Breastfeeding
Breastfeeding
15 Problem-Free Nursing Ideas
Wanda raised three infants on formula before she became pregnant with Julian. But when she learned about all the great things breastfeeding does for babies, she decided to give it a try.
She's glad she did.
"If I had known it was this easy, I would have done it with all of them," she says.
Choose a Good Nursing Bra The best way to pick out a nursing bra is to go a cup size larger and a bra size bigger than your pregnancy bra, says Julie Stock of La Leche League International. "I wouldn't overbuy bras in the beginning," she says. "It's best to wait and see. By the third or fourth day, you may be able to wear your pregnancy bras." Here are other tips for selecting a good bra. - Choose all cotton over nylon.
- Make sure that the opening for nursing is wide enough so it doesn't compress the breast. That could lead to clogged ducts.
- Make sure you can easily open and close the bra with one hand. That will aid discretion.
- Avoid Velcro closings on the flaps because they make too much noise.
- Make sure the straps are comfortable and the bra isn't tight across the chest.
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Breastfeeding is easy once you know how, says Julie Stock, medical information liaison for La Leche League International, a support group for women who breastfeed. You'll be feeding more often, but when you account for the time you spend buying and preparing formula, the two probably even out, she says.
How can you make your breastfeeding trouble-free? Here's what our experts advise.
Position baby right. Our experts were unanimous that this is the key to problem-free feeding. How do you do it?
Kittie Frantz, R.N., director of the Breast-Feeding Infant Clinic at the University of Southern California Medical Center in Los Angeles, explains it this way: "The baby should face you entirely: head, chest, genitals, knees. Grip the baby so the buttocks are in one hand and the head is in the bend of your elbow. Let your other hand slip under your breast, with all four fingers supporting your breast. But don't put your fingers on the areola [the darker area around the nipple].
"Now tickle the baby's lower lip with your nipple to get the mouth open wide. When the mouth opens wide, pull the baby's body in quickly so that the mouth fixes on the areola."
The nipple should be deep in the baby's throat, adds Carolyn Rawlins, M.D., an Indiana obstetrician and a member of the La Leche League International board of directors. "This way there is no movement of the nipple when the baby sucks."
Respect your body. "It's usually unnecessary for a nursing mother to have pain," says Stock. "Form a mindset that you will not accept pain. If there's discomfort, you'll take care of it right away."
If the baby is sucking incorrectly, use your finger to break the suction and reposition him.
Interrupt baby until he gets it right. If the baby is confused by switching from the breast to a pacifier or a bottle, he may not latch onto the nipple far enough. Be sure the baby's mouth is open wide before putting him to the breast; he should latch onto the nipple so that at least an inch of the areola is in his mouth.
Leave the baby on a breast as long as he is sucking effectively, which means he is swallowing every suck or two. If you see him drifting, burp him, wake him up, and switch sides. Let him nurse on the second side as long as he wants. In general, feeding time varies from 20 to 30 minutes, Stock says.
Nurse from both breasts during each feeding. Nurse on one side until it appears that the baby is losing interest, says Stock. Then offer your baby the other side. Next time you feed, start with the side you ended with the time before.
Nurse often. "For women, there's often shock at how often a baby wants to nurse. Most doctors give instructions more appropriate to bottle feeding," says Stock. You'll probably find yourself nursing 8 to 12 times a day in the early weeks.
Human milk was designed so that a baby needs to nurse frequently, says Dr. Rawlins. That creates better bonding between mother and child.
Don't toughen the nipples. Exercises or manipulation to toughen the nipples won't help and could even do some damage, says Dr. Rawlins. "If you get the baby placed correctly, you won't have any soreness at all."
Use a breast shell for inverted nipples. It's best to start using these during the sixth or seventh month of pregnancy. Gentle suction from the device will help pull the nipple out. But don't use it for more than 15 to 20 minutes a day, says Dr. Rawlins.
Don't soap your nipples. "Use absolutely no soap on the nipples, because it dries them out," cautions Dr. Rawlins. "Do you see the little bumps around the areola? Those are glands which produce oil with an antiseptic in it. So you don't need to use soap."
MEDICAL ALERT
Dealing with Mastitis If your breast feels inflamed, you're running a fever, or you have flulike symptoms, call your doctor. You could have mastitis, a type of breast infection. Mastitis is usually treated with antibiotics. If that's what your doctor prescribes, be sure to finish all the medication even if symptoms disappear. This helps prevent recurrent infections. Meanwhile, you can help speed healing on your own by "going to bed, drinking lots of clear fluids, and nursing more frequently," says Carolyn Rawlins, M.D. "The milk isn't infected," she adds. "Besides, you're giving the baby valuable antibodies with the milk." If you stop nursing while you have mastitis, it could lead to a breast abscess. |
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Let your nipples air-dry. Be sure to air-dry the nipples before you cover them, says Stock. And don't use any breast pads that retain moisture, such as those with plastic in them.
Use your milk to help heal sore nipples. "Truly 95 percent of the problem with nipple soreness comes from the way the baby sucks," says Stock. Pain stops after you correct the problem, though the damage may take a little more time to heal. To speed healing, air-dry the nipples when you finish a feeding, express a little bit of milk, and rub it in. Milk left at the end of the feeding is very high in lubricants and contains an antibiotic substance, says Stock.
Stay alert to plugged ducts. Milk ducts can clog as a result of binding clothes, the mother's anatomy, fatigue, or prolonged periods without nursing. A plugged duct can also signal the start of an infection if not dealt with promptly.
"If you feel a hard, painful-to-touch spot anywhere on the breast, get rid of it by using warmth," says Stock. Massage the breast, starting at the chest wall and working your way down with a circular motion.
Most important, however, allow your baby to nurse on that side frequently, she says. "Baby's sucking will help clear out that duct faster than anything else. Usually within 24 hours, it will be cleared up. The plug may be clear before you have physical evidence it's gone."
Use vitamin E for cracked nipples. If you notice a crack in the nipple, topical application of a small amount of vitamin E can help. When you finish nursing, says Stock, take a capsule of vitamin E, pierce it, squeeze out a drop, and rub it into the nipple. The secret, she says, is to use minimal amounts.
Try hot compresses to help with overproduction. If the baby is not keeping up with what mother is producing and you are getting overly full, put some hot, wet compresses on the breast, says Frantz. It will open the ducts so the milk flows more freely. Nurse the baby more often and longer, and take in enough fluids so that you urinate every hour.
Control leakage with a hand correctly applied. The milk production system is so sensitive to stimuli that a woman can begin to leak milk when she's out shopping and she hears a baby cry, says Stock. If that happens, take the heel of your hand and press the nipple into the chest. If you leak a lot, she says, find some good reusable breast pads you can launder yourself, preferably 100 percent cotton. "Men's cotton hankerchiefs work well," she says.
PANEL OF ADVISERS
Kittie Frantz, R.N., is director of the Breast-Feeding Infant Clinic at the University of Southern California Medical Center in Los Angeles and a pediatric nurse-practitioner. She has been working with nursing mothers since 1963. She also spent 15 years as a leader for La Leche League International.
Carolyn Rawlins, M.D., is an obstetrician in private practice in Munster, Indiana, and a member of the La Leche League International board of directors.
Julie Stock is medical information liaison for La Leche League International, a support group for breastfeeding mothers. Group headquarters is at P.O. Box 1209, Franklin Park, IL 60131-8209.
