Categories
Adoption Breast Feeding

Adopted Babies

Breast Feeding Adopted Babies

Not only is breast feeding an adopted baby easy, the chances are that you will produce a large amount of milk. It isn’t complicated to do,  although it is different than breast feeding a baby you have been pregnant with for 9 months.

Breast feeding and milk

There are two objectives that are involved in breast feeding an adopted babies.

The first is getting your baby to breast feed, and the other is producing enough breast milk.

There is more to breast feeding than just milk, which is why many mothers are happy to feed  without expecting to produce milk in the way the baby needs.

It’s the closeness and the bond breast feeding provides that many mothers  look for.

 

Taking the breast

Even though many feel the early introduction of bottles may interfere with breast feeding, the early introduction of artificial nipples can interfere a great deal.

The sooner you can get the baby to the breast after birth, the better things will be.

Babies will however, require the flow from the breast in order to stay attached and continue to suck, especially if they are used to gettingflow from a bottle or other method of feeding.

Producing breast milk As soon as you have an adopted baby in sight, contact a lactation clinic and start getting
your milk supply ready.

Keep in mind, you may never produce a full milk supply for your baby, although it may happen.

You should never feel discouraged by what you may be pumping before the baby, as a pump is never quite as good at extracting milk as a baby who is well latched and sucking.

Breastfeeding has many advantages for both the baby and the mother.

There are many substances in breast milk that can’t be found in cow’s milk. More so, there are fewer complications associated with breast milk than with cow’s milk.

It has been advertised time and again that it is best for the babies if they are breastfed for the first six months even up to two years. So why is breast milk so beneficial for the baby?

First of all, only breast milk contains colostrums which are essential for the baby to take.

Commercially-made milks cannot simulate the colostrums made by a mother.

The colostrums contain natural antibodies and immune globulins that are responsible for keeping the baby free from illness for the first few months of its life.

Another advantage breast milk has over cow’s milk is that it allows the mother to save as cow’s milk can be expensive. The baby can better adapt to breast milk.

Their feces are not smelly and they don’t have any difficulty defecating compared to cow’s milk.

Breastfeeding has also been approved to be one of the family planning methods that a family can observe.

Since breastfeeding has been given so much importance, many women have been made aware. However, despite the awareness, many mothers still report of breast problems associated with lactation.

These problems are most often than not, associated with improper breast feeding techniques.

In order to lower down the incidence of breast related problems due to lactation, it is important that mothers observe the proper techniques of breast feeding.

Ultimately, both the mother as well as the baby will benefit from the proper observance of these techniques.

First of all, you need to prepare your breast for milk-production.

There are various nipple exercises to perform in order to prepare your nipple to deliver the breast milk to your baby.

One of these exercises would involve routinely pinching the nipple.

Second and what most mothers fail to realize is how to keep the nipple clean before the baby latches on to it for feeding.

When you plan to breast feed, you should avoid using soap on your nipple.

If this cannot be avoided, your nipple should be wiped using a soft cloth soaked in clean water to make sure your nipple is clean before your baby feeds from it.

Third and perhaps the most important step is to allow your baby to properly latch on to your nipple.

You will know when your baby is latched on properly when your baby’s mouth covers the entire areola and not just the nipples.

It is essential that your baby should latch on properly so that he or she can properly stimulate the “let-down reflex” of your breasts wherein the milk will go down the ducts and out your nipple.

To aid your baby in latching on properly, you should make use of their rooting reflex.

This is manifested in the first few months of life. You stimulate your baby’s cheek, near their mouth using your nipple and their head will automatically turn towards the stimulation.

Their mouth will open and be ready for receiving your nipple.

Once you’re done, you can aid your baby to stop latching on by inserting a clean pinky finger into the side of their mouth and propping it slightly open.

Your baby will stop sucking and you can remove your nipple.

To prevent sore nipples and breast engorgement you have to monitor the amount of time your baby sucks with each nipple.

It is usually advisable to spend 10-15 minutes each breast to make sure that the breasts are completely emptied of milk.

This will prevent breast engorgement.

The next time your baby feeds on your breast, let your baby feed from the last breast he or she fed on.

This will completely empty the milk on that breast before you move on to the other breast.

