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There are many health benefits associated with breastfeeding but it should only be your decision. © Shutterstock
This is the World Breastfeeding Week. The purpose of this week is to raise awareness on the benefits of breastfeeding. This is also the perfect time to make lactating mothers realise the dos and don'ts when they are breastfeeding. Health professionals around the world agree that mothers should breastfeed their babies for a minimum of 6 months after delivery.
This will ensure proper development of the child. It will also protect him from many diseases by raising his immunity. At the same time, breastfeeding also brings many benefits for the mother. It reduces her risk of many diseases including cancer, diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. But it is important that you follow some strict rules during this time. Here, On the occasion of World Breastfeeding Week, we tell you the things that you must absolutely keep in mind while breastfeeding.
Breastfeeding is essential for your baby. When you decide to go ahead with it, you receive tons of advice from people on what to eat, how to hold your baby and much more to make it a smooth experience. However, there are times when unintentionally you may end up doing things that can affect lactation. Reduced milk supply is a matter of concern as it would mean less nutrition and lack of nourishment for your child. Here are few things that you should not do when breastfeeding.
While breastfeeding is thought to reduce the chances of conception, it isn't a fool-proof method. So, if you wish to take birth control pills, know that these pills can affect lactation to some extent. Some birth control pills are oestrogen-only pills, and these can make a significant dip in your milk supply. However, for some mothers even the combination pills can have the same effect. So, it is best to know about other methods of contraception and practice the same.
While you have a low immunity during pregnancy, remember your immunity doesn't get better right after childbirth. Suffering from seasonal cold and flu is common among new mothers. However, taking over-the-counter medications to treat cold and cough can make breastfeeding challenging. Some of these over-the-counter medications can suppress the milk ducts. This would mean less milk supply for your baby. Always consult a doctor for any minor or major ailment before taking medications, especially if you are breastfeeding.
Most lactation experts believe that demand feeding is one way to improve breastfeeding as this helps your breasts produce more milk as soon as it empties. However, some parents believe in having feeding schedules for their child, like feed every two hours or three hours throughout the day. This is another reason for a decline in breast milk supply. Unless your breasts are emptied by feeding your child, it doesn't get filled, and over the time your milk glands start to secrete less milk as you never use the stored milk appropriately.
Parents who prefer to have a feeding schedule usually miss out on the feeding cues and give the baby a pacifier when she cries. Now this leads to nipple confusion. A baby suckles differently at the breast and the pacifier. Using the pacifier too often and for too long could make her suckle less at the breast. This would then mean less milk production and a decline in your supply over a period.
Most Indian parents try to help the child sleep through the night rather than feeding at night. There is a limit to how much milk your breasts can store between two feeds. If you go without feeding your child for too long at night, your milk production will drop. Also, prolactin, the hormone that is associated with breast milk production, is secreted more at night, and so there is more milk production to meet your baby's needs. Even if you want to help your baby sleep throughout the night, two to three feeds are essential to help your breasts produce milk and give your baby the required nourishment. However, never overdo this; remember night time feeding can also lead to nursing caries in children.
Breastfeeding has a soothing and calming effect on the mother, but postpartum depression can make it challenging. It could lead to stress and depression, making the cortisol levels go high. The stress hormone cortisol is known to be notorious in many ways and for new mothers it can lead to low breast milk supply. So, keep calm and avoid stress to help your baby get proper nourishment.
Many women develop health conditions post pregnancy like diabetes, thyroid, hypertension, etc. If you have developed these problems during pregnancy, it is going to be difficult for you to tackle it post childbirth, unless you take medical help. Not taking care of your health will adversely affect your breast milk supply.