Breast feeding and how to overcome all the struggles

Breast feeding can be a very painful experience especially when it comes to the first week. Your nipples are sore, cracked and can even bleed. You are in real pain. That’s why many women cannot overcome this pain and decide to bottle feed. There is nothing wrong about bottle feeding, I do it myself but only at a portion because I do not have enough milk, so I need to give extra formula to my baby. And that’s normal, I do not judge anyone, because formulas are so well developed nowadays that they do not cause any problems for the child. However mother’s milk is way more nutritious plus it has antibodies that protect your child from different diseases so it is really beneficial to breastfeed in order to make your child’s immune system strong. First days of breastfeeding can be a real struggle, however they are the most important because at this time woman’s body produces colostrum, which is a like an immune booster for the baby, it has all the necessary antibodies. That’s why it is so beneficial to breast feed during the first days of life.

But how to make this experience more pleasant?. Let me share with you the tips which actually helped me to overcome the pain. First of all try to see if your baby latches correctly, the whole areola must be in his mouth not just a nipple. Second of all use a protective cream after each breastfeeding. It makes skin to heal faster. The one I used was called Linaloh HPA Lanolin.

It is lanolin cream which is safe for the baby and baby can actually swallow it with no harm, but it is preferable to wipe it away before you start breastfeeding . After you finish breastfeed put this cream on and also use the protective shells. I used the ones from the e brand Medela.

They protect your sore nipples from rubbing into clothes and cause less pain. Also they help to form a nipple. Many women have small and inverted nipples so baby cannot grab them well and starts to chew. In this case you need to form a nipple. Before you start breastfeeding massage your breasts and use special sucking device like Lansinoh Latch Assist Nipple Everter

Use dry disposable nursing pads so the milk does not leak. In case you have a lot of milk and you do not want your breasts to be engorged use a breast pump, preferably electronic. Yes it can be pricy, but it is totally worth it. It makes your life so much easier, and also if you do not have a time to breastfeed you can just pump milk out, put it in the fridge and feed baby later.

And of course do not forget to get a breastfeeding pillow. It goes around your waist and is very stable, so it is way more comfortable to breastfeed with it.

These were my tips for healthy and successful breastfeeding. Drink plenty of fluids, eat well and of course you can use safe natural herbal supplements in order to get more milk. Some of the herbs that have been proven to be safe and effective for increasing breast milk include Fenugreek, Silymarin(milk thistle) and Anise seed.

Hope these tips were helpful and you will feel less pain afterwards. Do not forget that pain goes away after a couple days and breastfeeding can become a pleasant experience.