 

[video_page_section type=”youtube” position=”default” image=”https://peekbaby.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/2018-01-01_22-01-43.jpg” btn=”light” heading=”” subheading=”” cta=”Adopted Babies” video_width=”1080″ hide_related=”true” hide_logo=”true” hide_controls=”true” hide_title=”true” hide_fullscreen=”true”]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IrvDPT1HXVU[/video_page_section]

 

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Categories
Breast Feeding

Breast Or Bottle Feeding

Bottle 

Or

Breast  Feeding–

Which Is Best

There are lots of decisions to make when there’s a baby on the way.

One of the most controversial is the ever raging “breast or bottle” debate.

There are many people who have strong feelings on both sides of this issue, and many of them will try like a televangelist to get you on their side.

I’m not going to do that.

I’m going to give you the facts, and share some personal insight on the subject, which hopefully will leave you feeling good, whatever your choice.

Scientifically, breast milk is best.

There are nutrients in breast milk that help your child’s brain develop, and try as they might, formula makers cannot replicate these nutrients.

Breastfeeding protects your child from illnesses because, as long as he or she is nursing, they are protected by your immune system, which is much more developed than theirs.

Breast milk is very well tolerated by babies, and hardly ever causes gastric problems, and breastfed babies are less likely to be overweight.

But, realistically, the scientific facts are not the only things to be considered.

Women who simply don’t want to breastfeed will probably not be very successful.

Even some women who want to breastfeed will find it so difficult, that they are miserable trying to make it work.

Some women will have difficulty making enough milk to satisfy their baby’s hunger, and some women will suffer more pain with breastfeeding than they can endure.

If you fall into one of those categories, don’t beat yourself up.

Your baby can do quite nicely on formula, too.

When my daughter was born, I was anxious to breast feeding.

I had two boys, but one is my husband’s by a previous marriage, and the other was adopted at ten months, so this was my only chance to be pregnant and breastfeed.

I read all the books I could get my hands on, and like a fool, spent a bunch of money on a breast pump.

Well, it turns out that my nipples are not exactly a matched set, so my daughter completely rejected one nipple.

So, I nursed on the side she would take until my nipples looked like ground beef.

Plus, she was an eight pound eating machine at birth, and no matter how long I nursed her, I couldn’t satisfy her appetite.

Even with pumping from the breast that she rejected, she was always hungry.

I made myself crazy from it, worked with two different lactation consultants and tried every trick in the book, but still every attempt at nursing ended in tears.

After two miserable weeks, I gave in and put her on formula.

We have never looked back. I was happier because I wasn’t constantly frustrated, and she was happier because her tummy was full and because her Mommy was much more relaxed.

Now that I’ve told you that story, I’ll tell you this.

If I ever had another baby, I would try breastfeeding again.

Every baby is different, and a Mother’s body is different with each pregnancy.

I would try again to give my child the best from a nutritional standpoint.

But, I understand now that sometimes it just doesn’t work, or it isn’t right for you, and that doesn’t mean that you’re not a good Mom.

Breast or bottle is a personal choice. Weigh the facts and the preferences, and make the choice that is right for you and your baby.

Whatever you decide, you don’t owe anyone an explanation.

Mother’s milk is one of the best foods for babies that anyone could think about.

It contains ample amount of proteins and nutrients which could beat any other health drink for your child.

The usefulness of this milk becomes more important because it protects the baby from some of the worst health problems.

There is no substitute for breast milk so providing this milk to your child would be the best thing to give to your child.

It has been studied that children who have been breastfed grow faster and are healthier than the ones who have not been breastfed

.

Breast milk contains lactoferrin which helps in absorption of iron and protects the intestine from any harmful bacteria.

The other component called lipases helps in digesting your fats which helps in baby’s growth and development.

It not only serves the purpose of providing nutrients to your child but also in serving the purpose to quench to your baby’s thirst and fill-in your baby’s stomach.

The IQ of the child also increases by providing breast milk.

It saves lot of time and money as you don’t have to sit up late night and mix the formula for your baby.

The cost baby food is also cut which gives more time for the mother to be with her baby.

It creates a bond between the mother and child which binds them together.

Nursing helps the mother to loose the extra pounds which she gained during her pregnancy.

It burns out lot of calories which helps in bringing back the original size.

If there are any chances of bleeding after child birth it lessens due to breast feeding.

The risk of breast and ovarian cancer is minimal.

