common concerns | adequate milk supply | breast problems  | contraception   sex and breast-feeding | pumping the milk | Bottle-feeding | weight loss  may lower leukemia risk in children Home  Breast-feeding provides significant benefits for women, children, and families. Until the twentieth century nearly all infants were breast-fed. Breast-feeding was viewed as a normal, expected part of the childbearing cycle. It is a natural way to nourish your baby, but it takes learning and practice. Almost every woman can produce milk after her baby is born and breast-feed with success.  Still, breast-feeding may not be for all women.  Many factors are involved in each woman's decision: life style, desire, attitude, and time.  If you choose to bottle-feed, your baby will still be well nourished.  If you use only bottle-feeding, you will lose your milk supply after a few days and will  no longer have the option of breast-feeding. COMMON CONCERNS Less than 10% of women population have nipple anomalies that may make breast-feeding more difficult. Nipple anomalies can be identified during first pre-natal visit or at 24 to 28 weeks of gestation. The size and shape of your nipples do not affect your ability to breast-feed.  If your nipples are flat or inverted, you can still breast-feed.  You can try wearing plastic breast shells in the last month of your pregnancy to make your nipples stick out. The use of breast shells is the most common way to draw out non-protracted nipples. If your nipples are erect, there is no need to prepare the breast. Breast shells can be obtained from most lactation consultants and from some maternity stores. Although convincing evidence on the efficiency of breast shells is not available, lactation consultants advocate breast shells as much for the probable physical benefits as the psychological benefits to mothers of focusing on breast-feeding parentally and actively trying to influence a positive outcome for babies.  If you have breast implants still you may be able to breast-feed depending on where the implants are in your breasts.  Talk to your doctor if you have implants and want to nurse your baby. Breast Shape:  Breast-feeding itself will not make your breasts sag.  Your breasts may look a little different after pregnancy or nursing, but most changes in breast shape  are caused by aging.  Each pregnancy, however, does cause some change as the breasts enlarge and get ready to make milk.  The increased weight of your breasts can stretch the ligaments that support them.  Wear a good support bra to help avoid this. ADEQUATE MILK SUPPLY  It is a common concern for mothers.  Breast-milk production is generally an example of demand-driven supply. The milk supply is adequate if the infant has 6-8 very wet diapers and 2- 3 bowel movements per day and gains a pound of weight during the first month.  Effective sucking by the infant causes the pituitary gland to release prolactin and oxytocin, which are essential for milk production.  Proper positioning of the infant at the breast is essential for successful breast-feeding and avoidance of sore nipples. Sore nipples during the first day of breast-feeding generally indicate a positioning problem, poor latch-on or a sucking problem. When breast-feeding going well, the nipple is so far back in the baby’s mouth that there is no friction against it. Nipples that are sore because of irritation or damage may develop blisters. Scab, cracks, tenderness, and redness, and may feel hot, requiring intervention. Parents need to know what signs to watch for with respect to medication side effects in the infant.  Most drugs do not penetrate breast milk to some extent, but the degree to which they transfer varies with each drug and each patient.  In general most drugs do not pose a significant problem for the nursing infant. Vaccines are considered safe during lactation for both mothers and infants. BREAST PROBLEMS Breast engorgement is the temporary edema that may occur in response to increased blood flow, lymphatic circulation, and milk production. Frequent, unrestricted, effective breast-feeding or initiating pumping to remove enough milk to soften the breasts so that the baby can latch on easily can prevent engorgement. CONTRACEPTION Contraception is always a concern for postpartum women, especially for those who want to continue to breast-feed for many months or a year. Lactational amenorrhea can occur when around the clock breast-feeding continues. CALL YOUR DOCTOR to discuss to have intrauterine devices, and permanent sterilization, or any other acceptable alternatives. IF pregnancy occurs while a woman is breast-feeding, no adverse effects are reported in the breast-feeding infant, mother, or the developing fetus. Breast-feeding may continue and does not seem to increase the risk of pre term labor or the nutritional status of the unborn baby. SEX AND BREAST FEEDING As far as sex is concerned all researchers agree that breast-feeding affects postpartum sexuality, but they don’t agree on how. Low estrogen levels associated with breast-feeding may cause vaginal dryness, which may make intercourse painful. (A Hint)   Couple need not restrict breast fondling during lovemaking, but it could stimulate letdown. The woman may choose to feed the baby or express milk prior to lovemaking or apply pressure to stop the milk flow. PUMPING THE MILK Working women can be compatible with successful breast-feeding. They need to know that many women are able to pump and store breast milk to provide for all or some of the infant’s feedings while they are at work. To ensure that the supply of stored milk will be adequate, breast-milk collection should begin 1-2 weeks before mother goes back to work. Breast-milk can be stored in plastic feeding bottles in the refrigerator for 4 -5 days, in freezer up to 3-6 months depends on the freezer type. Once the milk has been warmed appropriately to body temperature, any left over should be discarded. BOTTLE-FEEDING Bottle-feeding takes more preparation than breast-feeding.  Everything you use to feed your baby must be well cleaned and sterilized before each feeding.  These items include the bottles, the nipples, and the scrub brushes. The formula must be prepared exactly as the directions say.  Bottle-feeding also costs more than breast-feeding. WEIGHT LOSS Research repots suggest that women who exclusively or partially breast-fed had a significantly larger reduction in hip circumference and were less above their pregnancy weight. Maternal exercise had no adverse effects on milk production or composition, although the women’s cardiovascular fitness improves significantly.  Regaining their pre pregnancy figure is an important goal for all women in general. The long term effect of greater weight loss on decreased risk of diabetes, hyper tension, and heart diseases are more important particularly for women who had gestational diabetes. Lactation even a short duration has a beneficial effect on glucose and lipid metabolism in women with a history of gestational diabetes. Therefore the breast-feeding offer a practical, low-cost method of reducing or delaying the risk of subsequent diabetes in women with prior gestational diabetes. Childhood leukemia Breast-feeding may lower Leukemia risk in children.  A study found children who were breast-fed for at least one month had a 21% lower risk of developing two forms of childhood leukemia - acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL).  This is the first study published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute (vol. 91, No. 20) that found a significant association of breast-feeding with a reduced risk of childhood leukemia. The authors also emphasized that the study was not conclusive.    Back to Home  obgynonline.com.  All rights reserved.  All information is intended for your general knowledge only and is not a substitute for medical advise or treatment for specific medical conditions.  You seek prompt medical care for any specific health issues and consult your physician before starting a new fitness regimen.  Use of this online service is subject to the disclaimer and the terms and condition.