A Surprisingly Complex Reality

So you’re a new mother, and you’re eager to do the best you can. But as you cradle your newborn, there seem to be issues with breastfeeding. What’s the issue? Well, it could be a number of things. Perhaps you’re one of those rare mothers who give birth to a child who has a tooth, or even several, and this makes nursing incredibly painful.

Maybe your child is perfectly normal, but the act of nursing leaves your paps so raw, it’s hard for you to nurse regularly, and you need to use breast pumps to express milk which you store in a refrigerator for later feedings. While your nipples will “toughen up” eventually, this process can take time, and it’s certainly uncomfortable.

Sometimes these aren’t the issues you’re dealing with, but you’ve got problems expressing milk. Your baby is hungry, but your breasts are “dry”. What do you do then? Or maybe expression isn’t an issue, but your milk ducts get clogged for whatever reason. Then there’s inflammation which develops into mastitis.

These are all common issues most mothers contend with at one time or another as they nourish their newborns. Plenty of solutions exist, we’ll cover a few things you might want to consider here.

Seek Consultation

Here’s a link to a few best practices as regards what helps with milk production. Some solutions are physical, others are nutritional. Maybe you’re dealing with mastitis and clogged milk ducts owing too poor form in terms of the newborn’s latch. In that scenario, consultants can help you latch better.

Find Proper Nutrition

In other situations, the problem you’re dealing with is improper nutrition. You’re not eating right, and as a result your breasts aren’t producing milk in the amounts they should. That’s a real issue, and it’s one you have some level of control over. Fenugreek, varying grains, fish, and proteins can all help your breasts produce more.

Emotional Issues

There is an emotional component to breastfeeding. The smell of your baby’s clothes or the sound of his cries can prompt your body to express breastmilk. If you’re having trouble nursing because of associated discomfort, you can use sounds and smells to help your body produce milk, then pump that milk for use later.

It’ll keep a week in the fridge and six months to a year in the freezer; but you’ll likely want to warm it up so the baby likes it, and that can involve using a microwave, which isn’t healthy. If you’re forced into this situation, use a bottle heated in warm water, then test the heat on your wrist before feeding the child. This is superior to microwaved breast milk.

Twin Issues

With one child, if you’re having discomfort, or you’re dealing with uneven milk production, you can simply switch the child to the other breast. With twins, you’ve got two infant-shaped footballs under each arm that are exceptionally hungry. If you get sore paps then, or latching issues on one side or the other, things get complicated. Nursing consultants are integral.

Being the Best Mom You Can Be

Motherhood is always going to be difficult, and the first array of challenges you experience (after the trial of giving birth) will involve nursing. If you’re going to nourish your newborn, you want to find proper nutrition, emotionally center yourself, seek consultation, and consider what solutions exist for unexpected situations like the logistics of feeding twins.

These things are all real issues, and there are real solutions, so whatever you do, don’t give up. You can do this.