Some common remedies to help breast feeding

-To arouse lactation for better quality and quantity, consumption of alfalfa is very useful
-To remove the hard feeling from your breast place a wet towel on your breast for 10 minutes which has been soaked in hot water
-Use of chamomile helps in controlling inflamed breast
-To minimize pain and inflammation, use of castor oil is very useful
-Having the baby in different positions for feeding also helps
-Consumption of fennel tea and almonds helps in increasing the milk production
-To relieve pain massaging Vitamin E oil on your breast is very good
-Having good amount of yogurt or curd helps in keeping the bacteria and other infection at bay

 

[video_page_section type=”youtube” position=”default” image=”https://peekbaby.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/2018-01-01_20-15-17.jpg” btn=”light” heading=”” subheading=”” cta=”Breastfeeding and Bottle Feeding: My Experience Combine Feeding” video_width=”1080″ hide_related=”true” hide_logo=”true” hide_controls=”true” hide_title=”true” hide_fullscreen=”true”]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vlEz4Xcay6c[/video_page_section]

 

 

[video_page_section type=”youtube” position=”default” image=”https://peekbaby.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/2018-01-01_20-18-48.jpg” btn=”light” heading=”” subheading=”” cta=”Tips on Combining Breastfeeding and Bottle Feeding ” video_width=”1080″ hide_related=”true” hide_logo=”true” hide_controls=”true” hide_title=”true” hide_fullscreen=”true”]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fIQblK0L2ig[/video_page_section]

 

 

Categories
Breast Feeding

Breastfeeding My Baby

Breastfeeding: Where Do I Start?

Congratulations you have a new baby! Having a new baby is hard enough but when you choose to breastfeed you sometimes feel that you made this experience even harder.

How Breast Milk Is Made

If you’ve every been pregnant or if you are pregnant now, you’ve probably noticed a metamorphisis in your bra cups.

The physical changes (tender, swollen breasts) may be one of the earliest clues that you have conceived.

Many experts believe that the color change in the areola may also be helpful when it comes to breast feeding.

What’s going on
Perhaps what’s even more remarkable than visible changes is the extensive changes that are taking  place inside of your breasts.

The developing  placenta stimulates the release of estrogen and progesterone, which will in turn stimulate the  complex biological system that helps to make lactation possible.

Before you get pregnant, a combination of supportive tissue, milk glands, and fat make up the larger portions of your breats.

The fact is, your newly swollen breasts have been preparing for your  pregnancy since you were in your mother’s womb!

When you were born, your main milk ducts had already formed.

Your mammary glands stayed quiet until you reached puberty, when a flood of the female hormone estrogen caused them to grow and also to swell.

During pregnancy, those glands will kick into high gear.

Before your baby arrives, glandular tissue has  ,replaced a majority of the fat cells and accounts for your bigger than before breasts.

Each breast may actually get as much as 1 1/2 pounds heavier than before!

Nestled among the fatty cells and glandular tissue is an intricate network of channels or canals known as the milk ducts.

The pregnancy hormones will  cause these ducts to increase in both number and size, with the ducts branching off into smaller canals near the chest wall known as ductules.

At the end of each duct is a cluster of smaller sacs known as alveoli.

The cluster of alveoli is known as a lobule, while a cluster of lobule is known as a lobe.

Each breast will contain around 15 – 20 lobes, with one milk duct for every lobe.

The milk is produced inside of the alveoli, which is surrounded by tiny muscles that squeeze the glands and help to push the milk out into the  ductules.

Those ductules will lead to a bigger duct that widens into a milk pool directly below the areola.

The milk pools will act as resevoirs that hold the milk until your baby sucks it through the tiny  openings in your nipples.

Mother Nature is so smart that your milk duct system will become fully developed around the time of your second trimester, so you can properly  breast feed your baby even if he or she arrives
earlier than you are anticipating.

Breastfeeding is not as difficult as it looks or as you may have heard from others.

It is actually pretty easy and a very fulfilling way to nourish your newborn once you get the hang of it.

Remember as with most things practice makes perfect!

Breastfeeding is new to you and to your little one but with a little practice you two will become pros in no time!

During the first week of your baby’s life, your breasts will produce colostrum for your baby to drink.

Colostrum is rich in antibodies and aids the baby’s immune system.

It also helps him pass his first bowel movement, which is called meconium.

Meconium is black and tarry looking and is in the first few diapers after birth.

