Breastfeeding Benefits and Tips

Mothers who choose to breastfeed benefit themselves, as well as their babies. For example, one of the most important benefits a baby receives from breastfeeding is the mother’s antibodies. One of the mother’s benefits is never paying for formula, which can be expensive.

The Additional Health Benefits of Breastfeeding

For the Baby:

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, breastfeeding helps prevent Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) and reduces the possibility that the baby will become overweight/obese during childhood, develop leukemia, necrotizing enterocolitis, as well as celiac disease. Furthermore, breastfeeding decreases the likelihood that the baby will develop asthma, diabetes and allergies.

For the Mother:

Breastfeeding helps the mother lose excess weight and assists her uterus with returning to its pre-pregnancy size. When a mother breastfeeds, she decreases her likelihood of experiencing postpartum depression and delays the return of her menstrual cycle. Moreover, her risk of developing breast cancer, cardiovascular diseases, ovarian cancer, hypertension, endometrial cancer, rheumatoid arthritis and type 2 diabetes decreases.

Breastfeeding Tips: Preparing for Baby’s Arrival

During the last trimester of pregnancy, a mother who intends to breastfeed needs to begin preparing for her baby’s homecoming. Use the breastfeeding tips below to ease the transition into life as a breastfeeding mother.

4 Breastfeeding Tips—Getting Everything Ready to Bring Your Baby Home

  1. Consider a Breastfeeding Class.

Some mothers find that taking a breastfeeding class helps them prepare for their baby’s arrival.

  1. Have Everything Necessary for Breastfeeding Before Baby Arrives.

Purchase the items that mothers use for breastfeeding ahead of time (e.g., a breastfeeding cover, a nursing bra, soothing nipple covers and a nursing pillow).

  1. A Complimentary Breast Pump?

Check with the hospital and health insurance company to see if they provide new mothers with a free breast pump. If not, purchasing a pump now is a good idea because, in the event that the mother needs to be away from her baby, she can pump and then store her milk.

  1. Prior to the Baby’s Arrival, Consider Making an Appointment with the Pediatrician.

A mother who has questions about her baby and breastfeeding should consult the pediatrician who will be caring for her baby following his or her birth. Addressing concerns before the baby arrives is beneficial because once her baby is born, she will need time to recover and adjust to motherhood. Therefore, anything an expectant mother can take care of ahead of time is highly beneficial.

7 of the most common questions expectant mothers ask pediatricians include:

  1. When should my baby be back up to his or her birth weight?
  2. Which growth chart does the office use?
  3. Do you think it is okay for a mother to use a nipple shield to help the baby latch on?
  4. How often will my baby need to breastfeed?
  5. What if I have poor milk production and have to add a supplement? Which formula do you recommend?
  6. Would you recommend that I wake the baby so he or she can nurse during the night?
  7. Should I limit the length of time my baby breastfeeds?

Besides all the other benefits of breastfeeding, it helps mother and baby build a strong bond. Contact Parker Pediatrics today to learn more.

Engorged Breasts

This article is an excerpt from "The Nursing Mother's Problem Solver" by Claire Martin.

Q: My breasts are so engorged that they look like balloons. My newborn can't latch on, or if he does manage, he loses his grip. I tried expressing some milk, but my breasts are still too hard. What can I do?

A: Most new moms have engorged breasts-it's common, but painful. As the milk comes in for the first time, the vessels surrounding the lymph nodes are flushed with blood. Engorged breasts are hard, are hot, can hurt, and-as you pointed out- can make it difficult for a newborn to latch on because the aerola is too firm. There are several ways to relieve engorged breasts:

  • Take a very warm (but not unbearably hot) shower. Stand with your back to the shower, and gently massage out the milk by hand. (Don't worry-you'll still have plenty of milk left for the baby, and it will take a while for your breasts to replace the expressed milk.) Express until your breasts are soft enough to allow the baby to latch on and suckle. Your breasts will still feel huge, but more pliant.
  • Place raw cabbage leaves-whole or torn-in your bra. No one really knows why this works, but something in the cabbage leaves reduces engorgement.
  • Warm a couple of hand towels in the dryer or microwave. (They're ready when they're hot enough to barely handle, like the heated towels that customers use at Japanese restaurants.) Lay the warm towels on your breasts. The heat probably will inspire some letdown, which will relieve the pressure, and the towels will absorb the milk.
  • Use a breast pump (electric pumps are better than hand pumps) to empty some milk from your breasts. This is easier than taking a shower if you're still recovering from a c-section, and you can save the milk in the freezer to use later.
  • Let the baby nurse as often as she wants. This will help your milk supply stabilize more quickly and reduce the engorgement. Feeding sessions may last 15 to 40 minutes at first. As your baby gets older, she'll become more efficient at nursing and may nurse for only 10 to 15 minutes or so.

Find the number for your local La Leche League club, and call the leader; she can share practical advice and lend support.