I'd like to say that I'm a breastfeeding expert, but it's different with every single child and since I only have two (so far...
stare ) I couldn't possibly claim it. But here is some stuff that I've learned and while some of it may seem like common sense and basic, there are a few things I didn't learn until the second time around that would've been pretty helpful.
Engorgement - If your milk starts to come in and you're having a hard time getting the baby to latch on try to express some milk by hand and use some nice cool cloths to help ease the heat and pain you're experiencing. I had a just AWFUL lactation consultant with my first son ( had an all around just horrid experience) and no one bothered to tell me these things. I was in agony for two days before a nurse offered to bring me a breast pump.
I would suggest
getting a breast pump if you're going to breast feed so that if you need to go out you can pump a bottle or two or if your milk production seems to be getting a little low you can trick your boobies into making more milk by thinking they have to provide for more feedings. They're fairly inexpensive and if you get a manual you get some pretty strong hands (but they don't look like man hands LOL) If you plan on returning to work but want to keep breastfeeding I would definitely suggest that you get an electric pump. You can often do both breasts at once and it goes a lot faster than manual pumping. It also seems to work better for me. The Medela pump that they gave me in the hospital (for FREE) is an excellent pump. If you have one but haven't had a good look at the instructions, you can hook it up to an electric pump! It's an either/or type of pump and it really comes in handy. So all you would have to do is find yourself the pump part and save a little money. Craigslist can be a good place to get a used pump. You're not likely to find one that is in " just horrible, I've used this for 15 kids and it looks like it's got the plague" condition so it's a good solution if you're on a really tight budget. As far as I know, every part of a breast pump can be put in the top rack of a dishwasher to sterilize and once that's done it's like it's never been touched by another boob.
Mastitis- I have a history with mastitis. It is a HORRIBLE thing to have and you really have to know your body. Mastitis is basically an infection in your breast. It causes the area to become hard and feverishly hot. It can also cause a serious fever (I know it for a fact. I fell down the stairs I was so dizzy) Something important I did not learn until second kiddo:
Serious Mastitis can cause abscesses in your breast. That's right, if you leave it unchecked you could wind up with a hole inside your breast. I've had mastitis last for hours and I've had it last for days. I would suggest that if your mastitis lasts longer than a day that you seek your doctor. They can prescribe the needed antibiotics to help you kick your infection. Don't forget that while you're on antibiotics to do something that will help you to resist getting a yeast infection. I've heard lots of rave reviews about AZO, which is inexpensive and you can find next to the yeast infection medicines in your pharmacy. Yogurt with live cultures also helps. If you're not a fan of yogurt, Yoplait Whips Chocolate Mousse flavor is delicious. I don't like yogurt myself. If you're allergic to chocolate you can try getting some plain or vanilla yogurt (don't forget to check if the package says "live cultures" ) and make a flavor that you like yourself. Different people suggest different things for mastitis some people suggest standing under a warm shower, while others suggest cool rags and ice packs to help cool the heat. One thing everyone seems to agree on, is that you should
keep breastfeeding. If you stop breastfeeding while you have mastitis you might become engorged on top of your infection with is extremely painful and it can also make the mastitis worse.
Teething - With my first son, he got his teeth very late and I didn't have to experience teething while breastfeeding, but not this last time. I got chomped until I bled and was miserable until I realized that I should put lanolin on after every feeding. I did get bit hard enough that he broke the skin and I bled (just a tiny bit). I didn't do anything to it to treat it and it got infected. Your n****e/areola area heals very quickly from a tear/bite and if you don't take care of it properly you will have an infection inside of a closed wound that won't want to heal and it will likely want to keep opening. Horrible, yes? If you wind up with broken skin do your preferred method of cleaning out the wound. I personally like hydrogen peroxide, but there are some very nice organic methods I'm not really familiar with. Once you get your wound cleaned keep your n****e and areola area well covered in a protectant, like lanolin or fresh aloe.
" I used a folded silk hanky to speed healing time- for plugged ducts & mastitis, try the Lana wool pads from Danish Woolen's website. I'm sure you're familiar with other treatment modalities, but those two never seem to get mentioned enough." Lara- Breastfeeding Masters
http://tribes.tribe.net/breastfeedingmasteredI still haven't tried this but I keep meaning too. I don't think it's the thought that counts right here though. Almost ALL babies (I actually haven't heard of one who hasn't but I don't know everyone on Earth yet) will learn fairly quickly that they cannot bite you AND still get milk. Mine still has a tendency to bite a little when he's teething, but I realize that he's not doing it intentionally and I do whatever it takes to get him off of my boob. I have further explanation of this if anyone needs to ask, but I'd prefer to not post it in a public forum in case someone tries to follow the instruction without full understanding. There are tons of old remedies for easing their pain while teething (if their mouths don't hurt they're less likely to try and teeth on your breast) ranging from baby oragel (which mine HATE) to rum or whiskey on the gums (which I just can't bring myself to try, plus we don't keep alcohol in the house). They have these things called teething tablets that are homeopathic that they sell (I KNOW at walmart but I've never had to buy them anywhere else). They look like TINY altoids and are minty and my kids seem to like them, and they seem to help.
Boosting Milk Production I have read that a tea of fennel and caraway seeds three times a day will help, but I have not tried it. Pumping your breast or nursing more frequently will help you to boost milk production. If you happen to be on WIC they have a lactation consultant that you can talk to for FREE and they can also lend you or rent you a pump if you need it.
Those are all of the suggestions that I can think of off of the top of my head. Remember these are the suggestions of another mommy and not a medical professional. NONE of my advice can replace that of a medical professional and I claim no responsibility for your actions. If you can think of anything else I should add to this please say so.
Reply