Then he begins to transition to a brown substance and after your milk comes in, it becomes a yellow, mustardy stool that is loose and watery.

Bottle-fed babies pass firmer, tarnish stools than breastfed babies.

After 24-48 hours after birth, your baby will start having wet diapers that will increase to two or three a day.

Your technique and positioning is a very important factor in ensuring that your breastfeeding experience is a great one.

There are a few different positions that can be used to make the experience more comfortable for you and baby.

Some of these positions include:

• Laying down –

Lay down on you side with pillows behind you to support your back.

Lay baby facing you with her head on a pillow your breast should be level with baby’s mouth.

Bend your legs with a pillow between your knees and then have baby latch on.

• Sitting Up –

Sit up either in bed or a comfortable chair or couch with pillows supporting your back and head.

Place a pillow on your lap and put baby on top of the pillow in your arms, you can rest your arms on the pillow to make it easier to bring baby up to your breast.

Bend your knees to make this even easier have baby latch on.

• The Clutch Hold –

This is also known as the football hold.

This position is also good when nursing twins as it allows mom to have a baby on each side.

Sit down and tuck your baby under your arm almost like a handbag.

Rest baby’s head on a firm pillow on your lap.

Ensure that baby’s feet are behind your back.

Your hand is at the back of baby’s neck, not on baby’s head.

Your arm will extend down baby’s back , guide baby to latch on

These are just a few of the positions that you can use there is also the cradle hold, clutch hold, and the transition position.

Do some research to learn these other positions to nurse your baby if you find the above positions uncomfortable.

While your baby drinks colostrum and then milk, you should listen for a pattern of “suck, suck, suck, swallow.”

This pattern will be rhythmic and there should be no “clicking” noises.

The “clicking” sound can indicate that your baby is not properly latched on and may not be getting enough milk from you.

If you start to hear this, you need to unlatch him and then reattach him.

If you continue to hear this sound after reattaching him several times, then you may want to consult a lactation consultant or your pediatrician.

After the first week of life, you should see 6-8 wet diapers each day and at least 3 bowel movements a day.

His urine should be clear and he should become more alert with each passing day.

Your baby should also be gaining weight and growing, as this is the surest way to tell that they are getting enough nutrition.

If you have two days in a row that deviates from the above indicators, then you should call your pediatrician immediately.

Breastfeeding problems, such as milk production difficulties, are not as common when using the PDF feeding method, but they do occur.

Even if you are well rested, eating healthy, have a pretty routine life, and your baby is growing and getting enough food, you still may experience a milk production issue.

Many things can cause production problems.

Here are just a few.

Some things that can affect your milk supply are:

• What mom eats
• How much mom rests and sleeps
• Her state of mind
• The age of the mom
• How many children you have
• Your desire to breastfeed
• Your nursing capabilities
• Your nursing techniques
• Baby’s latch on abilities

If you choose to breastfeed, it is very important that you take your baby for their check-ups as needed.

If you don’t, how will you know if he is getting enough milk and growing at the correct rate?

There is no way for you to tell that your child is getting enough nutrition for sure without your child being weighed.

Breastfeeding and Mastitis

Mastitis is perhaps the most distressing problem you may encounter when attempting to breastfeed.

You have been making it through the sleepless nights, the relentless feeding schedule, the diapers, the leaking…

when all of a sudden you want to stop breastfeeding.

Why?

Mastitis is the answer.

One of your breasts is engorged.

There is a slightly red patch which is painful to touch.

When the baby feeds it’s extremely uncomfortable.

After the feed your breast feels sore. You dread the next feed…

and then you begin shivering.

You think you have the flu. You have hot and cold sweats.

You have a thumping headache.

You retire to your bed and feel utterly miserable.

Visitors encourage you to give the baby a bottle so you feel like you’ve failed… but there is a solution.

In most cases mastitis affects only one breast at a time.

So what causes it?

Most often a new mum, whether or not she has previously breastfed, will suffer mastitis as a result of incorrect positioning or latching on of the baby.

Consequently the milk is not properly drained from the breast and a milk duct becomes blocked.

Other reasons include skipping feeds because you don’t want to feed in public or in front of visitors, or the baby is sleeping and you do not want to disturb him.

If you recognize the sensation of a blocked milk duct you may be able to avoid it progressing into mastitis by gently massaging your breast in the bath or shower.

