Thursday, November 12, 2009

Useful Breastfeeding Facts

Every mother wants to give her baby a good start in life, and you can do no better than breastfeed your baby. Breast milk is so much better that formula, as it helps your baby to build up his immune system.

The convenience of breastfeeding far outweighs that of bottle feeding. There are better things you could be doing with your time, rather than steralising bottles and making up endless feeds.

Breastfeeding does not cause problems to many mothers, but there are some common issues that you could come across at some stage.

Thrush - a harmless yeast infection which forms in the baby's mouth. Although a normal part of the digestive system, an infection will set in if an overgrowth occurs.

If you have pains in your breast or nipple, or they are very sensitive or itchy, then its quite likely you have developed Thrush. It needs to be treated as soon as symptoms appear, as you can have a continual circle of it passing between baby and mother.

Mastitis - A hard, red, inflamed painful breast is a sign that you are suffering from Mastitis. Its usually caused by bacteria becoming present in the milk ducts. See your GP as soon as possible. He will provide antibiotics to clear it up, and will give you a type that will mean that you can carry on breastfeeding.

Very Fast Milk Flow - Does your baby start to splutter and cough as soon as he starts to feed? This could be down to your milk flowing too fast. This is distressing for both mother and baby. A way to deal with this is to express some milk before each breast before feeding, this could slow down the milk flow. Trying to hold baby in a different position may also make it easier for him to take the milk.

Baby Does Not Seem To Like the Milk - Acidic or spicy foods can really change the taste of your milk and give baby quite a shock. Although the milk taste will vary slightly as does your diet, you really need to steer clear or highly spiced foods like curry or chilli. Also drink water and plain drinks rather than orange or lemon juice.

Is Baby Taking Enough? - Bottle feeding Mums know exactly how much milk their baby is taking. But how much is the right amount? If your baby feeds well at the breast and is growing and healthy, then do not stress. Babies let you know when they are hungry and will take exactly what they need.

Looking for the best ideas for a new baby, then visit www.newbabyideas.info to find the best advice on all things baby related.

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