The age old process of breastfeeding your newborn is act of female power which does not diminish the beauty of a woman. Breastfeeding is an instinctual and natural act, which is learned on a daily basis and becomes easier as days pass by.
During such practice, a new mother can face few issues and most common the one is about failing to produce sufficient amount of breast milk for their babies. Just in case, if such reason is bothering you, then you need to calm down, and remember the fact that everyone’s body type is different, take a deep breath & stop worrying yourself as you’re not alone.
According to recent studies, during first few months the process is normal, but on later stages, it has been observed, that many new mothers tend to face the issue of failing to produce sufficient breast milk. However, there are several reasons that needs to be considered, which can directly or indirectly interfere with the age old process. Read on, to know more on what can be the actual cause in your case.
Take Care of Yourself
During Lactation period emotional wellbeing does play a major role in producing ample amount of milk for your baby. Studies have shown that anxiety, stress or depression can directly or indirectly interfere with the production of breast milk during lactation period. This is the reason, most of the medical experts advise you to rest well, eat enough and keep yourself hydrated for your emotional wellbeing which if ignored can interfere with the healthy development of your baby.
Nurse more often
Medical experts mostly recommend to breastfeed your new born baby for around 8 to 12 times a day for producing ample amount of milk feed. Now this shouldn’t be taken as a measuring scale, remember the fact that every body type is different, and the same applies to your baby as well. As you start to nurse your baby, certain hormones related to mammary gland is said to stimulate the breasts in creating ample amount of milk for your baby. This is the reason why most medical experts recommend you to maintain the frequency of breast feeding process, during lactation period for continuous cycle.
Use your Hands
You can perform a quick breast massage session before & after feeding process, or in between breast feeding process. The warmth of your hands is said to activate the hormones related to mammary gland which happen to stimulate the breasts in creating ample amount of milk for your baby. This simple technique works wonders when incorporated on regular basis to boost the creation of ample amount of milk during lactation period.
Eat Lactogenic Food
The food that you need to include in your diet is Fiber-rich starches, Nuts & Seeds, Fruits & Leafy vegetables, Healthy fats, Meat & Poultry along with Seafood to name a few. To name a few, (✓) Oats is a whole-grain food, (✓) Barley is fiber-rich grain, (✓) Carrot is a fiber-rich root vegetable, (✓) Apricots offers bioactive compounds, (✓) Garlic, Ginger & Fenugreek for medicinal properties, (✓) Fennel seeds & Cumin seeds for phytoestrogens, (✓) Spinach for source of micronutrients & dietary fiber, (✓) Brown rice as a whole-grain, (✓) Papaya & Dates for prolactin hormone, (✓) Sesame, Flax & Pumpkin seeds for calcium, iron & fiber, (✓) Chickpea & Almonds for rich source of vital nutrients, (✓) Moringa for micronutrients, & more. Last but not the least, drinking enough water should not be avoided during lactation period.
Check baby’s Latch
Normally during lactation period, the breast milk creation process is based on your baby’s feeding pattern, so the more often your baby feeds, the more amount of milk is created. Sometimes during feeding time your baby could doze off due to poor latching or due to low milk output. So the smart way to make your baby feed on more milk is to switch sides, whenever you feel that your baby is latching poorly. You need to understand, that when your baby completely empties a breast, it then gives out core based fattier hind milk, which is quite essential for the development of a healthy baby.
Avoid Supplements
Use of artificial supplements during lactation period should mostly be avoided. No we are not saying that these supplements are not good for your baby. In fact these products have been thoroughly researched from time to time and are completely baby safe. The major differentiating factor is that, during lactation period, your body tends to understand your baby’s nutrition requirement and adjusts the milk composure as per your baby’s need. In the case of man-made artificial supplement, the composure is pre mixed and remains constant which can fall short in providing essential nutrients to your baby on a long run.
Skin to Skin contact
Feeding your newborn baby, bare bodied is an age old practice which is termed as skin-to-skin feeding. Following such practice on regular basis is said to create a special bonding between the mother & child. Furthermore such practice also helps in boosting the breast feeding process by stimulating the mammary gland to produce ample amount of milk for the baby. The direct skin-to-skin contact helps in calming down your baby, improving breathing pattern, and also helps in regulate your baby’s body temperature.
Avoid Pacifiers
Use of pacifiers during lactation period is mostly discouraged especially during the first six months, as frequent use can interfere with the breast feeding process. Studies have shown that some babies can easily adjust with the use of pacifier and breastfeed without issues, while in some cases, use of a pacifier can confuse the baby when it comes to choosing between the artificial and the original nipple. Furthermore it can even result in lack of interest for the need of breastfeeding. So knowing the negatives, do use it with caution, in fact you can use Baby Pacifiers in later stages mostly when you need to calm down your baby.
Pump it up
Breast pumps can come in handy during the lactation period to drain out the remaining milk. It is quite important to drain out the milk from the breast to keep the cycle of milk creation active especially during the first six months. Following such practice on regular basis will not only help in generate ample amount of milk for your new born, but also will give access to the core based fattier hind milk, which is quite essential in providing essential nutrients to your baby’s overall health.
Focus on your Baby
Focusing on your baby, while breast feeding is said to send signals to the brain to produce more breast milk. During lactation period the smell, skin contact & sound of your baby happens to create a stimulating effect on you. Such bonding on regular intervals helps in building a level of intimacy that deepens further in strengthening the mother & baby relationship. This bonding also helps to anticipate your baby’s needs beforehand, rather than waiting for your baby to cry & catch your attention.
Summary: All we need to say is that, breast feeding your baby is an age old process and by practicing few easy to follow measures you can definitely match your baby’s daily breastfeeding requirement. Many new mothers have found these simple procedures to be beneficial when followed on regular basis according to medical experts.
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