10 Steps for Effective Pumping
Pumping can be a challenge under the best of circumstances. It feels a little strange because of the newness, it’s certainly not as effective as a baby and it can sometimes be frustrating to figure out. Try these tried-and-true tips to help you effectively pump.
How to Find a Breastfeeding Class
About midway through your second trimester, your caregiver will suggest that you register for prenatal classes. Many moms assume that they need childbirth preparation only and that they will learn everything else in the hospital, from books, or “on the job.” This is ironic, because while the labor and birth process is usually over in 24 hours or less, feeding and caring for your baby will take years. Find out what the content is of classes available in your community, rather than choosing the first class that is offered to you.
Milk Supply and Intake: The First Two Weeks
“I don’t think that my baby is getting enough milk.” When I am answering phone calls from new mothers, this is the statement that I most often hear. There seems to be something that kicks in with the postpartum hormones that leads mothers to doubt themselves and their abilities whenever parenting — and especially breastfeeding — becomes uncertain. The reality with this statement is actually rare, particularly once breastfeeding is well established. There are lots of ways a mother can verify for herself that her baby is getting enough milk.
Milk Supply: Two weeks to Six Months
So you have made it past the first two weeks! Just when you are starting to feel more like your old self after the birth, all of your helpers go back home or to work and you are now solely responsible for this new little person. That can be a little nerve-wracking when it’s your first, but even experienced moms find that readjustment to family life can be a transitional process. Mothers all over struggle with self doubt, especially when the baby has a change in behavior or routine.
Milk Supply: Six Months to One Year
By the time your baby is 6 months old, breastfeeding has become so easy that mothers have a difficult time remembering the beginning of the learning process. From this point to the end of the first year, babies’ developmental stages may be the only thing that cause their mothers to question their supply. However, by this time, unless there has been a lifestyle change such as the mother’s beginning a new medication, milk supply is secure.
Breastfeeding Tea for Milk Supply and Relaxation
Nursing is one of the most powerful energy exchanges between two people. Mother and child are connected at a deep soul level. Sometimes, though, busy lives, medicine, myths and measurements seem to sabotage efforts and undermine this powerful relationship. Mothers are often told, "Give the baby a bottle," or "When are you going to stop?" When a nursing mom is feeling run-down, insecure or convinced she is not making enough milk, she can do a few simple things to uplift emotions, increase supply and make time for herself.
Insufficient Milk Syndrome: A Fallacy Becomes Reality
One of the biggest fallacies surrounding breastfeeding is that it can provide insufficient milk. The faulty perception can be made a reality, however, with scheduled feedings and with formula supplementation, especially in the beginning. Regular, frequent stimulation of oxytocin and prolactin by the act of breastfeeding is required to keep milk levels flowing.
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