There is a child, no milk! that is, problems with lactation

Did you know that only 60% of mothers in France even try to latch their babies to the breast after birth? And in Sweden, almost 100% of newborns are breastfed? Did you know that the majority of women failing to breastfeed is due to a lack of adequate help?

 

Choosing a hospitalin which I wanted to give birth to a child, I attached great importance to the staff's approach to breastfeeding. The hospital where my Child was born had very good opinions in this respect. This is why I did not pack a breast pump to the hospital - I assumed that with the professional care of midwives specializing in lactation, I would certainly manage, and in case of failure my husband would take me the breast pump that was waiting at home.

 

Lack of food after delivery does not bode well. In fact, such a baby only needs a few drops, because his stomach is the size of a thimble. So you have time to properly take care of the milk production.

 

When, together with the hours that passed from the birth, no food appeared, I reported to the midwife that my baby looked hungry, and I MOST having no food. I received the answer: "Fine, we will feed the baby." I was in shock. It's not what I asked for. When I asked the second midwife for help and heard: "Okay, we'll give them artificial," I clearly protested that I was not asking for feeding the baby, but for help so that I could feed it myself. Unfortunately, I did not receive any help. I don't need to write how bad I felt in the absence of outside help, having a crying newborn by my side. Literally - because, unfortunately, there was a total ban on visits to the ward, and the visiting room was still beyond my reach.

 

If I had not shown determination at this stage, if it had not been for all the information I collected with which I went to give birth, I probably would never breastfeed. I would believe that if a specialist in midwife tells me that feeding advice is a lack of food, I would do it. I would feed the baby artificially, waiting for food that would not have to come at all. Therefore, if the birth is still ahead of you, and you want to breastfeed, or at least want to try, I have prepared some tips for you.

 

 

Get ready for breastfeeding!

 

1. The right position when bringing in and feeding your baby

First of all: it's good for you to know as much as possible about what is behind breastfeeding success. Personally, even before delivery, I invited a midwife to my home, who showed me various breastfeeding positions convenient for me, and also showed what to look for when feeding and how to put my baby to breast. She also made me realize that the success of the whole enterprise is largely my peace, relaxation and comfort. Therefore, when after delivery I had no strength to hold the Baby in his arms, and the hospital pillow was not enough, my husband brought me to the hospital feeding pillow - You can take her with you right away. If you have the food and the right position for latching on and feeding, your chances of success are great. If you have a problem with positioning the child, it is difficult and uncomfortable for you, be sure to seek professional help.

 

2. Stimulating milk production

If you are in the correct feeding position and your baby grasps and sucks the breast, but you are suffering from a lack or lack of food, it is always best to contact a specialist. Remember that the best method of stimulating the breasts to produce milk is to latch the baby to the breast as often and as long as possible. It is very important for the baby to grab as much of the nipple as possible and stimulate it on as much surface as possible, thanks to which more prolactin, responsible for the production of food, will be released in your brain. Direct contact of your skin with your child's mouth and saliva is very important, so remember that breast shields are the last resort, which you should use only under the supervision of a specialist, and you should always give your baby a breast without them before using them, so that despite their use, communication is possible. line Baby - Your breast - Your brain was at least partially preserved.

 

However, before the professional help comes, you can start additional, independent stimulation of the breasts to produce breast milk. Here I will introduce you to the 7-5-3 method that I used myselfwhen after cesarean section I had no food at all.

 

According to the 7-5-3 method, child you put your breasts on demand for as long as you want to suck, and after each feeding (or after each feeding attempt) you express (or actually try to express) breast milk using the 7-5-3 method, so:

 

• 7 minutes on the right breast
• 7 minutes from the left breast
• 5 minutes from the right breast
• 5 minutes from the left breast
• 3 minutes from the right breast
• 3 minutes from the left breast.

You can stimulate your breasts in this way with a manual or electric breast pump, which I highly recommend. You can also do it yourself, especially when you don't have a breast pump yet, and you want to start working on milk production as soon as possible - then read about manual expressing food.

 

Remember - the best form of breast stimulation for production or for increased milk production is the suckling baby. You have heard for sure more than once that "the child would just hang on the chest"? Here's your answer - it's the most natural thing in the world. Thinking "treats me like a pacifier", It is worth answering the question - what came first? Breast or pacifier? More like a breast, so a Baby who sucks on a nipple can at most treat the nipple like a breast, thus taking away the valuable stimulation from your breasts, which only aggravates the problems with a lack of food. I regret that I only found out about it after the birth.

 

Remember - you don't worry if you still don't have milk after a few tries, if you still haven't managed to express a drop. You keep working - by trying to pump regularly, you stimulate your breasts to produce milk. 99% of the time, food finally appears. For me it took 48 hours, but I know a case where the food appeared only after 14 days. After 14 days of pumping. This was my motivation. This was a time when I was definitely determined to work on natural feeding. Fortunately, I didn't have to work on it that long.

 

Also remember that some breasts cannot be expressed with a breast pump. Therefore, the amount of milk expressed is not a measure of the amount produced by the breasts. Hence, it is so important to "pump" regardless of the result, that is the amount of milk obtained, and to constantly attach the Baby to the breast (always before "pumping"). In our situation, it turned out that the Child began to eat before I saw the food in the bottle of the connected breast pump. Later, I had no problem expressing milk in this way. Remember that each of us is different and unique, and so is our feeding history.

 

What if you don't have the strength to work so hard to produce your milk? I admit, it happened to me once a day - usually at night - not to stimulate my breasts after feeding. When I was very tired, I sometimes shortened my cycle to 5-3-1 minutes. However, the most important thing you need is peace, help and support from loved ones, maximum time for relaxation and rest, a kind word, faith. Remember, I believe in you, and your child, above all.

 

You can additionally support yourself with appropriate tea blends or supplements created especially for mothers with a food shortage (for example, products based on barley malt - and, of course, I do not mean beer).

 

I will not answer you here if and when you should artificially feed your child. This is a very individual matter and I always recommend consulting here trusted lactation adviserwho will advise and possibly help in choosing the best substitute milk, and will also provide you with appropriate care.

 

Remember that if you manage to express any food, you can boldly give it to your baby after the next feeding attempt - if he is not full and the breasts are already empty. Especially in the beginning, every drop of your food is worth its weight in gold. However, I suggest, especially initially, not to use the bottle for this purpose, so as not to disturb the child's sucking reflex. Personally, I fed the newborn with a syringe, the so-called by the finger method. I gave the little one a finger to suck on and injected my milk into the corner of his mouth, drop by drop. Of course, keeping in mind the rules of hygiene. This method is also worth using if you decide to feed your baby with the mixture.

 

Similarly, I advise against giving your baby a soother - it is a pity that instead of stimulating the breasts for full lactation, the baby would offer what is best with a piece of gum. It is a pity that no one told me about it in the hospital where I gave birth.

 

 

3. Trouble feeding

If you have any feeding problems, remember - there's no need to wait, so check your area before giving birth recommended lactation midwife, which in case of problems with feeding will come to you for a home visit.

 

Dear, and now I wish you a beautiful, long feeding - if of course you both want it.