How to feel good about not breastfeeding

It’s World breastfeeding week.  I thought I’d do some articles relating to this theme for this month- just to change it up a bit.

 

Breastfeeding is one of those things that seems to either go well or not so well. Increasingly it seems that there are more stories of hardship with breastfeeding than not.

 

[caption id="attachment_2309" align="alignleft" width="150"] breastfeeding tips[/caption]

I have thoughts on this  but that is another topic for another day.

 

Did you start thinking that you would absolutely breastfeed?  Did you hold your baby in your arms and try and try to breastfeed? Did you persevere through sore, cracked, or bleeding nipples?  Did you persevere through a cranky baby who struggled to gain weight? who just didn’t settle?, maybe he or she developed jaundice from not enough milk? Did you pump and use herbs and medication?

 

Did you persevere for as long as you possibly could before your family imploded from the stress of trying so hard?

 

Did you give your baby as much breastmilk a possible for as long as possible?

 

Perhaps it wasn’t a supply issue. Perhaps it was related to previous trauma or life experience that made it impossible for you to breastfeed your baby. These are all real and valid reasons for breastfeeding not to work.  Any stress can impact breastfeeding to the point of supply disappearing overnight.

 

Did you fight the inevitable decision to stop breastfeeding for your own and your baby’s well being. Perhaps the well being of your family as well?

When you came to that decision all kicking and screaming knowing it was not what you wanted to do but felt there was no alternative, did you cry floods of tears when you ultimately made that decision ?

 

Did you do your best for the best outcome for your family?

 

Then I give you permission to not feel bad about not breastfeeding.

[caption id="attachment_2387" align="alignleft" width="150"] baby sleeping with dummy[/caption]

Is using a dummy for my baby really all that bad?

Using a dummy for your baby often brings up conflicting ideas and feelings. Most new parents have the firm idea that they are absolutely not going to use a dummy for their baby. 

Often the reality of life with a new baby is very different to their imagined life with a new baby and these are the very ones who quickly resort to using a dummy and feel guilty about it. Somehow they often feel like a failure or a bad parent for using a dummy.

 I think the emotional pull that you feel and the deep, deep tiredness are the two things that prospective parents grossly under estimate.  These are the two things that also mean that dealing with your crying baby is incredibly difficult.   When you take away the emotional element and the exhaustion it is much easier to be patient and work through why your baby is crying and calmly helping to soothe him or her.

 Baby dummies or pacifiers, can be a Godsend for those early days with a little baby.  Everything is new, you are sleep deprived and often feel overwhelmed with all the needs of a newborn.  Using a dummy can be such a helpful little tool for many when you are trying to get your head around life with a new baby.

  Dummies can absolutely be very helpful for your baby when that need to suck is particularly strong. For families where breastfeeding is not an option for whatever reason, the dummy can be doubly helpful. You see, very young babies  have a strong need to suck. Sucking is soothing for them . Breastfed babies often take longer to feed in the first few months.  Whereas bottles are downed in minutes  and so that need to suck often doesn’t get fulfilled as well for bottle feeding babies.   Dummies used appropriately , responsibly and not just to stop your baby crying, can be helpful. When they are misused  I do not advocate them at all.

 Of course there are also babies who just have a really strong need to suck – more than most. For all these babies a dummy can be the thing that saves everyone’s sanity- including your baby.

 Don’t get me wrong I am not advocating you use a dummy for all babies.  However, if it means  that life is more manageable in those first few weeks and months while you get used to adjusting to life with a new baby then I can see the benefit of it.  Having said that I also think it is your responsibility to wean off the dummy once it is practical to do so in your situation. As a minimum when  your baby can competently find his or her hands to help soothe is a valid consideration.

Once again, respecting and supporting parents considered choices and informed decisions is always encouraged first and foremost in any debate surrounding parenting choices. When working out whether, for you, is using a dummy for your baby really all that bad?, it is your decision and you can change your mind.

Tongue tie and newborn feeding care

Tongue tie

 

Tongue tie is a relatively common occurrence in babies and adults.  It is often a family thing with either mum or dad having a tongue tie also.

