In the early days of breastfeeding, many mothers choose to use a breast shield because the nipple is sucked very painfully. However, it is often encountered that Bao Ma products are not selected correctly and used poorly, resulting in poor pumping results.
In this article, I will share with you how to choose auxiliary tools after childbirth.
The picture below is not a common "Internet celebrity" breast shield on the Internet, which sells well and is recommended by others?
With it, mom doesn't feel pain.
With it, short concave nipples can also be used for feeding.
With it, the baby can't eat the air.
With it, the touch is real and the baby is willing to suck.
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But in fact, at the beginning of feeding, this kind of milk shield is not suitable!
Because it's so thick!
The baby has just been born, and it is already difficult to eat milk, and it takes all your strength to eat enough. Moreover, such a thick milk shield will also hinder the mother from feeling the baby's sucking stimulation, and if the stimulation is not enough, the oxytocin in the body will not be produced enough, and naturally, the milk production will also be reduced.
At this stage, don't buy it!
Instead, it's going to be this ultra-thin product with only one layer! At the same time, it's as soft as possible.
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Some products have small bumps that mimic the small bumps on the areola (Montgomery's glands). But in reality, the small bumps on the areola are mainly odorous, so that the baby can smell where the mother's nipple is. It would be even better if the breast shield you bought had an incision and could breathe, so that the baby could identify and find the mother's scent through his sense of smell.
In addition, the choice of size is also important. The diameter of the bottom of the nipple shield should match the diameter of the nipple, and the height of the nipple should be as close as possible to the height of the nipple, so that the milk can be produced well when sucking.
If the mother still feels pain after using the milk shield, you can change to a larger milk shield and try again.
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How to use the milk shield to make it more effective:
1. Standardize use
The first is to breastfeed, so that the baby touches the mother's nipple first and leaves a memory. Then, depending on the situation (feeding pain does not relieve or nipple shape is not easy for your baby to attach). It must be remembered that the breast shield is a helpless choice when breastfeeding is not going well, and we do not recommend those who use the breast shield from the beginning because of the fear of pain.
2. Choose a good product
The above has introduced how to choose the right size, thickness, and shape. Different sizes of nipple shields can be tried to ensure the best fit and feeding results.
3. Wear it correctly
Before use, warm water heating not only makes the breast shield more conformable, but also stimulates the lactation reflex. Wear it as closely as possible to get the nipple into the nipple.
4. Squeeze the milk
Before feeding, squeeze the breast to let the breast milk into the nipple, so that the baby can eat the breast milk immediately when sucking, stimulating the baby to suck.
5. Rub your breasts
When the baby is pumping, the mother should also use her hands to squeeze the breast so that the milk can be better released. Let me tell you about it~ Mothers who are used to using breast shields have a higher risk of mastitis than mothers who do not use breast shields, so it is effective to assist in milk discharge and avoid blockage when feeding.
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6. Check your milk production
Using a milk shield will reduce breast milk production, so the mother needs to observe the production of milk, if there is insufficient breast milk (the baby is not enough to eat), then after feeding, you should also use a breast pump to pump again, so as to stimulate lactation and increase production.
7. Monitor development
The use of a breast shield is an alternative, and there is always a gap between it and true breastfeeding. Therefore, whether we can achieve the desired feeding results (the baby is well fed and grows well) still needs to monitor his/her weight gain.
Milk shields are adjuncts that can solve some feeding problems, but they can also create new problems. When using the milk shield, it is recommended that you read the instructions carefully, make adjustments according to the actual feeding situation, and communicate with professionals about the situation after using the milk shield.
Make breastfeeding smoother.