Previous articles shared the impact of mothers and babies on breastfeeding, and today we are going to talk about lactation tools - breasts.
Regarding the breast, it is important to clarify that its morphological size has little to do with its lactation ability:
Breast size is not proportional to milk production!
Therefore, mothers with small breasts must not doubt themselves, as long as they are stimulated enough, small breasts can also produce enough breast milk for the baby to eat.
On the contrary, mothers with too big breasts really have to be careful to stuff their breasts. And oh~ mothers with big breasts, you must remember to wear a bra and choose a bra that can wrap the chest and be of the right size, but will not strangle the chest, so as to reduce the pressure on the suspensory ligament and slow down the sagging of the chest.
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The problem of nipples actually needs to be paid more attention to, let's take a look at a few common nipple troubles:
1. Big nipples:
The nipples are huge, and for some babies, such as premature babies, or babies who are lighter and more petite, it can be difficult to connect.
What to do?
You can first express breast milk by hand and feed it to your baby, and then choose to breastfeed your baby when he is older.
2. Large nipples, thin nipple neck:
With such nipples, the baby is prone to sucking in place, and it is necessary to pay attention to the baby's urine and urine to determine whether the feeding amount is sufficient.
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3. Inverted nipples
Inverted nipples are all too common.
But don't be afraid of a dent, first determine whether it is a real dent or a fake dent. (See: Sunken, huge nipples, really don't affect breastfeeding?)
True indentation is difficult to treat, but false indentation can suck the nipple out.
Nipple indentation can try nipple formers, the effect is obvious. Also, before feeding, the mother can stimulate the nipple with her hand and gently pull the nipple until the nipple bulges.
You can also choose a milk shield, but you must buy the ultra-thin kind, there is only a thin layer, when buying, pay attention to choosing the right size.
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4. Hard nipples
There are a few mothers whose nipples will be hard, and the areola will also be hard, showing an orange peel-like shape, and the baby will be very uncomfortable when articulating.
We can express a little milk by hand before feeding, then press the nipple/areola to soften it before letting your baby suckle.
5. Nipple Injury:
Small blisters appeared on the nipples to crack and even ulcerate, and the mother was really in great pain.
However, about 90% of chapped nipples are due to the wrong articulation position. Remember, the correct latching is not painful, and the pain needs to be adjusted to see what went wrong when latching.
6. Nipple Infection:
For example, nipple eczema, thrush, nipple psoriasis, etc., will make the nipple painful. Mothers need prompt treatment and breastfeeding can continue.
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Although the vast majority of breast conditions can be controlled and adjusted through reasonable means, breast milk production can be increased.
However, there are also a few mothers who will really chase milk and can't catch up, and they will really not have enough breast milk production.
Like what:
Because of certain diseases, the breast has undergone chemotherapy and radiotherapy, surgery, or breast injury, which can indeed affect breast development, resulting in insufficient milk production.
If this is the case, mothers don't have to embarrass themselves, we will feed breast milk if it is available, and if it is not, we will feed milk powder.
There are many ways to express love, and there are many more we can do than just give breast milk.