Breastfeeding

Breastfeeding

To your baby, your breasts are much more than a meal ticket. Study after study has shown that breastfed babies consistently seem to fare better than their formula-fed counterparts. In later years, they may score higher on IQ tests, and they're more immune to a host of problems ranging from diaper rash to cancer.

While mother's milk seems to offer junior a smorgasbord of benefits, it isn't always a picnic to you: When you're nursing, your breast may get hard and heavy, achy and swollen. Your nipples may feel more than a little bit chewed up. But if you want your baby to have the benefits, you probably want to go on breastfeeding. So here are some remedies to make the whole process smoother.

Eat garlic. Breast pain aside, perhaps the hardest part of breastfeeding is trying to convince the little tyke to eat well; some babies gnaw, bite and "play" with nipples, and they may not ingest enough milk for a good meal.

Researchers at the Monell Chemical Senses Center in Philadelphia found that mothers who ate 1.5 grams of garlic extract two hours before nursing got an odor in their milk that prompted infants to suck longer and possibly ingest more milk. Besides that, the babies experienced no abdominal cramps or other problems associated with spicy foods. If straight garlic isn't your idea of a tasty snack, try eating garlicky dishes before nursing.

Reposition your baby. The key to problem-free feeding is positioning. "The baby should face you entirely: head, chest, genitals, knees," suggests Marsha Walker, R.N., an international board-certified lactation consultant who is president of Lactation Associates in Weston, Massachusetts. According to Walker, you should grip the baby so that his buttocks are in one hand and his head is in the bend of your elbow. Let your other hand slip under your breast, with all four fingers supporting it. But don't put your fingers on the areola (the darker area around the nipple). Then tickle the baby's lower lip with your nipple to get his mouth open wide. When his mouth opens, pull his body in quickly so that his mouth fixes on the areola.

Go for depth. The nipple should be deep in the baby's throat, adds Carolyn Rawlins, M.D., an obstetrician in Munster, Indiana, and a member of the board of directors of La Leche League International, a support group for breastfeeding mothers, in Franklin Park, Illinois. "This way, there is no movement of the nipple when the baby sucks."

Use both breasts. Nurse on one side until it appears that the baby is losing interest, advises Walker. Then offer your baby the other side. Next time you feed, start with the side you ended with the time before. Some babies--especially newborns-won't take both breasts at one feeding, so Walker advises you offer the other side after about an hour, when the baby rouses a little.

Say ahhhh with vitamin E. To soothe cracked nipples associated with breastfeeding, break open a vitamin E capsule and rub a small amount of the liquid on your nipples, advises Dr. Rawlins. The secret, however, is to use only a drop or two-and apply it only after you've finished nursing.

Or soothe with your own milk. Another effective treatment for hurting nipples is to 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 Dr. Rawlins.

Choose the right nursing bras. The best advice for buying a nursing bra is to go one cup size larger than your size during pregnancy, says Walker. Cotton fabrics are easier on your breasts than nylon, and the nursing opening should be wide enough that it doesn't compress the breast. And avoid using breast pads with plastic, because they retain moisture, which can be irritating.

Keep nipples from drying out. That means no soap on your nipples when you're showering, cautions Dr. Rawlins. "Do you see the little bumps around the areola? Those are glands that produce oil with natural antiseptic in it. So you don't need to use soap."

And after your shower, to prevent irritation, don't towel nipples dry; let them air-dry.