Plugged Milk Ducts and the Breastfeeding Mom

by LisaC

Plugged milk ducts are a relevantly common issue with breastfeeding mothers, particularly those breastfeeding for the first time.

It is our nature to find a comfortable position for any regular activity and to make this a habit. However, habits like that can lead to a plugged milk duct in the breastfeeding mother.

A plugged duct will usually feel like a small bump or pebble around the nipple area and there is often pain, though it should come and go. If this lump doesn’t feel feverish or cause severe pain, you can probably assume it is a clogged milk duct. If on the other hand it is feverish and the pain persistent then you should consult your physician.

Unplugging the milk duct can relieve some of the discomfort and there are some steps you can take at home to help do just that.

Vary your baby’s position when feeding, as a single position is cited as one of the main culprits in plugged milk ducts and the breastfeeding mother.

Be sure and offer your sore breast first as frequent stimulation is one of the main keys to unplugging a milk duct and the baby will suckle hardest offering most stimulation at the beginning of the feeding.

Try breastfeeding more often but for shorter periods if the discomfort is too great to sustain a longer feeding.

Use warm compresses and a gentle pressure towards the nipple at the site of the lump. This may help loosen up the plugged milk duct. I have also heard room temperature cabbage leaves recommended.

Sometimes hand expressing milk from the affected side while using a warm compress can help. If this doesn’t work, you may also try using a good quality breast pump to express milk. However, don’t pump longer than about 10 minutes if you are also breastfeeding your baby. Too long a breast pumping session while breastfeeding a baby, can stimulate your milk production and cause an oversupply of milk.

Try breastfeeding your baby with the baby’s nose pointed toward the sore side to increase the stimulation near the plugged milk duct.

If this lump feels hot, or different, or if you are feeling unwell, consult your physician. Unresolved plugged milk ducts can lead to mastitis, infection or even an abscess, so when in doubt consult your physician. Home remedies are never a substitute for professional care.

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July 16, 2009   No Comments

Is Increasing Milk Supply The Answer?

by LisaC

Many new mothers who are breastfeeding wonder if their infant is getting enough milk from breastfeeding. Face it, there’s not a bottle there that you watch get lower and lower there as you drink, so this kind of concern pops up. However, there are some signs that your baby is getting enough milk that you should look for first.

Is your baby producing wet and dirty diapers at an adequate rate? Mother’s milk will digest more easily and quickly so you can expect 5 - 6 totally wet diapers a day and usually 4 dirty diapers a day after the first week or so.
Is your baby gaining weight? If he is not losing weight but gaining it then your baby is probably getting enough nutrition.
Is your baby showing signs of dehydration or irritability. Even if your baby shows signs of irritability at times it doesn’t mean he is not getting enough milk.

However, if you suspect that you have a low milk supply then you should contact your lactation specialist and your baby’s pediatrician.

Only after they rule out health factors can they begin to look into methods of increasing milk supply if that truly is an issue.

Some of the things you should keep in mind is that nutrition plays a big role in your ability to produce an adequate supply of milk for your breastfed infant. You are what you eat and your baby eats what you ingest. Also though caffeine is said to increase milk supply, it is not good for your baby. Your baby responds to caffeine more strongly than you do, and it will remain in his system longer as well.

Under the advice of your physician and lactation specialist there are some several methods for increasing milk supply.

One of the most natural and primary ways of increasing your breast milk supply is to offer frequent feedings to your infant. Breast stimulation is a primary factor in breast milk production. Be sure and offer both breasts to your infant, it is important that both sides get the necessary stimulation offered by a baby’s sucking action.

If this is impossible, or adequate results are not obtained with the baby at the breast, then a hospital grade breast pump is often recommended for a short time. Using a hospital grade breast pump will stimulate both breasts at once and can increase breast milk production.

Other means of increasing your milk supply can be discussed with your physician and your lactation specialist. Natural stimulants or drug therapies should only be attempted under the advice and guidance of your physician and lactation consultant.

It might be necessary to supplement your breast milk for a period of time. You can do this with finger feeding, cup feeding, a bottle, or a supplemental nursing system (SNS).

Low milk supply doesn’t spell the end of breastfeeding, and you and your baby can still have the closeness of breastfeeding and while you ensure your baby receives adequate nutrition

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July 14, 2009   No Comments

Breastfeeding If You Or Your Infant Have Thrush

by LisaC

Thrush also known as candidas is a common and normally benign yeast that has grown out of control. It is not generally serious, but can be painful for both mother and baby and can cause problems or pain for both particularly if breastfeeding.

Babies are susceptible to thrush because their immune systems are not fully developed and hence they fight off common infections less readily. The use of antibiotics, or even some common steroids or an undiagnosed yeast infection in the mother can lead to thrush in babies. Sometimes it is not known what causes it.

Determining if your infant has thrush is not easy either, but there are some common symptoms to go by in both mother and baby.

For baby the symptoms are often:

A white coating in the mouth along lips and gums as well as tongue that is not easily wiped away. It may have a curdy consistency.

Irritability in the infant at feeding and seeming soreness of the mouth as baby tries to suckle, leading to short interrupted feeding cycles.

In the mother thrush is sometimes characterized by:

Deep nipple or breast pain. Shooting pains in the nipples during or after feeding.
Cracked or itchy nipples or red or shiny nipples.

What is important to remember here is that thrush can be very frustrating to treat if only you, or your baby is receiving treatment. Thrush can be passed back and forth between mother and baby during breastfeeding making it very difficult to get rid of. Mother and baby should both receive treatment for thrush to eliminate this problem.

