Understanding Natural Family Planning through Breastfeeding and Fertility Rates You may have heard that you can’t get pregnant while breastfeeding because of the impact of breastfeeding and fertility rates. This is true, as long as you nurse according to the rules of natural child spacing. The same hormones that make milk suppress the release of reproductive hormones. While breastfeeding full-time most […]
“DOES NIGHTTIME BREASTFEEDING CAUSE CAVITIES?” “My two-year-old has several cavities. The dentist says it is because I am still nursing him, especially at night. Does nighttime breastfeeding cause cavities?” This is an issue that dentists and breastfeeding advocates still don’t agree on. There is research that supports both sides. Here is my opinion. 1. Most […]
Two to four days after birth, mothers may awaken to find their breasts have grown two cup sizes overnight. It’s those milk-making hormones at work! “Has your milk come in yet?” asks the nurse. Mom can answer with a definite “yes!” This dramatic increase in breast size and fullness is called physiologic engorgement. It is […]
My nipples don’t stick out as much as I think they should. Will I be able to breastfeed successfully? Yes, you can breastfeed even if your nipples are flat or inverted. Babies feed on areolas, not nipples. When babies latch on and suck, they draw the nipple out, making it just the right size and […]
Pain in the breasts may be caused by engorgement, a plugged duct, mastitis or something else. It is often difficult for a mother (and doctor) to tell whether the inflammation is due to engorgement or a plugged duct, neither of which needs antibiotics, or mastitis, which usually, but not always, requires antibiotics. Use the guidelines […]
Plugged Milk Ducts Sometimes a milk duct leading from the milk-making cells to the nipple gets plugged, resulting in a tender lump beneath the areola. There may also be a wedge-shaped area of redness extending from the lump back towards the wall of the chest. Unlike mastitis, the pain comes and goes with a plugged […]
Engorgement, mastitis, or a plugged duct can sometimes lead to a breast abscess. (This is unlikely if you continue to breastfeed your baby frequently during an episode of mastitis or when you have a plugged duct.) An abscess is a pus-filled area, like a boil under the skin. Your healthcare provider will suspect an abscess […]
Breastfeeding has become such a struggle. Our three-month-old seems to squirm, arch, and sometimes fights nursing until I get her going. Then she settles down. Help! Some babies just have trouble settling down for a feed. This nursing nuisance is particularly common at three months of age when babies develop better visual acuity, so that […]
Our five-month-old bites while breastfeeding and it hurts. How can I stop her? Babies do bite the breast that feeds them. As soon as those pearly whites begin to painfully bother her gums (can begin as early as three months), she naturally turns to her favorite pacifier – mom. What’s even more startling is the […]
Building Closeness through Breastfeeding Bonding When women look back on the time they spent breastfeeding their babies, what they most remember is the closeness, the intimate breastfeeding bonding. Whether you’re someone who is swept away by the romance of motherhood or a more practical person who feels the milk is there for a reason, the […]
Helpful Breastfeeding Positions Besides the cradle hold, three other helpful breastfeeding positions are the clutch hold, the side-lying position, and the reversed cradle (also known as cross-cradle) hold. The first two positions are especially useful in the early days of recovery from a cesarean birth, when you may not want to lay baby over your […]
Bond With Your Breastfeeding Newborn Both mother and baby benefit from being in contact immediately after birth. Research in the hour or two after birth shows that this is a great time to begin the intimate relationship with your breastfeeding newborn. Studies show that a breastfeeding newborn who has early contact with their mothers learn […]
