5 Things You Should Know About Breastfeeding

Pregnancy is a life-changing experience. Entering parenthood is a wonderful feeling and an equally important period. It packs many new experiences and also challenges like mother’s mood, bond with the baby, lack of sleep, improper diet and breastfeeding.

Breastfeeding is an amazing bond that is created with your baby in the first hours after birth. Breast milk is also called “liquid gold”. It has a lot of impact on your baby’s health even into adulthood.

To help new mom’s embrace breastfeeding, we have discussed a few important facts you should know.

1.    Breastfeeding might hurt

Your nipples may feel irritated initially because they never experienced that degree of stimulation but if you are wriggling in pain you may have an issue with the latch. A mom from New York had a complaint that her 2-month-old son used to clamp onto nipple so hard that even after standing he’d likely be attacked. After consulting lactation she corrected the latch and the nipples healed within a few days.

Breast pumps can also hurt you. Some moms set the pump too high, thinking it saves time. But it hurts the most, better you initially set it at the lowest and increase it to a comfortable level.

Use purified products like Lansinoh HPA Lanolin to pacify the nipple after feeding/pumping.

2. Breast milk is an immunity builder for your baby

WBC (White blood cells) secure your baby body from illness and disease. Week 16 of your pregnancy you start making colostrum in the early form of breast milk. It carries around 1 to 5 million WBC per millimetre. So breast milk is called “Liquid Gold”!

By the end of 6 months postpartum the WBC counts reduced to 100,000 cells per millimetre that are 10X your concentration.

Immune factors reduce after the first year of breastfeeding. In the second year, we can see high concentrated lysozyme that attacks bacterial cell walls, it safeguards the baby against Salmonella and E. coli also aids healthy intestinal flora.

3. Your belly may feel crampy

Most moms experienced menstrual cramps going worse after the initial stage of delivery. This happens because the same Hormones are responsible, it triggers milk to flow, oxytocin, causes your uterus to compress back to normal then the risk of uterine bleeding reduces.

It is an uneasy feeling, cramping gives a sign that your body is getting back to normal condition.

4. Breastfeeding helps to minimize postpartum depression

New moms who breastfeed properly are less likely to suffer from postpartum depression. Many studies have proved it.

Some of the women who suffer from PPD had high hopes for breastfeeding but that didn’t turn out successful. It is better to have expert breastfeeding support so you are less likely to suffer from PPD.

5. Your milk does not look like cow’s milk

Your breastmilk won’t look the same every day you can see a visible colour change. It is because breast milk’s composition changes to satisfy your baby’s nutritional needs. Initially, you will produce sticky yellowish-white milk that is rich in protein. After a few days, milk turns to a thin, watery form that has more fat, will be a bit thicker and creamier.

What you should not do while breastfeeding?

1. Do not take any supplements (including herbal)

Herbs and spices like cumin and cardamom are considered safe during breastfeeding. But when it is added in herbal supplements and teas that can be a danger for new moms. Herbal supplements are not supervised by the Food Drug Administration (FDA) in the United States, also there is a chance for these supplements to be contaminated with harmful heavy metals.

Even there are many supplements for women that help to increase milk supply, but there is very little evidence of their effectiveness. Most studies show there is no connection between supplements and milk production.

It is always better to consult a doctor before taking any extra supplements.

2. Avoid birth control pills

Consumption of birth control pills can have a major impact on your body. So if you have to take birth control pills understand these pills can affect lactation to some extent.

Some birth control pills are estrogen-only and this can affect your milk supply. So it is better to talk about other methods of contraception to avoid pregnancy.

3. Say no to Alcohol

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said avoiding alcohol is a better option for breastfeeding women. Many women make the mistake of consuming alcohol during breastfeeding in an assumption after urination alcohol content would not be there in the body. But alcohol may remain in your body for 3-4 hours in this time if you feed the baby even if the body gets affected. So keep unwanted habits away and take good care of your health.

Conclusion:

Hope the above information is useful for you. Motherhood is a beautiful turning point for all women. You can see a massive change in your behaviour and lifestyle once your baby enters your world. Mood swings and depression are common in this period but once you swipe through this period, you will relish these moments forever.

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Author Bio: Divya is a freelance content writer and social media strategist. She often blogs on various niches like Health, Parenting, Technology and many more. She helps businesses increase brand visibility and traffic through her content. Get to know her better on LinkedIn.

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