"Wen Li, my chest used to be very flat, the airport. Now it's the end of pregnancy, and the breasts are big, but they still don't look that big. I'm so worried that I won't have enough milk in the future, right?"
A pregnant mother who was worried about not being able to breastfeed smoothly because of the size of her breasts sent a message, so let's talk about the topic of breast size~
It's great to be able to start preparing for breastfeeding during pregnancy!
Although sucking is a baby's natural skill, it does not mean that your baby's sucking position will be right, and you will not have chapped nipples.
Although lactation is a stimulus response, it does not mean that there will be enough milk as soon as it is stimulated.
Although feeding is a mother's instinct, it does not mean that you can breastfeed successfully without learning.
Therefore, I sincerely recommend that every mother who decides to breastfeed should understand the relevant knowledge during pregnancy.
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Today, let's first share the relationship between breast size and milk production.
In a word, it is:
The size of the breasts ≠ the amount of milk produced, that is.
Small breasts can also be enough for the baby.
Big breasts may also not be enough for your baby.
Since breast size cannot be used to predict lactation potential, what exactly determines the amount of milk produced?
The amount of milk produced depends on the baby's appetite (that is, the amount of milk produced), which is our old saying, more pumping and more milk, more milk production.
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Flat-chested moms, don't worry.
Small breasts are just a little worse in the ability to store milk, it doesn't mean that the ability to produce milk is poor!
Don't envy big breasts, because big breasts are really heavy and tiring. And it is easy to block the milk because it is not emptied in time. I've also seen cases where the yield of breast milk is not low even though the breasts are very flat. The key is to do the following:
First: Have faith in yourself
The vast majority of mothers are capable of exclusive breastfeeding!
But we often suspect to ourselves that we don't think we can do it and that we don't have the ability to produce enough milk for our baby.
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Second: Understand the principles of lactation
By sucking and stimulating the nipple and areola, the body will produce 2 hormones, prolactin and oxytocin, the more of them, the more milk and the easier it is for the baby to eat.
How can you make these two hormones prolific?
Prolactin → need to be sucked frequently and carefully by the baby.
Here are 2 key pieces of information, sucking is to ensure the frequency of sucking, the number of sucking times a day is enough, day and night. Serious sucking means to ensure the effectiveness of sucking, not sucking-sleeping-sucking-sleeping, if you don't give enough stimulation time, the lactation effect will definitely be discounted. (If the baby can't help, the hand milk/breast pump must be used, and the milk can be removed actively and efficiently, so that the nursing mother can become more and more.) ）
Oxytocin → need for the mother to be in a good mood, happy, happy, relaxed, and at ease, secreting more.
So, mothers, remember to make sure you feel comfortable. Life is nourished when we truly begin to love ourselves.
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Third: Sleep well, eat well, rest well, and be in a good mood
Feeding the baby and taking care of the baby is not an easy task, especially for the mother who has just introduced the birth, and the body still needs to be repaired!
So, be kind to yourself!
Prioritize what needs to be done and divide the work. Set aside more time for yourself to rest, be sure to rest well, and make yourself comfortable.
Eat a balanced diet!
How well you eat determines not only the amount of breast milk you produce, but also the quality of your milk. Therefore, eat some of each food as much as possible to ensure diversity, but don't be greedy for too much, otherwise you will be the one who gets fat in the end!
Summary:
Trust yourself to breastfeed because breast size has nothing to do with milk production!
Mastering the mechanism of lactation and actively and effectively removing milk is the key to stimulating lactation!
Eat well, sleep well, be in a good mood, love your baby at the same time, we should also love ourselves more!