Raising Mom » Milk Supply

Breast Feeding Your Baby

admin — Wed, 26 May 2010 04:58:13 +0000

Breast feeding or Infant feeding has become the most concerned for every mother who has just delivered a new born baby. The more concerned she will be if she is a working woman. She will have to manage all the previous duties including this new responsibility of feeding her baby. But how will she know as to how much feed and for how long is needed?

This is the only reason why I am here to help you in your new experience. Lets move to the point:

In general, breast milk is best for feeding babies at least for the first six to nine months, and this is very essential for the growth of your baby. The breast milk also comes in sterile containers at the right temperature, as this a good option. But there are some women who cannot afford to devote so much time to breast feed their babies, so carefully prepared bottle feeds provide a good alternative for them.

But if you can afford it then please, go ahead with it, as this will prove as a blessing for the health of your baby throughout his life. Now, i think it would be better for you to know the benefits of breast feeding or infant feeding. So, here they are:

Benefits for the baby:

babies who get breast feed from their mothers, are less prone to infections less weight problems they get less allergies or maybe no allergies at all less coeliac disease less heart disease in later life less dental decay
Benefit for the mother:

1. you won’t have to suffer the dreadful breast cancer, or the chances are the minimum

How many times should you breast feed your baby?

For the first month, you should feed your baby ten times a day, thereby reducing in the succeeding months. Milk supply depends on frequent sucking, not on some “inherent” factor in the mother’s breast. Engorgement is due to infrequent feeds or maybe due to a rigid schedule.

When to feed your baby?

The right time for you to feed your baby is:

whenever he/she cries when your breasts feel full whenever “you feel like it” after every four hours
Warning:

Some mothers remain in the illusion, that if their baby is sleeping without feed for long periods, then he/she might be already contented, but this is not the truth my dear lady. Doing this way, you are underfeeding your innocent baby, and this can lead to severe undernourishment.

But there are few babies under three months, who manage on less than five feeds a day.
Read more about this and other topics related to weddings

Breastfeeding And Smoking

admin — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 16:46:30 +0000

Smoking is one of the hardest habits to break. Whilst it is in your baby’s best interests to stop smoking, this isn’t always possible for some mothers. It is especially hard to give up an addiction at a time of stress or major disruption, which having a baby undoubtedly is. Should you find yourself unable to stop smoking but still wish to breastfeed here are some points to consider.

Do your best to cut back. Any reduction in your in-take of nicotine is of benefit to your baby; if you smoke, certain levels of your nicotine are passed onto your baby through smoke inhalational and breast milk. You should also be aware that studies show that smoking reduces milk supply, so any reduction in smoking will help your milk supply. To help keep levels high enough to satisfy your baby’s needs, feed on demand as frequent feeds helps to encourage milk production.

Always smoke AFTER you’ve breastfeed your baby. It goes without saying that you should smoke in another room from your baby. Never smoke in enclosed location with your baby. Smoking outside helps keep your baby from inhaling second-hand smoke – a risk factor for SIDS and life-long respiratory problems. Also, smoking after breastfeeding your baby will help to reduce the amount of nicotine in your blood supply and, therefore, breast milk.

Consider using nicotine patches as these can reduce your blood and milk levels of nicotine. Your baby also gets the benefit of not having to inhale smoke. Do not use both cigarettes and nicotine patches as you will be adding further chemicals into your baby’s milk supply than from smoking alone. Nicotine gum is also beneficial. Like smoking, nicotine levels go up and down, so ensure that you use the gum AFTER you’ve breastfed your baby.

There are other things you should be aware of when you breastfeed. Others – and your baby – may be able to smell nicotine in your expressed milk. You baby is certainly able to taste it and may, therefore, take to breastfeeding less easily than babies whose mothers don’t smoke. You baby’s blood stream will contain nicotine passed on through your breast milk. His urine will also contain traces of nicotine.

So, should you breastfeed at all if you smoke? The answer is yes. Breast milk, unlike formula milk, contains your antibodies and your nutrients that will help your baby fight off infection and help its immune system: something formula milk does not have and is not able to do.