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Breastfeeding Basics: Increasing Your Milk Supply

Breast milk is the best food for your child. It comprises sufficient vitamins and nutrients essential for the baby’s growth until about 4 to 6 months of age. Breastfeeding can remarkably reduce your child’s risk from many kinds of infections and allergies. It may additionally protect your kid from health issues like eczema, asthma, weight problems, diabetic issues and high blood pressure. Breastfeeding does not only benefit the child, but females who choose to breastfeed  can lower their risk for developing breast cancer and diabetes later on in life.

Breastfeeding can be really challenging for the first two weeks, while you and your infant are still forming a routine. However, many females worry that their milk supply will not be enough for their infant. Here are some helpful tips to increase your milk supply:

1. Breastfeed and pump frequently. It will increase your milk supply within 48 hours. If your child doesn’t feed that much, pump both breasts for 10 to 15 minutes each after every feeding. An increase in milk supply is expected soon after 2 to 4 days of extra pumping.

2. Take time to relax. Though motherhood can be at times stressful, you need to go out of your way to relax. Find an area in your home relaxing enough so it is easy to pump. Stress can hinder your natural capacity to release milk. Try massaging your breasts and making use of warm compresses prior to feeding.

3. If possible, try to limit formula feedings. That will decrease your baby’s requirement for breast milk. Remember, if you breastfeed or pump more frequently, the more your body produces breast milk.

4. Pump both breasts at the same time. It will enable your body to produce the hormone prolactin, which is accountable for milk production.

5. Increase your fluid consumption. Drink more water, juice and milk to stay hydrated. Proper hydration promotes milk production. Limit drinks that contain caffeine like coffee and soda. Too much intake of caffeine can result in irritability to your child. Aside from that, it can also intervene with your baby’s sleep.

6. Quit cigarette smoking. It is not only detrimental for your health, but it can decrease your milk supply. Nicotine can also change the taste of milk, and it can affect your baby’s sleep pattern.

7. Evaluate your birth control choices. Birth control pills containing estrogen can interfere with your production of milk. Discuss with your doctor as to what options are available for you.

8. Live healthy. Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables. Proper nutrition is important in not only getting a good milk supply, but also in making sureyou are producing a good quality of milk for your little one. Try to exercise when you can in order to attain optimum health.

Breastfeeding is truly advisable due to its many health benefits. Though commercial formula may be readily purchased, it can never take the place of breast milk. In order to have adequate milk supply, a woman should also take good care of herself. A woman after all nourishes her infant not only in the womb, but also after birth by means of breastfeeding.

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Things To Consider When Choosing A Breast Pump

A lot of working mothers who choose to breastfeed their little one rely on breast pumps simply because it can make breastfeeding truly convenient. Selecting the appropriate breast pump is then essential, but it has to be suited to a woman’s different needs. With several types of breast pumps commercially available, a woman must look at her way of life so she can choose the right breast pump.

If you intend to stay with the infant most of the time, you may only need a basic hand pump to express milk. You basically have to squeeze the handle to manually expel milk. An electric pump may be necessary if you want to go back to work, or if there will be circumstances when you need to be away from the little one for a couple of hours. Even though electric pumps may be more expensive, it also does a better job in stimulating the breasts, that promotes ample milk supply. Even so, prepare for power outages or in the event that an outlet is not accessible. Rechargeable battery packs may be essential, or even a hand pump may be a good back-up option.

The total amount of time you need to commit on expressing milk should also be a determining aspect in choosing the suitable breast pump. It will approximately take 10 to 15 minutes to express milk per breast. If you feel that you don’t have that luxury of time, you may want to invest on double breast pumps. It can express milk simultaneously from both breasts, as a result cutting time spent on pumping in half. This is truly practical for working mothers who can’t spend so much time pumping while in the office. Taking into consideration the noise that a pump makes, may also be necessary if you need to do it discreetly.

With a lot of working mothers nowadays, it is such relief to have pumps that can suit your needs. If you need to travel a lot, or if you must take the pump to the office everyday, choose a lightweight model. Some pumps have carrying cases which are convenient for females on the go. It may even have an insulated area for milk storage.

