The numbers of mamas who start out breastfeeding their little ones is at an all time high. The CDC reported in May of 2008 that a whopping 77% of new moms were initiating breastfeeding after the birth of their child. We now know that there is nothing that can even come close to the value of breast milk for infants. Why then are the numbers significantly lower when it comes to exclusively breastfeeding past the three month mark? I believe that this drop indicates that we are not supporting our new mamas enough as a society. Often, it is at the 12 week mark that American women must return to work in order to keep their job. Often times our families; Husbands, Mothers, Grandmothers, or Mother-in-Laws encourage women to quit breastfeeding. Without support, we find it is extremely difficult for women to continue with their plan to nurture their children by means of nature-given sustenance.
A lot of women have trouble in hospitals with the interference of well-meaning medical professionals. They are given poor advice to supplement their breastfeeding with infant formula. I have known a number of women who tried this route and eventually couldn't keep their supply going enough to continue to breastfeed. I am extremely thankful for my midwives, who taught me about the supply and demand system of breastfeeding. I was shocked at how often my son wanted to feed in the beginning. I was afraid that he might not be getting enough to eat. My midwife assured me that this is the way in which babies create the supply they need. Had I supplemented with formula at this crucial time, I may have hurt my chances of establishing a good supply and would have been battling the very thing that I feared, a low supply. In researching this post, I found that there is very little information out there for mamas who want to return to exclusive breastfeeding after supplementing.
A few tips I did find are:
*Keep track of how much formula you are supplementing for a few days in a journal or a note right on the fridge. Then, go on a breastfeeding mission, curl up in bed with your baby (and some dvds) one weekend and breastfeed as much as possible. After you have encouraged your little one to feed more, try cutting the formula you supplement by one ounce. This slow process should allow you to catch up with your supply without leaving your baby hungry.
*Another good tool is baby-wearing. Keeping the little one close to the bosom in a baby sling might remind her to eat and stimulate you to produce.
*Pump after your baby is finished with the breast. You can then fully drain both breasts to increase your supply, and also you will have some breast milk to bottle feed later in place of the formula.
*Be aware of the support available to you.
Find your local La Leche League
Often times, if you have health insurance, it will cover the assistance of a lactation consultant.
Is your pediatrician breastfeeding friendly? If so, they should be supportive of you working to unwean your little one. If not, maybe look for one who will be.
If through all of this you find that with your work schedule, or other conflicts you can't unwean your baby, don't hate yourself. Do the best you can to nurture yourself as a mother too. Sometimes, stress can be the biggest obstacle to breastfeeding.
Here is a list of those breastfeeding friendly, or lactogenic foods you can include in your diet:
Oatmeal-a healthy way to start your day and kick in those mammaries!
Fenugreek- an herb that can be taken or in tea form that you can drink
Quinoa- see my last post to see how remarkable this supergrain is
Omega 3 fatty acids- don't forget these beneficial fats! we need them even more while breastfeeding. They are also essential in the building of the brain and nervous system. If you don't want to take a supplement like fish oil or flax seed oil, eat salmon a couple of days each week. Salmon doesn't have a lot of mercury, but it is super rich in Omega 3's.
Water- often we overlook how dehydrated we really are. You must have enough water to make milk.
Not a food, but try to get as much rest as possible. It can be super hard for mama's to get enough sleep and I find that my stress levels are directly related to sleep deprivation. If you can't get enough sleep, try to at least rest and maybe some deep breathing or meditation.
More Links:
Supply and Demand an article
Starting Over an article
Le Leche League International
kellymom
photo credit: brynhild - norse mythology, valkyrie
by Birgit Amadori www.breastfeeding-art.com
2 comments:
This is such an important topic to discuss. So many women give up on breastfeeding. They assume that they are the only ones who are having a hard time but they are not alone. There are a lot of great resources including lactation consultants who are willing and ready to help!
Also, I want to emphasize the importance of breastfeeding during the time period of 1 a.m. and 4 a.m. Research has shown that this is the time in which women's bodies reset their milk supply cycle. Moms who use a bottle at night instead of breastfeeding experience a significant decrease is supply. Those who breastfeeding through the night experience a consistent supply in relation to demand.
Great insight Pink Heels! Breastfeeding your babe is worth the investment of your hard work. That said, I know that I might not have done it without the wonderful support I had. I will say too, that once you make it past the early learning stage, it gets really easy. It isn't hard forever.
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