MotherBreastFeeding.com

Every mother strives to learn more about breastfeeding. How long to breastfeed, when to start using formulas and when to stop breastfeeding? We’ve already considered the above issues, also, we’ve learnt about the benefits of breastfeeding. Let’s speak about the main stages of breastfeeding:

Feeding breast milk only. Once the baby tries mother’s milk for the first time, he/she knows that this is the tastiest and the most useful food ever. In the age of 6-7 months the baby becomes interested in the food that all people eat.

It is crucial to keep nursing during the first six months, as this is the main ground for baby’s healthy development and for formation of the baby’s digestive system.

Introducing new food. Your baby wants to taste something of table food? Even if you give the baby something of the kind – it will not be that sufficient for the baby as your milk will. The digestive system is not quite ready to adhere to a new feeding. During 1.5 years a new food will be introduced to your baby, but still, try to keep breastfeeding as long as possible. Thus your baby will develop a strong immune and nervous system.

Switching from baby food to table food. As the baby grows, he/she not only wants to try some table food, but wants to eat it fully. This alternative to mother’s milk is an important source of energy; it provides vitamins and a variety of useful salts.

At the age of 1.5-2.5 table food will substitute breast milk. This, however, does not imply that you should stop breastfeeding. You just need to breastfeed not so many times as you used to – 2-3 latches on will do, basically this should be done at night.

Breastfeeding after 1 year helps your child develop a healthy endocrine, immune and digestive system. Isn’t it great that your baby has the right bite, strong teeth and the risk of speech problems in your baby is reduced to minimum?

Weaning the baby off. After 2.5 years the child eats table foods and the mom tries to keep breastfeeding reducing the day latches to two. A nursing mom develops breast involution and gradually stops breastfeeding.

Several days ago my breastfeeding friend asked me what I think about getting a tattoo while breastfeeding. Can a nursing mother get a tattoo? To tell the truth, I knew nothing about pros and cons of getting tattoos while breastfeeding, so, I surfed the Internet and found something really useful.

Pain shock. As you know, tattooing is inserting dark ink into the dermis layer of the skin usually performed through repeatedly driving the special needles in and out the skin. Of course, this is not that painful as it might seem, but different women have different pain threshold. Some don’t even epilate not to feel a pain. I believe that breastfeeding mothers should not run risks, as even the smallest stress may lead to losing breast milk.

Ink allergy. Ink molecules are quite large and they won’t enter your blood. However, sometimes you may develop ink allergy. The symptoms are quite varied – burning, itching, skin swelling. If you don’t want extra troubles with tattoos – you’d better postpone making it. If you have an overwhelming desire to get it – make a test putting a small dot of ink on your skin and watch the skin reaction to the ink, if any.

Wow, it is not that easy to breastfeed. To bring up a healthy child is one thing and listening to advice from everyone is another. What is awful is that everyone around considers oneself the most experienced.

Let's consider several evil advice my friends gave me. Read it and have fun Keep breastfeeding, listen to your heart and to your lactation consultant - let it be your way to success.

• The first days after you give birth: why won't your baby suck a dummy? You don't care about suckling reflex?!
• Are you going to give a baby some water? It might be thirsty?!
• Father of two children: Isn't time to stop breastfeeding? Don't you have enough money to buy formulas? Should I borrow you?
• Why do you nurse for so long? Breastfeeding will make your breasts sag!
• 2 month old baby. Your baby poops so often! Won't you try ground rice?
• 3 month old baby. Give your baby cream of wheat and carrot juice! Why? Hey, cream of wheat with cow milk is so great for your baby's health!
• Keep to nursing regime! No way breastfeeding at night! Let the baby's stomach have some rest!

I wonder why many mothers still oppose breastfeeding? Unfortunately, many women consider breastfeeding unnecessary and in no way want to breastfeed. My dear business ladies, your breast is best for your child.

Say no to constant pumping and formulas!

Well, no sitter will replace you as a mom. And if you’ve decided to keep your breasts untouched, consider what benefits you deprive your child of when rejecting to breastfeed:

Your child stops growing healthy? Do not get surprised when the baby loses weight and does not have sound sleep. It’s totally your fault!

Your child is always sick? Lack of healthy microelements and biologically active substances, lipids and vitamins – this is what your child is lacking. You deprive your child of the most precious - of the immunity which mother’s milk contributes to greatly. Isn’t it cruel?

You cause serious harm to a child depriving it of the most necessary! As lactation process lessens, a breastfeeding mother needs to stop breastfeeding. In the last period of lactation, colostrum with high percentage of antibodies is produced instead of milk. The antibodies protect baby’s health and mom’s breasts. If you’ve decided to stop breastfeeding at once, you are at risk of developing lumps in breast, and you simply harm the kid’s health – his/her body needs breastfeeding and you stop it!

Breast feeding support is very important for each nursing mother. Moreover, if a mother is very young, or if there are two or more babies who have to be breastfed and in lots of other cases. That is why it is important to prepare your relatives to breast feeding support before the child’s birth.

There are two types of men. Men belonging to the first type are very sensitive and attentive to their breastfeeding wives. These men understand that a lady can need breast feeding support and these men will gladly provide it for her. The second type of men is not very understanding one. These guys would never offer their help until you ask them to do so. Try to explain such a man that he takes part in a very serious thing, in upbringing your baby, and that baby is much dependant upon his help.

Relatives can also be good helpers in breastfeeding. Your sister or mother will never be against providing a breast feeding support to you. Vice versa, ladies are always enjoying helping young mother as they get an opportunity to spend more time with their little nephew, nice or grandchild etc.