Choosing the right breast pump is important simply because it may affect your resolve to continue breastfeeding. A particular breast pump may be comfortable and convenient for a woman, while it may not be the case for others. Choose a pump that is easy to clean and assemble. The components which come in contact with your skin need to be detachable to make cleaning easy. It may also be advisable that you choose a pump with an adjustable suction. Even some manual models make this possible by basically adjusting the position of the pump handle.

It is also equally essential to pay extra attention to the right size of the breast shields, that come with just about every pump. Be certain that it iscomfortable simply because it may lead to sore nipples. Before buying, inquire whether it is possible to change the breast shield with a different size or texture.

It is also vital to know that only FDA cleared, hospital breast pumps may be utilized by more than one person. It is certainly not smart to buy a used pump, especially if it will present health risks to you, and your child. Breast pumps which have not been disinfected effectively may hold infectious diseases such as HIV, or hepatitis. Thus, purchasing used pumps or borrowing used ones is not recommended.

Just before you head out to the store, it may be best to write down all the features you expect your ideal pump to have. Ask for help and if possible, take out the pump from the box so you can look at it closely. Most stores will not allow returns on used breast pumps for health reasons, and it is essential to choose the one that’s good for you.

The cost of breast pumps may vary depending on its features. Check your choices whether your health insurance coverage could cover the cost. If not, it remains a good investment in terms of making sure that your little one can get all the nutrients that he needs, even if you are away.

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Why Breast Milk Is Best For Your Baby

Human breast milk is the best food for full-term babies. Formula milk is only a substitute or supplement to breast milk when the need arises.

A lot of commercial formulas are cow-milk based that are already modified to approximate breast milk, while other milks are fortified to provide optimum supplementation of vitamins and nutrients to the infant.

Right here is a table showing a great comparison between human milk and cow milk.

Constituent Human Milk Cow Milk
Calories 20 cal/oz 20 cal/oz
Carbohydrates 7% lactose 4.5% lactose
Protein 1.5% (*whey/casein 78:25) 3.3% (whey/casein 22:78)
Fats 3.5% (maternal diet dependent) 3-4% (pooled)
Vitamins Low in Vit K (diet dependent) Low in Vit C, D
Minerals Better absorption of iron **Low in iron & copper
Bacterial content Uncontaminated Harmless bacteria
Digestability Easily digested Same after 45 days

* whey is the liquid component of milk separating from the curd
casein is the protein acquired from milk by the action of acids or rennin
** Most formula milk are already iron fortified.

The following are the benefits of breast milk feeding.

1) Breastmilk is premixed at the appropriate temperature and concentration and
is obtainable whenever

2) Breastmilk has immunologic components like IgA, lactoglobulin and maternal
macrophages.

Babies begin generating their own antibodies as early as of 6 months of age.
Before that  age, their immune system is low, making them defenseless
against infections. Therefore, they very easily get sick. Even so, if the infant is
breastfed, antibodies from the mother are passively transferred to the child,
which substantially boosts the infant’s immune system, warding him off
against infections. This is one of the positive aspects of breast milk that helps make
it unmatched and superior compared to formula milk.

3) Breastmilk decreases the incidence of allergic illnesses

4) Breastfeeding also encourages mother-infant bonding

5) A maternal advantage of breastfeeding is that it helps the mother get back quickly to her pre-pregnancy weight with quicker uterine regression.

6) Supplementation of other vitamins and nutrients is not often necessary in breast-fed infants

7) Breastfeeding is economical.

Due to medical research, many much more vital vitamins and nutrients which can maximize the infant’s growth potentials are discovered. One instance is the fortification of infant formulas with docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), the key fatty acid in the brain, that has been identified to be necessary for brain growth and better vision. Thus, it is not surprising to see a continuous flow of new infant formulas coming out in the market that are highly fortified with new components, backed by scientific studies. But even so, human breast milk remains the greatest for babies.

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