 

After a long time where health practitioners didn’t really give much thought or credence to tongue tie and some of the challenges it can provide, we are thankfully knowing more about it and also taking action to help those for whom it causes discomfort.

 

Very broadly there are 2 types of tongue tie-

Anterior tie-  can see tight frenulum ( bit of skin in the centre underneath the tongue ) under tongue – often has a heart shaped tip.

Posterior tie- not so easy to identify – back of tongue is bunched or elevated.  When baby cries  tongue tip is up. Usually baby can’t extend tongue over bottom lip.

What to do with a tongue tie??

Anterior tie- can get it snipped by someone skilled in this . It is a simple procedure that takes a few seconds. In some cases the frenulum is embedded in the tongue making it difficult to snip.  This makes it a much more complicated intervention than a simple snip.
Posterior tie- there is nothing to snip.

 
We don’t always automatically snip a tongue tie.  We generally only snip a tongue tie in the case of breastfeeding when it causes poor latch for the baby and pain and damage to the nipple for the mother.  When a baby is bottle fed, there is not usually a problem with feeding and certainly no discomfort, so usually it does not become an issue.  Sometimes even with breastfeeding, the tie may look significant however if there is no discomfort and the baby is satisfied, there is no indication for snipping the tie.

 
Typically what happens is that the mother will breastfeed reasonably comfortably for the first 3-7 days. After this time as the baby’s feeding requirements increase and the baby also gets more co-ordinated and strong with their feeding, we see mothers in extreme discomfort -pain, with very damaged nipples.  It is at this point that many women stop breastfeeding – understandably.  Some women  at this point find help from a lactation consultant to work out what to do and why this is happening.

[caption id="attachment_2270" align="alignleft" width="150"] tongue _tie_in Newborn_baby[/caption]

 

[caption id="attachment_2271" align="alignleft" width="150"] frenulum_under_tongue_in_newborn[/caption]

Published Author

The most important things you need to know for successful breastfeeding.

Click Here

Being Comfortable with Breastfeeding In Public

Breastfeeding in public has long evoked a great deal of debate and even controversy.  The Equality Act passed in April 2010, has meant that mums cannot be discriminated against in England and Wales which includes being asked to leave a venue or be unfavourably treated because they are breastfeeding.  Whilst this is supportive, there is still a significant resistance to breastfeeding in public.  In Scotland, the right to breastfeed in public has been part of their legislation for more than a year.

Mothers have to endure a great deal of pressure to breast feed, with numerous articles in the media promoting the benefits of breastfeeding.  There is also a lot of help and advice on breastfeeding, particularly from the National Childbirth Trust who actively promote breastfeeding.  NCT also introduced the ‘Booby Awards' to praise those establishments that encouraged breastfeeding with their attitude and facilities, whilst also listing some businesses that seemed to have a poor track record.   However, I believe that it should purely be a mum's choice on how she feeds her baby and as a company; Freedom Babe does not promote either way.

If a mother decides she wants to breastfeed, then breastfeeding in public will be a necessary part of her regime.  However, it is clear from a recent survey of 1200 new mums conducted in conjunction with the NCT, that many mums fear the public reaction; with a staggering 65% of respondents saying that they would not even attempt breastfeeding in public.  Many new mums had found the whole experience of breastfeeding in public to be a very stressful process and over half of them said they had been asked to leave the premises.  On many occasions, mums have had to disappear into the toilet to breastfeed, with establishments unable to provide any more suitable facilities.

There are obviously many mothers who need support in order to breastfeed in public.  Locking herself and her baby away in a toilet for 20-30 minutes is not the experience she wants.  However, the unease felt by many mothers breastfeeding their baby in a public area is an unacceptable situation. 

There are fortunately alternatives available which can support new mothers.  There are specific clothing items that can make it easier to breastfeed including nursing bras and specially adapted tops.  Many mums struggle with using blankets or cloths to cover up during feeding but these are often awkward and clumsy.  Purpose made clothing accessories such as nursing aprons or breastfeeding covers; provide a much needed aid to new mothers.  They have the advantage that they can be used in conjunction with everyday clothing.  Not only do they provide a secure and discreet cover, they also allow the baby to have a cocooned environment; without the distractions of other children or activity within the establishment.  It also means that there is less pressure on mums trying to feed quickly.

