Where has my Milk Gone?
When your milk comes in your breasts will feel quite full, and some women will even experience the unpleasant feeling of engorgement. You are very aware at these times that you have lots and lots of milk for your baby. As the days pass so will that that fullness feeling leaving some women to wonder if their milk supply has decreased or gone away. It... [Read more...]
How do you prevent a clogged or plugged duct?
A clogged or plugged duct can be the cause if your breasts are very tender, milk is not squirting out of those 15-20 holes, and you have redness or a hard spot near the sore area. There area few things you can do to prevent a clogged or plugged duct: Limit the breastfeeding or breast pumping intervals. Check your bras for a bad fit, pulls tightly,... [Read more...]
Are Breast Augmentation and Breastfeeding Compatible?
It’s not the size of the breast it’s the milk generating glands and the nipple that are important for breastfeeding success. Breast Augmentation and breastfeeding usually have no problem. During breast augmentation surgery your doctor will generally make incisions under the armpit or under the fold of the breast. As the nipple and overlaying... [Read more...]
What is the let-down in Breastfeeding?
The let-down reflex How your body responds to your baby’s suckling: Infant suckling stimulates the nerve endings in the nipple and areola, which signal the pituitary gland in the brain to release two hormones, prolactin and oxytocin. How Your Breast Responds to Your Baby’s Suckling: Prolactin causes your alveoli to take nutrients (proteins, sugars)... [Read more...]
Pumping and Expressing Breast Milk
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Breastfeeding Benefits to the Mother
We always hear about the benefits of breastfeeding for the child, and the benefits on the mother/child relationship. There are also substantial benefits to the mother, independently. Breastfeeding stimulates a woman’s body to release the hormone oxytocin. This becomes important in a couple of ways in the days immediately after the birth of the baby.... [Read more...]
Breastfeeding while Pregnant
Pregnancy and lactation are quite compatible and continued breastfeeding helps the older child feel secure during a time of change. During your pregnancy you and your toddler will have to accommodate some changes. Beginning about the fourth month of pregnancy your breast milk may decrease in volume and begin to change to colostrum. Your toddler may... [Read more...]
Is my Baby Getting Enough Milk?
Although it is difficult to track how much your baby is consuming while at your breast, there is an easy trick to keeping track of how they are feeding. And the trick is keeping watch on what comes out of the other end. Once your milk comes-in your baby should have five or six wet diapers a day. After the black, tarry looking meconium has been cleared... [Read more...]
Are Contractions and After-Pains Normal?
When breastfeeding after pregnancy you will feel some uterine contractions when your baby begins to nurse. These contractions are also called after-pains. With nipple stimulation, your uterus regains its tone and expels excess blood, so you may also feel a simultaneous gush of blood on your sanitary pad. These contractions are a normal occurrence... [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...]
