Hello! Happy new month of August and Happy World Breastfeeding Week to all Mums.
World Breastfeeding Week is celebrated every year from 1 to 7 August in more than 170 countries to encourage breastfeeding and improve the health of babies around the world.
What Kind of Help do I Need?
Two categories of Help are needed :-
- for the children with special needs
- for the parents/caregivers/siblings/families.
It commemorates the Innocenti Declaration signed in August 1990 by government policymakers, WHO, UNICEF and other organizations to protect, promote and support breastfeeding.
Breastfeeding is the best way to provide infants with the nutrients they need. WHO recommends exclusive breastfeeding starting within one hour after birth until a baby is six months old. Nutritious complementary foods should then be added while continuing to breastfeed for up to two years or beyond.
However I have noticed that many first-time mums who really desire to breastfeed struggle at times with getting breastfeeding right. This often results in many giving up and going for the ?easy option of formula feeding. Why do many mums have challenges breastfeeding? It has to do with the breastfeeding techniques which have to be learnt. I will also address some common questions and comments on breastfeeding from Mums in Part 2 of the post.
When it comes to establishing breastfeeding, there are two important words – POSITION AND ATTACHMENT.
POSITION
There are different positions to breastfeed as shown in the picture above, However for new mums till you master the act and technicality of breastfeeding, please sit up to breastfeed!
In sitting up, preferably sit on a chair, rest your back and get the baby very close to you for proper attachment. You can elevate your legs by keeping it on a small stool. Be sure you are very relaxed. It is a very important job you are about to do!
ATTACHMENT
Next is making sure the baby is properly attached to the breast. This is step by step diagram of attaching the baby to the breast.
Most complaints of sore nipples, engorged breast, pain when breastfeeding and eventual mastitis or breast abscess have to do with improper attachment of the baby to the breast.
Finally, nothing beat a LIVE DEMONSTRATION. Please if you are not sure you are doing it right, Get a Nurse, Midwife, Experienced Mum, a Doctor and of course your beloved Paediatricians to show you HOW. We are more than willing to help you through this wonderful adventure of breastfeeding your baby right.
The Global Health Media Project has also made videos on breastfeeding techniques.
These videos are available for free to watch online and download. They can be found at the following link http://globalhealthmedia.org/download-page/?dl=breastfeeding_first_hours
Breastfeeding should not be painful. You may feel pain at the onset when your breast is still so engorged but pain should disappear as baby empties the breasts.Painful breasts mostly have to do with the baby sucking or chewing on your nipple; painful for the mother and frustrating for the baby. Additionally, always alternate the breasts between feeds.
You may fill pain in your womb as you breastfeed, that is actually good. It means you are doing it right. The hormone – oxytocin is being released to get your uterus (womb) back in shape.
I hope this helps some mums out there on getting the breastfeeding techniques right.
Should you still need further help or have questions on the subject or any issues pertaining to child health, I will be willing to address them. You can either send them in as comments or email me at askthepaediatricians@gmail.com. I look forward to reading from you. Join us as we celebrate the World’s Breastfeeding week by supporting and encouraging any breastfeeding Mum near you today
My breast milk came in drops, I was told to take a lot of fluid which I did, but all to no avail. At one month, I wasn’t producing any breast milk at all. Pls what could be the problem? I don’t want this to be repeated with my next baby
Most times, it is worry and anxiety. These states send messages to your brain via the stress hormones and that will inhibit breast milk production. Kindly watch all our breastfeeding videos to better prepare to breastfeed next time. All the best
Does that mean there is no hope for a mother who is not producing well? Cos you said “next time ” ma. Please what does such a mother do to improve the flow cos she doesn’t want to give up….
There is always hope and we do have lot of videos on breastfeeding on how to increase your breast milk supply. Kindly watch the breastfeeding videos on our Page or on Youtube here
Drink fresh palm wine and always drink water very well. lt will improve ur breast milk supply.
Alcohol not recommended for breastfeeding mothers. You need to watch the palmy!
Please is it advisable to breastfeed while pregnant as my baby is barely 8months old?
