Overcoming Challenges to Breastfeeding and Exploring Other Breastfeeding Options.
Yesterday we started our Nutrition series, with Nutrition for babies and talked about breastfeeding being the best, most nutritious food that can be given to babies. We also acknowledged that there may be some challenges with breastfeeding and that not everyone can breastfeed or choose to for whatever reason.
So today, we'll just go through some of the challenges associated with breastfeeding and how to overcome them as well as other nutritious options to breastfeeding if the choice is made not to breastfeed.
A major challenge associated with exclusive breast feeding that women complain about is the time demand of breastfeeding. Some women have to work and can't be with their babies 24 hours so what do they do? Easy! You express milk to keep for when you're not around. You can use a breast-pump or some women manually express. Just make sure to keep the milk well refrigerated, in a clean container. Well stored, refrigerated milk can be kept and used for up to 8 days and can be kept under room temperature for up to 8 hours. It is also adviced that you teach whoever is caring for your baby while you are not around; to feed the baby using cup and spoon and not an artificial teat. The baby can also drink from a cup.This is because apart from the fact that an artificial teat can be a lodging site for bacteria (as they are difficult to clean properly), they are easier to suck than a real nipple. It's easier for milk to flow through a teat because the hole is often times larger than when a child is sucking from the breast. So the child may prefer to suck the bottle as its easier than the breast.
Another challenge of breastfeeding is cracked or sore nipples. This however occurs if you are not latching-on the baby properly. If you have this problem, stop breastfeeding with the affected breast, put breast milk on the sore area and let it air-dry. Do this frequently until the nipple heals. Also, the breast may be engorged, red, painful. This is usually due to mastitis. Visit a hospital to get antibiotics and pain relief. Stop feeding baby with affected breast but express the milk out. A warm compress on the breast will also help.
For those who choose not to breastfeed for whatever reason, you can still ensure your baby is well nourished. Available options include:
-Commercial Infant Formula.
-Home-modified animal milk : fresh or processed animal milk modified by adding water, sugar and micronutrient supplements.
-Wet-nursing: where you get another woman who has breast milk and is HIV and Hepatitis B Negative, to breast-feed your child for you.
-Breast milk banks: places where donor milk is pasteurized and made available for infants.
You can ask questions on the above methods. I'm happy to help. I would also like you, my readers to share your experiences of feeding your babies. Did you breast-feed exclusively? How did you cope? Did you choose other methods? How did it go? Are you having any challenge right now feeding your baby?
You can send me a mail, if you have anything you want to share and I'll post on the blog whilst keeping you anonymous. Or you can just comment on the blog.
Until my next post, stay well nourished, happy and healthy-pink.
Dr. Anire Oduko.
So today, we'll just go through some of the challenges associated with breastfeeding and how to overcome them as well as other nutritious options to breastfeeding if the choice is made not to breastfeed.
A major challenge associated with exclusive breast feeding that women complain about is the time demand of breastfeeding. Some women have to work and can't be with their babies 24 hours so what do they do? Easy! You express milk to keep for when you're not around. You can use a breast-pump or some women manually express. Just make sure to keep the milk well refrigerated, in a clean container. Well stored, refrigerated milk can be kept and used for up to 8 days and can be kept under room temperature for up to 8 hours. It is also adviced that you teach whoever is caring for your baby while you are not around; to feed the baby using cup and spoon and not an artificial teat. The baby can also drink from a cup.This is because apart from the fact that an artificial teat can be a lodging site for bacteria (as they are difficult to clean properly), they are easier to suck than a real nipple. It's easier for milk to flow through a teat because the hole is often times larger than when a child is sucking from the breast. So the child may prefer to suck the bottle as its easier than the breast.
Another challenge of breastfeeding is cracked or sore nipples. This however occurs if you are not latching-on the baby properly. If you have this problem, stop breastfeeding with the affected breast, put breast milk on the sore area and let it air-dry. Do this frequently until the nipple heals. Also, the breast may be engorged, red, painful. This is usually due to mastitis. Visit a hospital to get antibiotics and pain relief. Stop feeding baby with affected breast but express the milk out. A warm compress on the breast will also help.
For those who choose not to breastfeed for whatever reason, you can still ensure your baby is well nourished. Available options include:
-Commercial Infant Formula.
-Home-modified animal milk : fresh or processed animal milk modified by adding water, sugar and micronutrient supplements.
-Wet-nursing: where you get another woman who has breast milk and is HIV and Hepatitis B Negative, to breast-feed your child for you.
-Breast milk banks: places where donor milk is pasteurized and made available for infants.
You can ask questions on the above methods. I'm happy to help. I would also like you, my readers to share your experiences of feeding your babies. Did you breast-feed exclusively? How did you cope? Did you choose other methods? How did it go? Are you having any challenge right now feeding your baby?
You can send me a mail, if you have anything you want to share and I'll post on the blog whilst keeping you anonymous. Or you can just comment on the blog.
Until my next post, stay well nourished, happy and healthy-pink.
Dr. Anire Oduko.
Well, in my time, i did exclusive breastfeeding for about 4months before i went for formula. But i went on up till my kids were a year at least. Breastfeeding was actually fun, i enjoyed doing it but for time constraint being a working mum with no help. At the initial stage though it was hard learning how to position my baby, my hand and myself. I also had painful breast sores in the process but what i was told by some older women was that it was normal and i should keep feeding the baby with the sore breast and in that way it will heal up properly. And i did it just like i was adviced. Im not sure if it worked but with time the sores left and i was better. Probably i had gotten the right positioning. That was my experience!!!
ReplyDeleteOne of the reasons some babes avoid breastfeed is they are afraid of sagging breasts. I've heard a couple of people say this. How authentic is this?
Hello Modupe, Well-done on being able to breastfeed exclusively for 4 months.
DeleteYes, most women feel that breastfeeding will make the breasts sag but that is a myth. It is the breast changes a woman undergoes during pregnancy that make breasts sag and not breasfeeding. So reverting back to pre-pregnancy weight may help. I'll put a post up on causes of breast sagging. So thanks for giving me a good topic to blog on.
A better way to treat breast sores is to apply breast milk on the sore and allow to air-dry. For comfort, you can express milk manually from the affected breast and give to the baby to drink instead of allowing the baby suck on it, until the sore heals.
Well, in my time, i did exclusive breastfeeding for about 4months before i went for formula. But i went on up till my kids were a year at least. Breastfeeding was actually fun, i enjoyed doing it but for time constraint being a working mum with no help. At the initial stage though it was hard learning how to position my baby, my hand and myself. I also had painful breast sores in the process but what i was told by some older women was that it was normal and i should keep feeding the baby with the sore breast and in that way it will heal up properly. And i did it just like i was adviced. Im not sure if it worked but with time the sores left and i was better. Probably i had gotten the right positioning. That was my experience!!!
ReplyDeleteOne of the reasons some babes avoid breastfeed is they are afraid of sagging breasts. I've heard a couple of people say this. How authentic is this?