Nipple Preparation during Pregnancy
You may have heard it said that during your pregnancy you need to prepare your nipples for breastfeeding. Some of the suggestions you may get are to rub your nipples with a towel or to continually try to express milk before your child is even born. Recent studies have shown that the body will prepare your nipples for breastfeeding and there is little... [Read more...]
Nursing your Toddler
The benefits of breastfeeding your toddler are no different than they are for younger children. Some of the reasons mothers decide to continue breastfeeding their toddlers are: Breast milk continues to be a wonderful source of nutrition regardless of anything else your child eats Antibodies in your milk continue to protect your toddler, even if nursing... [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...]
Increasing milk production
If you and your doctor have determined that your baby is not getting enough milk there area some things you can try for increasing milk production. Some of the strategies to help increase the levels of prolactin and then more milk are to: Increase breastfeeding frequency Feed from both breasts at every breastfeeding session Express your milk with a... [Read more...]
How often should I burp my baby during breastfeeding?
Let your baby breastfeed at one breast then switch to the other side. Try burping your baby when switching breasts and at the end of the feed. Often, the movement alone can be enough to cause a baby to burp. However, because some lactation consultants are now recommending just nursing on one breast during each feeding (see the question above), if your... [Read more...]
Public Breastfeeding Tips
The acceptance of public breastfeeding varies based on local customs and established norms, but here are several public breastfeeding tips that should help you adjust to feeding outside of your home. The most important way to be comfortable with public breastfeeding is to be comfortable and relaxed when you feed at home. When you and your child have... [Read more...]
10 Reasons to Think Twice about Weaning
You and your child will know when it is time to wean from the breast. Here are ten circumstances that may not necessarily be a good reason to wean: A breastfeeding problem you haven’t solved. A mother in the midst of a breastfeeding crisis can genuinely feel as if the situation is hopeless. If you have yet to discuss your problem with your... [Read more...]
Breast Milk Storage Tips
A few breast milk storage tips: Use only clean containers to store expressed milk. Screw top bottles work well as to hard plastic cups with tight caps. Stay away from ordinary plastic bags or formula bags for storing breast milk. Use sealed and chilled milk within 24 hours if possible. Do not refrigerate breast milk more than two days. Discard... [Read more...]
Poop Colors
Your newborn’s diapers are a good indicator of whether or not your baby is getting what they need from being breastfed. A newborns’ stools are initially thick and tar-like and will become more of a greenish-yellow color as they consume more of your milk, about 3 or 4 days after birth. Generally, the more your newborn nurses, the more dirty... [Read more...]
Is it OK to let my baby breastfeed for comfort?
So how do you know if your baby is breastfeeding for comfort instead of nutrition? First off if your baby seems to be getting enough milk, but your child continues to suck for an hour or more,they may be breastfeeding for comfort rather than for nourishment. Some indications to look for: Your child seems seems satisfied They stop sucking and swallowing Your... [Read more...]