Along with medical treatments to control the infection in you and your baby, there are some things you can do to help curb the growth of the infection as well as keep from passing it back and forth between your baby and yourself.

You should always wash and dry your nipples after each feeding and change the pads on your bra frequently.

If you use a breast pump all parts should be sterilized according to the manufacturer’s directions after each use.

Some women find rinsing their nipples in a very mild vinegar and water solution helps to change the skin acid level and curb the growth of thrush on the nipples. Caution should be used if your nipples are cracked as this can be uncomfortable.

Nightgowns, bras, any item of clothing touching your nipples should be washed in hot water and bleach.

Be sure and sterilize any pacifiers or bottles your baby uses after each use.

None of these methods will replace the guidance of a physician or pediatrician but can help manage a thrush infection while the medications work.

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July 13, 2009   No Comments

Solving your Breastfeeding Needs by Finding the Right Breast Pump

by Rachel

As a mother, you only want the best thing for your newborn baby and the same also applies to your choice of breast pump. In choosing the right breast pump, it is important that you first assess your breastfeeding needs so that you can zero in on the best breast pump that can help you.

Different mothers have different needs when it comes to breastfeeding. Some mothers will need breast pumps which are portable and always on the go. Some mothers will need breast pumps which will avoid breast engorgement. The list goes on and on, but as a mother, you will need to determine what is your specific need when it comes to breast pumps.

For mothers who are prone to engorgement or sore nipples, then it is advisable that you purchase a manual breast pump because you will be able to control the pumping action.

For mothers out there who are relying on baby sitters or other family members to take care of their baby, a manual breast pump is also advisable for this cause.

If you are a mother who only expels milk once or twice a week, then an electric, hand-held pump will work best for you since this will enable you to pump more milk at half the time.

For mothers who will most likely return to their work after giving birth, it is recommended that you use an electric breast pump so that you will save time and effort in pumping breast milk.

Furthermore, for mothers out there who need to increase their milk supply, a double breast pump is needed.

Lastly, for mothers who are nursing babies with special needs, then a hospital grade pump is needed because these babies need all the milk that they can get and a hospital grade pump will make sure that an ample quantity of milk will be given to them.

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May 8, 2009   1 Comment

Different Options for the Breastfeeding Mother

by Rachel

Every new mother has every right to be excited about the arrival of the newest addition to their growing family. Being pregnant is indeed a blessing. While a mother is still pregnant, she will have to make important decisions whether or not she wants to fully breastfeed her baby or not.

Majority of the new mothers will opt to breastfeed their newborn fulltime. This just goes to show that a lot of mothers have belief and faith on the benefits of breastfeeding, not only to their baby but also on their own bodies.

If you are a new mother and you are also new to breastfeeding, you don’t have to worry about it because there are a lot of options readily available for you.

For working mothers out there who would also like to expel breast milk in the workplace, a lot of companies are into lactation and breastfeeding programs and most of the companies actually encourage pumping breast milk by allocating office space as pumping stations where mothers will have their own privacy they need.

Some states even require employers to allocate a few hours for the breastfeeding mothers who are also their employees as a chance for them to pump breast milk during office hours.

Breast pumps are also available for your breastfeeding needs. Breast pumps help mothers expel the milk that they need and this also gives them an easier time to do so. A lot of breast pumps nowadays are portable so you can take it with you anywhere you want to go. Some breast pumps can even enable you to pump both breasts at the same time so you are cutting your breast pumping time in half.

If you feel like breastfeeding is a daunting task that you must go through alone, you don’t have to fear it because there are numerous local community support groups that can help you with it. Find one in your community so that you will have all the help and guidance you will need during this challenging time.

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May 6, 2009   No Comments

Is Breastfeeding Easier with Ameda Breast Pumps?

by Rachel

For a mother who is breast feeding her child, breast pump has proved to be a very convenient thing.  Following are a few points that will help you understand why breast pumps are proving to be such great things.

  • The breast pump helps the mother to feed her baby breast milk and not just any formula milk.
  • The breast pump allows the mother to have more time for her self, as the breast pump makes it possible that the nanny can feed the baby the mother’s breast milk.
  • Mothers who are working can finally return to work, knowing for sure that the baby would continue to receive breast milk – all courtesy of the breast pump.
  • The breast pump also allows the daddy, and other members of the family too, to feed the baby, and this strengthens the bond.
  • The pump provides the mom relief from engorgement, which is a condition where the breasts have become too full and thus become difficult for the baby to feed.

You can easily find various breast pumps in the market along with the Ameda Purely Yours breast pump.  But before making your purchase, you should do some research to understand which brand actually will prove helpful for you.

Let us now understand how Ameda Purely Yours breast pump works..  The pump collects the milk from the breast and fills it into a bottle.  The breast pump has a suction mechanism that helps release the milk from the nipple.  And it is convenient for the baby as well.

There are two varieties of Ameda Purely Yours breastfeeding pump options that are available and they are:

The mother needs to squeeze the handle of the manual pump repeatedly in order to release the milk.  But in the case of the electric pump, all that the mother has to do is to pump in the right place and the suction happens automatically.  There are some models that are both manual and electrical and the mother can choose whichever model suits her.

You should go through the review of Ameda Purely Yours breastfeeding pump in details in order to understand about all the various models available and also to learn about the Ameda Breastfeeding Starter Kit that accompanies it.  Also read about the Backpack or the Elite Pump Carrying Bag which proves very convenient for those mothers who are on the move a lot.  This review will satisfy all your doubts about the hygiene regarding these pumps.  You’ll also be able to know more about the various different accessories available and also about the replacement parts.

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January 23, 2008   2 Comments