Massage downwards towards the nipple.

You may feel a small lump which disappears as the duct becomes unblocked.

You can also try feeding the baby more often and again massaging the sore area towards the nipple as the baby drinks.

Another effective technique is to try expressing milk with the aid of an electric or hand pump.

However, if all your efforts are in vain and the duct does not unblock mastitis will often follow.

Mastitis is simply when the blocked duct becomes inflamed and possibly infected.

Current medical advice is to continue feeding from the affected breast even if it is infected.

The infection will not harm the baby.

However, the last thing you may want to do is to feed from the affected side at all as it is so painful.

This will only make things worse and you may end up with an abscess.

If this happens you will need to have the abscess drained by a doctor.

If you are worried about your baby drinking milk from the affected breast a good alternative is to express and dispose of the milk and to feed only from the unaffected side.

Your body will adapt. It will continue to supply enough milk for your baby from the unaffected breast.

And as long as you express regularly from the affected breast the milk supply will be maintained.

You produce breast milk on a supply and demand basis so there will always be enough.

When the infection clears up you can simply return to your usual feeding pattern.

If you do get mastitis and it does not clear up within a few hours you will probably require an antibiotic so speak to your GP.

Make sure to tell him you are breastfeeding so a suitable antibiotic can be prescribed.

To avoid a recurrence make sure you position the baby properly.

Ensure he is not sucking on just the nipple but that he has a good mouthful of the areola too.

Try to sit upright or if lying down do not lie on the breast.

Make sure the baby is tummy-to-tummy with you, his nose and mouth facing the breast and that he is not creating a blockage with his chin or a hand or arms.

Mastitis usually clears up completely within a couple of days so put it in perspective.

Don’t give up breastfeeding because you have mastitis.

Instead ensure you don’t get it again; position your baby correctly, feed on demand and avoid skipping breastfeeds.

Breastfeeding advantages

Breastfeeding has many advantages for both the baby and the mother.  There are many substances in breast milk that can’t be found in cow’s milk.

More so, there are fewer complications associated with breast milk than with cow’s milk.

It has been advertised time and again that it is best for the babies if they are breastfed for the first six months even up to two years.

So why is breast milk so beneficial for the baby?

First of all, only breast milk contains colostrums which are essential for the baby to take.

Commercially-made milks cannot simulate the colostrums made by a mother.

The colostrums contain natural antibodies and immune globulins that are responsible for keeping the baby free from illness for the first few months of its life.

Another advantage breast milk has over cow’s milk is that it allows the mother to save as cow’s milk can be expensive.

The baby can better adapt to breast milk. Their feces are not smelly and they don’t have any difficulty defecating compared to cow’s milk.

Breastfeeding has also been approved to be one of the family planning methods that a family can observe.

Since breastfeeding has been given so much importance, many women have been made aware.

However, despite the awareness, many mothers still report of breast problems associated with lactation.

These problems are most often than not, associated with improper breast feeding techniques.

In order to lower down the incidence of breast related problems due to lactation, it is important that mothers observe the proper techniques of breast feeding.

Ultimately, both the mother as well as the baby will benefit from the proper observance of these techniques.

First of all, you need to prepare your breast for milk-production.

Second and what most mothers fail to realize is how to keep the nipple clean before the baby latches on to it for feeding.

When you plan to breast feed, you should avoid using soap on your nipple.

If this cannot be avoided, your nipple should be wiped using a soft cloth soaked in clean water to make sure your nipple is clean before your baby feeds from it.

Third and perhaps the most important step is to allow your baby to properly latch on to your nipple.

You will know when your baby is latched on properly when your baby’s mouth covers the entire areola and not just the nipples.

It is essential that your baby should latch on properly so that he or she can properly stimulate the “let-down reflex” of your breasts wherein the milk will go down the ducts and out your nipple.

 

There are various nipple exercises to perform in order to prepare your nipp[video_page_section type=”youtube” position=”default” image=”https://peekbaby.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/2018-01-01_02-26-44.jpg” btn=”dark” heading=”” subheading=”” cta=”BREASTFEEDING TIPS & ESSENTIALS THAT I WISH I’D KNOWN” video_width=”1080″ hide_related=”true” hide_logo=”true” hide_controls=”true” hide_title=”true” hide_fullscreen=”true”]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f2xlxRO-Y_Q[/video_page_section]

 

 

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