Breastfeeding should be a choice for new mothers and one that is freely made with knowledge of the benefits without the pressures currently inflicted by the whole experience of breastfeeding in public.

By: Dawn Callery  -   About the Author :
  Dawn Callery is a mother who understands the pressure on mothers to breastfeed.  As owner of Freedom Babe, she strives to offer innovative, tried and tested products designed to make life easier for new mothers. The breastfeeding cover is the first in a planned range of products available from Freedom Babe.

Fenugreek, Breast feeding, and Increasing Breast Milk Supply

Mothers have been breastfeeding their young since the beginning of time. Generally speaking, breastfeeding goes well. Sometimes though, breastfeeding mom run into issues. One of the most common problems is low breast milk supply.

With all the pressures that moms have on them in this day and age, it's not surprising that they don't have all day to devote to strictly breastfeeding. At the same time, this can hurt their milk supply. To make breast milk, you have to breastfeed or pump often.

Present day moms have all types of resources available to them including modern day medicines and breast pumps. In the past though, breastfeeding moms didn't have these things. Yet they managed to breastfeed successfully. I'm sure that they had many of the same issues we did. Somehow though they were able to make enough breastmilk without using modern day medicine.

Fenugreek seeds is one of the most well-known products to use when experiencing low breast milk supply. And our ancestors knew just how well herbs such as these worked. Fenugreek seeds have been used traditionally to increase breast milk supply, and they are still recomended and used to this day because of how well it works. Even wet nurses in the past were known to use these herbs to increase milk supply due to having to breastfeed more than one baby.

Fenugreek seeds is generally the first product breastfeeding mothers try when experiencing low milk supply. It's also the most recommended by lactation consultants.  For some moms though, they don't give the increase in milk supply that they need. At this point, it's time to try a combination of herbs. A great product to try is Breastea.

When breastfeeding moms use a combination of herbs, they work off each other. This gives the breastfeeding mom with low milk supply their best shot at increasing it. This is assuming that mom is breastfeeding or breast pumping often. Without breastfeeding or breast pumping often, mom will find that her milk supply keeps dropping until there is nothing left. To make milk you have to breastfeed or pump every 2 to 3 hours.

If you are breast pumping, make sure to use an electric breast pump. The best possible one is a hospital grade breast pump. You can rent these at your local medical supply store for about $40 a month. Many times your insurance company will cover these. If you plan on pumping, you need to use a breast pump that will effectively pump the breastmilk out. Otherwise, you are just wasting your time and money.

Steps to increasing breast milk supply;

1. Breastfeed (or pump) often. Don't go over 3 hours during the day or 4 hours overnight without breastfeeding or pumping. Skipping even one time will hurt your milk supply. For best milk supply possible, simply breastfeed as often and as long as baby wants.

2. If you are experiencing issues with milk supply, make sure to talk to a lactation consultant. They are trained to help breastfeeding moms. If you are experiencing low milk supply due to bad latch, etc, they can help you to get baby latched on right.

3. Make sure to continue taking your prenatal vitamin. Get plenty of fluids, food, and rest.

4. If experiencing low milk supply, consider taking fenugreek seeds. Even better, use a product like Breastea that contains several herbs recommended for increasing milk supply. If you try the Fenugreek Seeds and don't see an increase in milk production within a week, move on to a product that contains several herbs. Many moms have increased breast milk supply by using a combination product. Most moms don't realize that when you are using an herbal product, you have to use it often. Don't skip!  

5. Be dedicated to increasing your milk production. Give your body time to increase breastmilk supply.

All kinds of circumstances and situations can cause low breast milk supply. If you are experiencing it though, don't automatically give up breastfeeding. If your low milk supply is due to simply not breastfeeding enough, then start breastfeeding more. During this time, you might start using herbs like Fenugreek Seeds or Breastea until you get your milk supply back up.

 

By: Amy Smith  -   About the Author :
  Amy is a lactation professional who has worked with many breastfeeding moms.