MotherBreastFeeding.com

At first days after child birth some moms may have blood in breast milk. As a result, colostrum is rust colored, pink or red. Sometimes when a mother pumps she may observe blood in her milk. Some mothers feel slight breast pain, some wonder if it is ok to breastfeed with small amount of blood.

Let's consider the above issues.

Causes of Blood in Breast Milk

Strong stress. After delivery new mommies have low stress resistance which may cause blood in breast milk. Consult a psychologist, he/she will help to overcome the difficulties. Moreover, rely on your family support.

Leaking breasts. This is quite normal when you are lactating. In several weeks breasts will begin to dry up and leakage will begin to stop when mother's breast becomes soft. Pinkish milk will turn into white once a mom and her baby master breastfeeding.

Microtraumas. They occur due to wrong pumping or injuries of breasts. If you use an electric pump, try to use manual/hand expression techniques. If after that there is no blood in breast milk - avoid using a pump.

Do you think your baby is not getting enough milk? In medicine, this is known as hypolactation. The main causes of hypolactation are:

• your baby cannot fall asleep after lactation. It is naughty and worried
• periods between lactation are nearly equal, if your baby wakes up earlier - this may be a sign of not getting enough milk
• pay attention to your baby's bowels – color changes (brown or dark), density changes (too watery or too thick) result from hypolactation
• if your baby does not have intestine disorders and a high temperature but the number of times of urination decreased significantly (less than 6 times a day), this may be another sign of not getting enough milk
• if for 2 weeks your baby's growth rate is negative – this means hypolactation

Breast milk is best for your baby. Many new mommies start to breastfeed and some weeks after face a problem of losing breast milk. I'll consider the reasons of losing breast milk and ways to restore lactation in my next posts. If you have an opportunity to lactate, keep lactating as long as possible. If doctors say you cannot, let's think over what breastfeeding can be substituted with.

1. Donor milk. It is most similar to mother's milk.

Pros:

• long storage (at room temperature it can be stored for 8 h)
• all nutritive qualities, vitamins and antibodies (strong immune system and no early pathologies)
• good price (as a rule, donor milk is cheaper than formulas, sometimes you can get it for free)

Cons:

• sterilization decreases milk nutritive values (storage and transportation of milk require sterilization)
• baby can develop allergy, as there is no specific control over the feeding mother
• catching viruses and infections through milk
• donor milk is not a natural milk. A balanced breastfeeding is possible only with close bond between a mother and a baby.

2. Cow's milk. There is no single opinion about the use of cow's milk while breastfeeding. Consider the pros and cons below and take your own decision.

Your baby smiles, develops properly and behaves well. This means that your kid is getting enough breastfeeding milk. In such cases mothering instinct prompts that everything is ok.

After being breastfed the baby willingly rejects the breast, has a long and sound sleep and wakes up only when it wants to eat. The baby produces about four to six wet diapers a day and has regular bowel movements.

One of the main signs that breastfeeding milk is enough is newborn weight gain. During the first months of life, the newborn gains up to 600 g, during the second and the third month the weight increases to 800 g, then month after month the newborn loses 50 g.

Watch your kid's skin - it is clean, pink and looks like velvet. In the end of the first year the infant holds its head well, reacts to sounds and gives a beautiful smile.

In the end of the second month the small mouth produces first sounds, the kid starts to observe the objects that move. In a month the baby wants to communicate - it moves the hands and the legs, it somehow calls you, it can lean and raises its head. At four months the baby looks around and starts to recognize familiar faces.

Here are some signs that make mommy worry that her baby is not getting enough breastfeeding milk:

Where can I store breast milk?
Breast milk can be kept in the refrigerator only.

How long and at what temperature can I store breast milk?

• Storage time at room temperature is 8-12 h.
• Storage time in the refrigerator is 8-10 days.
• Storage time in a freezer compartment is up to 6 months.

Store milk in the freezer – is it harmful?
There is no definite opinion on the problem among pediatricians and breastfeeding professionals. Anyways, frozen breast milk is still better than a formula. But you’d better freeze breast milk only as a last resort.

How to store breast milk, if there is no refrigerator?
Use special refrigerator bags with freezers or ordinary thermoses. When you store breast milk in a thermos, fill it with ice, then pour the ice out and pour the pumped milk in. It is desirable to prepare the ice beforehand out of the boiled or distilled water.

How much breast milk can I freeze?
You’d better store the breast milk in small portions (100-120 ml) so as not to waste any.