Motherhood feeling comes eventually – yes, when the baby is in the womb you are not really knowing what motherhood and lactation is all about. You don’t know untill it’s your, or you have spent days caressing the little human. Pregnancy nausea vomiting and aches may make you tired and stressed out, but still take care of yourself as you have to take care of someone who is new in this world, you have to protect it from the temperature variation, surrounding variation as it may stress the baby.
Imagine going to an unknown place, your heart racing, you perspiring and nervous.
So this is the world, totally unknown to the baby. The only known to the baby is MOTHER. MOTHER take me close, towards your chest as I know only your heart beats, sing to me as I know only your voice, carry me as I know your touch can only relax me. While pregnancy phase passes, remember you are stronger than you think and you are no special there are many women giving birth and coming out stronger. So the delivery process be it natural or caesarean doesn’t matter, both requires strength both needs courage. It passes by, leaving a magic in your arms. Motherhood and lactation is a journey.
POST DELIVERY
💫LACTATION
Natural- within an hour
C-Section- may take time a day or weeks, till then formula is best.
Latching can be an issue, but keep practicing and do not feel low about it. Pumping can help in such cases (flat nipple, cracked nipple, etc.) or manual squeezing of milk from breast.
The baby learns to latch even a week later.
If you have decided to exclusively breastfeed the baby, then it is not an easy task but remember it is not going to be forever and you always want to do best for baby.
Many mothers may face difficulty in production of milk, can feed baby formula but do try starting on breast milk.
As it is DEMAND SUPPLY mechanism.
As baby suckles the milk is produced, there is increase in happy hormone Oxytocin and hormones needed for milk production.
It is advisable to exclusively breastfeed for 6 months, but many start solids from 5.5 months. Breastfeeding is ultimate relationship between mother and baby, and can be continued till they are comfortable. But remember it is not replacement for breast milk, first 1 year of baby is for exploration of the food and it’s texture. Have a relation with the food. Baby still gets nutrition from BM/FM. The process is called Baby led weaning(BLW). BLW is when baby themselves explore the food taste and it’s texture and have it by themselves. Mother/caregiver help them by imitation and by offering few spoons.
As baby breastfeed, baby first coats saliva on the nipple that helps mother to make antibodies for the baby and which passes through milk.
Glands around nipple helps in keeping nipple area clean and it smells like amniotic fluid, which is familiar to the baby. You do not have to wash the nipple with soapy water again and again. Or wipe the lips of baby after every feed, as there is a myth that baby lips turns dark if not wiped!!!
Benefits of breastfeeding – Motherhood and lactation
There are various benefits of breastfeeding as it is nature’s beautiful way to help mother and child bond and heal of the life changing event. To mother it helps in subinvolution/contraction of the uterus, and return to the normal metabolic function.
It is easily accessible to baby,
Appropriate temperature,
No hygiene issues,
No extra cleaning routine,
Nutritional level appropriate for baby’s mental and physical growth. IgA immunoglobulin is transferred from mother to baby, and so are the other immunity building hormones and proteins. The quality of nutritional value of breast milk varies with the age of babies.
Breastfeeding should be done every 2 hours in case of newborn, as they may sleep for long hours and not cry for feed.
Mother has to voluntarily insert nipple slowly in the mouth, let baby smell the part they latch on its own.
It takes 1.5 hrs to 2 hrs for the baby to take feed as their speed is slow and their stomach is tiny. Babies themselves remove the nipple when they are full, if the baby is in sleep still they suckle on and off just stay there as your baby shall leave when full.
Remember it is tough but best for your baby, it becomes easier later as baby needs feed every 2/3 hrs and their speed of suckling increases so they may leave nipple in 20 to 40 mins. Also every baby is different.
As baby achieve their milestones the feeding type differs there is something known as cluster feeding. When baby will take small amount in small intervals.
Postions of feeding- motherhood and lactation
Side-lying down and Sitting,
Choose as you are comfortable,
If you choose to feed in side lying position shift on the other side of the baby so that baby uses both the side of neck muscles equally.
DUTY OF FATHER OR SECONDARY CARETAKER, IF MOTHER FALLS ASLEEP WHILE FEEDING, SEE THAT YOU WAKE HER SO THAT NOSE OF BABY IS OPEN FOR BREATHING.
Hold nipples like clamp between 2 fingers, index and middle finger of opposite hand from the feeding side.
Burping after feed is important to prevent colic. Lie baby on the shoulder, basically baby should be straight for the gas to release in upward direction. It is the most beautiful sound you may have ever heard.
Feed from both side of the breast as more suckling from one side will produce more milk on that side. Let initial months be of Contact nap(baby napping in contact with mother) and Nip Nap (baby napping with nipple in mouth). It will be exhaustive but relaxing for the baby. Mothers always want to do best, but see that you don’t suffer your health. Motherhood is no doubt the most tiring job, you may have backaches, knee aches, etc. for months, a good diet and supplements will always help. Keep in touch with your doctor.
Cues for hunger- motherhood and lactation
Newborn (1 month)- ‘Nah’ sound cry for hunger, If both the fists are closed of baby indicates that stomach is empty, if one is open other is closed they are half full. Putting hands in their mouth.
Around 3 months as they explore their hands you may confuse for the hunger cue, but keep track on last feed timing.
By 4 month you will know your baby well.
Breast leaking on the other side while feeding from other side happens in the initial months. Either you can store that milk or keep a napkin and gently press to prevent leakage.
Use of pump-
Pump can be used if you want to store milk for any reason and then thaw(warm) it in room temperature and give baby.
Pumps are manual and automatic. It adds a task of cleaning it now and then, do ask for help. But if you have decided to be available for your baby for breast feeding you can skip pumping milk.
Letting others feed the stored milk is entirely choice of parents, and should be done atleast after few months. But it is good to atleast feed 6 months through breast exclusively if you can, as it makes mother understand the baby better and vice a versa. Feeding allows mother and baby spend enough time with each other, it produces oxytocin and helps mother in healing.
Use of bottle-
Make sure to maintain hygiene, as bottle use can be entry for infections. You may use bottle after few months as baby grows but it is always secondary to breastfeeding.
Cleaning pump and bottle- Make sure to wash bottle in boiling water after every feed. Pumps also need to be cleansed as and when needed.
Understanding baby will not let you panic in situations like when baby is crying and everyone is in panic and giving their own set of opinions like start with cow milk, formula, or your milk is not enough, it must be colic, baby is scared, etc. Infact you stay calm as you know well why baby is crying(hunger, colic, sleep, overstimulated, overtired or stranger anxiety).
- Food to increase milk production are methi saag, Suva saag or seeds (medicine contains extract of suva), toor dal (boil and remove the lather that come on surface to avoid gaseous complain), moong dal.
- You can help a mother by providing her food, snacks, back support while feeding, refill her water bottle (mother’s choose straw water bottle, which is comfortable to drink even in lying down position), washing her clothes, changing diapers of the baby, oiling and combing her hair, providing her a good massage. Take care of a mother, as she should take care of a baby. People want to take care of baby, remember that doesn’t help neither a baby nor to a mother. The best healing happens when they are together.
“Remember that Fed is best, whatever way you choose to feed your baby.”
Happy Mother, Happy Baby😊
Kindly share with us in comment box your experience about motherhood and lactation. Thank you for reading.
Good✌️ informative for all new mothers