If you’re like me, you probably thought breastfeeding was as simple and straightforward as popping a nipple in the baby’s mouth and letting him do his thing. Boy was I in for a surprise! I learnt things that I could not have imagined would ever even concern me before:
1. Babies are born knowing how to suck. In fact, they start sucking even while in the womb, so when they come out, they don’t need to be “taught”, they’re ready! This is called the sucking reflex.
2. Breastfeeding isn’t about the baby sucking the nipple, or taking the nipple first and then more; that’s improper latching. This is the number one reason why many mothers suffer from painful, cracked nipples. Feeding your baby shouldn’t hurt, beyond the initial sting that may accompany the let-down of your milk. Babies may already know how to suck, but they need help latching on to the breast properly. Latching on properly involves putting the areola into the baby’s mouth, not just the nipple.
3. Breast milk is breast milk — there aren’t two kinds — but when it first comes out it is light and appears “watery” (Our Creator is great, breast milk really does contain everything, including all the water an infant needs!), and this is called foremilk. Then the milk becomes fattier and fattier over time as baby becomes closer to draining the breast; this is called hindmilk. If you express your milk you’ll see the difference between the first part that flows out really fast, and the yummy, fatty “dregs” that come out slower because of the creaminess. Your baby needs all of it.
4. Your baby should finish one breast first before taking the other; you shouldn’t feed a little here and a little there. The baby should drain one breast as much as possible before taking another (most babies can only take one breast per feed when they’re younger anyway because their tummies are tiny.) If you read 3 above, you’ll understand why. If a baby takes foremilk here and before the hindmilk comes out, is moved to a new breast, he’ll get the foremilk there as well. This means too much foremilk and not enough hindmilk, and your baby will be hungry very quickly. He’ll also have more wind/gas. Babies who get all of it have enough hindmilk to stay fuller and sleep a bit longer (so mummy can rest, hopefully!).
5. Small breasts don’t mean less milk. I worried myself over my small breasts growing up, and all for nothing. When I had my baby I couldn’t do without breast pads, there was milk everywhere! I didn’t even need to do a breast pump; I just aimed into the bottle and whoosh!
6. Breastfeeding can prevent pregnancy. It’s known as the Lactational Amenorrhea Method (LAM) and it is 98% effective. However, if you’re not doing it exclusively you can’t rely on it as your birth control method. The same applies if your baby is over six months and has started eating other foods and breastfeeding less. It only works with frequent, regular breastfeeding.
7. The more your baby sucks, the more milk your breasts produce (I must hail the Creator again, amazing design!) so you basically don’t run out until you stop breastfeeding and then production goes down and eventually ceases. This is why it’s important to express regularly if you’re going to be away from your baby. Reduced demand sends a message to the brain to reduce supply. Mums who assumed they didn’t have enough milk found that the more baby sucked, the more milk they produced. So, don’t quit if milk seems slow at first.
Is it any wonder there’s such a thing as a Lactation Consultant? Breastfeeding mums need help and support! The great thing is, once you get the hang of it, it’s pretty much smooth sailing from then on! Happy Breastfeeding Week!
*World Breastfeeding Week (WBW) is celebrated in 170 countries, 1st -7th August every year.
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