Should I donate my breast milk?
All babies can benefit from the nourishment in breast milk, but in babies born premature, before the 37th week of pregnancy , the benefit can be much more pronounced. These tiny infants can substantially benefit from human milk’s rich nutrients and disease-fighting protection. Breast milk is also beneficial for babies with failure to thrive,... [Read more...]
Relieving Engorgement Pain
During the first few days after you have given birth many women experience engorgement, when their breasts are overfilled with milk. There are a few things you can do to help relieve the pain and discomfort of engorgement. 1) Cabbage Leaves – many women who have tried this timeless remedy have found relief. At this time there is no known... [Read more...]
How do I begin Relactating and Resuming Breastfeeding?
Circumstances may arise that may cause you to stop breastfeeding or find that being separated from your baby has led to decreased milk supply despite pumping. Regardless of the reason you stopped breastfeeding it is sometimes possible to begin again, to re-lactate, and begin providing all or part of the nourishment your baby requires. Re-lactation... [Read more...]
HIV and Breastfeeding
Some studies have found that the breast milk of an HIV infected woman can contain the HIV virus, but there is uncertainty regarding whether the virus is contagious. At the present level of research it is hard to know what to do. Couple that with the fact that the number of HIV positive mothers birthing an HIV negative child and you have the makings... [Read more...]
Breastfeeding Benifits
Saves Lives. Currently there are 9 million infant deaths a year. Breastfeeding saves an estimated 6 million additional deaths from infectious disease alone. Provides Initial Immunization. Breastmilk, especially the first milk (colostrum), contains anti-bacterial and anti-viral agents that protect the infant against disease, especially diarrhoea. These... [Read more...]
Are feeding intervals counted from the time my baby starts or stops nursing?
You count the length between feedings from the time when your baby begins to nurse — rather than when they finish— to when your little one starts to nurse again. For example if your child starts nursing at 8AM, 10AM then at Noon, when asked by your doctor how often your baby is feeding, you can say “about every 2 hours”. This means... [Read more...]
Sleep and your baby
When you first bring your baby home you will see that their life consists of eating and sleeping and eating and sleeping. As they grow older you will see they spend less time napping and more time sleeping at night. During the first few weeks working with your partner to have “Baby-Care” shifts can help you both get some uninterrupted... [Read more...]
How often should I alternate breasts?
How often should I alternate breasts? It is important to alternate breasts more for your sake than for your child. Changing between breasts while you nurse will maintain the milk supply in both and prevent one or the other from becoming painfully filled with milk. As for how much time should you spend nursing before you alternate to the other breast,... [Read more...]
Weaning your baby
When you have made the decision to stop breastfeeding, understanding will help you establish a firm plan and make the weaning process much easier for you and your baby. Some mothers decide to wean their baby when their child begins teething, other mothers wait for the baby to begin showing disinterest, and some mothers feel they cannot supply enough... [Read more...]
Build Your Breastfeeding Support Network
Some women who start out breastfeeding but within a few months or sometimes weeks get discouraged, ween their baby, and switch to formula. The list of reasons ranges from insufficient milk supply, infections, or sore nipples to criticism, or confusion about what they should be doing. Most of these problems can be avoided or at least minimized by... [Read more...]