My baby brings out breast milk from nose and mouth even after belgin alot. Please what should I do to handle this.
We call that Reflux….Try and keep the baby upright after feeding and burping for at least 15 – 30 minutes before laying down. Most babies outgrow this reflux with time. You do not have to worry except in severe cases in which you should see a Paediatrician
I have a two months old and she hardly sucks more than five minutes the highest she’s gone is ten minutes and am worried because I read something on the group’s post about HIND MILK. however whenever I express milk in bottle for her she feeds more than five minutes. Pls what can I do.?
PS: I have flat nipples could this be the reason?
Hi Taiwo…You can also express as well so you can feed her with the hind milk. It is possible your breastfeeding technique is not the way it should be so you may want to watch the breastfeeding videos for more information.
Bitter cola with granut is it good for breastfeeding ?
Not recommended for the purpose of increasing breast milk but it is okay to take groundnut normally.
I have a sore around my nipple, it’s very painful when baby wants to suck, some times it looks like it’s healing and later it looks like a fresh wound again and now the other nipple is about to start with the same thing. Really, gets scared when baby wants to suck.
Hi Faith. It is possible your baby is not properly latching on to the breasts. You need to watch the breastfeeding videos – all of them. They are on YouTube or you can also the UNIT course on Breastfeeding on our Facebook Group ASK THE PAEDIATRICIANS FACEBOOK GROUP.
i have never expresse breast milk, but will have to as i am starting work soon. pls what do i need and how do i go about it. thank you
Great choice Ola….we have videos that can demonstrate how to express breast milk. It is available on our Facebook group Ask The Paediatricians. Go to UNITS and do the first UNIT course on Breastfeeding. They are audiovisuals and you will learn about all you need on breastfeeding.
Thanks for all you’ve obviously been doing. God bless you
My EDD was June 28 but my baby came on May 29, and his birth weight was 2kg. I couldn’t breastfeed him after birth because of absence of breast milk, the doctors advised we formula feed him pending the time I’d be able to breastfeed him. We got Pre Nan(doctor said it’s right for underweight babies) We fed him with that for a couple of days while I kept trying all means to get to breastfeed him. My breast started producing milk after a couple of days and he fed on it but he stopped and would cry whenever I make attempt to breastfeed him. He is two weeks and two days old today and all attempt to get him attached to the breast again hasn’t been working. He accepts the milk in bottle when expressed. Please what could be the possible cause of his rejection again? I was told not to worry that he would feed with time, but every time I try and he rejects it, it weighs me down
Congratulations on your baby. It is due to poor attachment of your baby to the breast. It is possible your baby is sucking on the nipple instead of the areola area which explained the frustration as milk is not flowing in to the baby’s mouth. I will advise you go to our Facebook group Go to the UNITS section and do the UNIT 1 on breastfeeding. Ensure you watch all the videos on breastfeeding especially the one on attaching your baby to the breasts. You should then try and do so. Meanwhile continue to feed expressed breast milk until you get the technique. You will get it soon. All the best
Good evening doc. I have been trying to access the UNIT 1 lessons on the Facebook since Friday last week but it doesn’t open. My baby is 2weeks+, she sucks well but hardly sucks for up to 10mins for each feeding. I want to be sure I’m doing breastfeeding right, the reason I want to watch the videos. She hiccups often too which I put her to breastfeed every time she does as I don’t know what to do to make it stop. I can’t also post annoymously on the Facebook group. The options I see are “post” and “post to group”. Please help a first time mum.
Hi Chidinma, you can post the question on our Facebook group for the links to be shared with you. The videos are also available on our Facebook page just check the video sections. They are also available on YouTube. You should be able to post anonymously but you have to update your Facebook app and preferably don’t use Facebook lite.
Ma, I need an advice on what I can do to feed my 3weeks 3 days old baby, he prefers express milk to breastfeeding, though I have inverted nipple but it comes out whenever I use breast pump. What can I do ma?
Just keep breastfeeding exclusively and get support with your inverted nipples so as to pull them out. There are techniques to do this and you can ask nurses/midwives in your hospital for support.