottles for storage. You may prefer a battery operated pump; these are somewhat more expensive than hand operated or piston pumps, but are quicker and easier to use. Electric pumps are very expensive and are usually used by hospitals. They can be rented by the month; if you have a premature baby in the hospital you want to be breastfeeding, this may be the way to go until he is home.

All babies have sucking urges that go beyond feeding, and this sucking urge is at its highest at between three and seven months. By the age of two, most babies have lost the urge, except when they’re under stress. Pacifiers may prevent thumb sucking and other undesirable sucking habits. However, there is the danger that he pacifier will come apart and pieces will become stuck in the throat. There have also been strangulations from ribbons or cords when pacifiers were hung around the baby’s neck. New regulations require that there be two ventilation holes in the pacifier for air passage. The protrusions at the back of shields must be a specific size to prevent ingestion, and the pacifier must be tested for durability to ensure that it won’t come apart. There is also a warning on pacifiers that tells you not to tie the pacifier around your baby’s neck because of the strangulation danger.

Once your baby gets a little older, you’ll want to get her a training cup to make the transition from bottle. The cup should have a snap-on lid with a narrow spout and wide handles. Look for cups that are dishwasher safe and preferably transparent. Avoid cups that look like toys, they will encourage play, not drinking.

You’ll also want baby dishes. You can choose either electric or hot water dishes. The electric ones should have temperature regulations to prevent overheating, and they should have a cold section. If you’re using an electric dish, always unplug the cord from the wall socket before unplugging the dish. If you use a hot water dish, make sure the spout cap locks firmly so that he baby can’t pull it out and ingest it. Either kind should be completely immersible and preferably dishwater safe for easy cleaning. Dishes with steep sides and suction bases to prevent sliding will be easier for self-feeding. Feeding spoons used for a child who is beginning to feed herself should have semi-flat bowls and weighted handles that can be easily gripped by chubby little hands. Avoid spoons with rubber bowls; they taste bad.

The majority of new mothers leaving the hospital today breast-feed their babies, at least at the beginning-about 60%. This is especially true for middle-class and professional women, which the majority of older mothers are likely to be. Age does not seem to have any great effect on breast-feeding. It is not commonly known that any woman who has had a baby can breast-feed, and that in other cultures grandmothers breast-feed their daughter’s children. Occasionally a much older mother may find it a problem to produce enough milk, due to hormonal problems, but this is rare.

Many hospitals now give great support and encouragement to mothers who want to breast-feed, recognizing that it is the best food for a baby and that there are emotional rewards for the nursing mother. The American Academy of Pediatrics issued a strongly worded policy in 1997 that suggests women nurse for six to 12 months, because of a strong association between breastfeeding and immunities for babies from a variety of ailments. But some women decide they do not want to breast-feed. There is no reason to feel guilty about this. There are excellent baby formulas available now that are made to match the nutrition of mother’s milk as closely as possible. Bottle-fed babies also thrive. Love is more important than the way you choose to feed, though many mothers choose to express their love through breast-feeding.

Breast-feeding is best for a baby because it is a living substance transmitted directly from mother to baby, containing white blood cells, antibodies and other substances that help protect the baby against disease. We haven’t yet identified all these protective properties. It is composed of exactly the right nutrients for human babies and is produced in exactly the quantities the baby demands.

After the birth a mother produces colostrum, a yellowish fluid rich in antibodies, which protects the baby from infection. Colostrum also contains protein, water and minerals in just the right proportion for the baby’s first few days, and a natural laxative, which helps the baby’s bowels start working. When the milk comes in, it is also perfectly balanced for the baby’s needs. The milk changes slightly in composition as the baby grows. Research has shown that milk produced by the mothers of premature babies is different from normal breast milk, and is ideally suited for them.

When the baby first goes to the breast and sucks, it takes the watery foremilk stored in ducts behind the areola, the pigmented area around the nipple. The baby’s sucking sends a message to the brain to let down the bulk of the milk, and the hormone oxytocin the same hormone that makes the womb contract in labor and at orgasm-is released, causing the muscles around the glands producing the milk to contract and squeeze the milk through the breast to the nipple. The baby usually takes the bulk of the feeding in the first ten minutes or so at the breast. But enough milk is always produced so the feeding can last much longer than this.

Most hospitals have made-up bottles of formula readily available. This is a great temptation to a mother who is having problems with breast-feeding and who is very tired. If you are certain you want to breast-feed, resist this temptation! It takes some time to establish breast-feeding and there are often some initial problems, but they should resolve themselves shortly. Some babies who get used to the bottle find it is more difficult to take the breast. Babies who have had bottles sometimes reject the breast altogether. Mothers who want to avoid cow’s milk because of eczema and asthma in the family should also resist the temptation to give a bottle.

When is the best time to wean your baby or toddler? The answer is, there is no real solid answer, and it is really a matter of when you or child is comfortable with weaning. The American Academy of Pediatricians recommends that babies be breastfed a minimum of one year, and the World Health Organization recommends a minimum of two years. This is because research has shown that breast milk is the best source of nutrition for a baby. Studies also show that in cultures where children are allowed to nurse for as long as they want the children usually will wean themselves at about three or four. However babies in the US usually are only nursed for their first year of life. Weaning is a very personal decision and should be done whenever mommy or baby is ready based on your needs and lifestyle.

It is recommended that a mother who is breastfeeding does not abruptly stop. It can be hard on the baby who has grown accustom to breastfeeding and can lead to hormonal changes during the first few months of the child’s birth and bring on depression for the mother. It can also make the mother’s breast very painful as her body still produces milk and it can bring on mastitis, a breast infection. Experts also recommend that weaning be done during a time that is not stressful as this is a big change for mother and baby and a stressful time can make it much more difficult. When you want to stop breastfeeding you should do it little by little over several weeks to ease the transition for mom and baby.

The beginning of weaning for most children begins at about six to eight months when your child is introduced to solid foods. Your child will be getting nutrients from solid foods and may not need as much breast milk as before. Try to start by skipping one nursing session everyday and try to make it a time that is not the baby’s favorite nursing time, usually early morning, naptime and bedtime. Instead of this session give your baby a cup or bottle to drink from with either formula or whole milk or it is sometimes recommended to use a mixture of formula and whole milk and gradually introduce whole milk. Keep doing this for a few days every so often eliminating a nursing session until you are no longer breastfeeding. If your baby does not want to take a bottle from mommy try these tips to get your baby drinking from the bottle.

• Have someone other than mommy give the baby the bottle and have mommy stay in another room as even her voice can distract the baby’s feeding.
• Hold the baby in a different position that is not like he or she is breastfeeding. For example hold them facing you on your lap. Once the baby takes the bottle you can cradle them again.
• Propping a bottle up is dangerous for the baby make sure someone is there holding the bottle at all times, the baby could choke because the bottle milk may come out too fast.

Whenever you decide the time to wean is right for you just remember to take it slow and listen to your body and your baby.