Common Breastfeeding Issues
Every expectant mom will definitely be looking forward to breastfeeding her baby. After all, all the hype around breastfeeding seems to be founded on truth, with the help to baby’s immunity, the irreplaceable bonding moments between mom and baby, and even the advantage of helping mom’s uterus return to its normal size. Full breastfeeding is also known for doubling as natural birth control for the first six months of the baby’s life. So how come, with all mothers knowing these facts about breastfeeding, many wind up giving up on it even despite wanting so much to continue giving their babies the best first food? The following issues are the most common among breastfeeding mothers that cause burnout, and hopefully, you will know how to deal with these so that you will not have to give up breastfeeding right away: 1. “I’m not producing enough milk. ” Truly, there are cases when a mother cannot produce sufficient milk, but an important fact to know is that milk production is largely proportional to stimulation. Some mothers expect their milk to overflow right from Day 1, and without proper education, they think they cannot produce enough milk when they do not see much flowing out those first few days. As a new mother, breastfeeding experts would recommend you to let your baby suckle even if you do not think any milk is coming out; this sucking motion will tell your brain to produce hormones that tell the breasts to produce milk, and sooner or later, production will increase. In cases when you think you have had enough stimulation and yet the milk you produce still continues to be minimal, perhaps you should check a few more factors: is the stimulation strong enough? Typically, a baby who is very hungry will suck stronger than one who is simply snacking a bit to get by. This means that it is important to give your baby full feedings right from Day 1, so that his hunger patterns will stabilize, and he will be wide awake and therefore intense in his sucking. If all this is in place and you still worry about poor milk production, check if you are unusually fatigued or stressed, as these also contribute to low milk production. 2. “It’s super exhausting! ” Very few moms will admit to feeling this way, as they feel that they are not being very loyal to their motherhood. But most, if not all moms, have the experience of needing to nurse their babies at random, sometimes every ten minutes, sometimes every hour or two. This will definitely contribute to a very exhausted mom who never has time to rest, resulting in her wishing she had a bottle for her husband to feed the baby instead. Not only does this exhaustion result in the greatest number of moms burned out, it also inadvertently affects milk supply, thus resulting in an unsatisfied, fussy baby. The key to remember is that breastfeeding will surely be exhausting when you are left to the mercies of a baby with no hunger pattern established; as such, it would be wise to give your baby full feedings from the outset so that his hunger schedule will become relatively routine. That way, you will largely know when he will become hungry, and you can rest or do other things in between those times. 3. “I have to nurse him every time he cries, or else I’m a bad parent. ” This is another prevailing thought process that many medical experts contribute to: that every time a baby cries, the mom is responsible for nursing him. The truth is, a baby cries for many reasons, not just hunger. The key is learning to discern what the baby really needs. Putting him to the breast may silence him as it triggers the sucking reflex, but it will not have dealt with the problem. Perhaps he has a wet diaper, or he is sleepy or just needing to be comforted. Using the breast as an all-in-one pacifier not only gives you a child who demands to be fed whenever he is upset, it also puts unnecessary strain and stress on the mother. These are the most common issues faced by breastfeeding mothers. When you know how to deal with them in the right way, hopefully you will have a greater chance of having the strength to go on breastfeeding as long as you want, with nobody making you feel guilty when you finally decide to stop and wean your baby.