In my 30 years as a Gynaecologist, I have had very interesting and inspiring experiences regarding breastfeeding in my patients.
As a rule, more than 90% mothers will establish breastfeeding within 5 days of delivery. Another 5% will achieve it with some help in the first two weeks. Breastfeeding is a natural instinct in both mother and child. Left to themselves without outside influences or opinions, most mothers and babies will start breastfeeding within minutes to hours of delivery and achieve a pattern in about couple of weeks.
However, such a simple and natural process has a lot of myths and misunderstandings around it. This can affect the mother’s mental stability and cause barriers.
Breast milk is the unique food for each baby. While generally the composition remains fairly uniform from mother to mother, the composition changes from the high fat colostrum of first few days, to the more ‘milky’ texture by end of the second week.
It has all the vitamins, minerals, immunity boosters and fulfills all nutritional needs of the baby until 6 months of life.
It is easily available at the right temperature, on demand, sterile and tasty. Breast milk is truly the ideal food for the newborn baby.
After delivery, when babies are placed on the mother’s stomach, they crawl towards the breast and latch on and suckle within minutes of being born. This is a miraculous sight and proves that the baby has strong survival instincts.
This entire process of establishing breastfeeding and lactation must however proceede stress free.
The mother is to be encouraged and actively supported in her efforts by medical staff and family.
Any negative comments can trigger severe anxiety in the new mom and delay lactation.
Older family members, friends and relatives must strictly not ask the new mom any questions related to breastfeeding. Comments such as milk is not coming or is not enough must be discouraged.
Patience and support are needed. The mother is in pain and exhausted from the delivery. Her hydration needs to be corrected Plenty of liquids, help with caring for the newborn, positioning during breastfeeding, soothing nipple creams, shields and whatever it takes is needed. Doubts raised are certainly not needed.
In first 72 hours the baby’s doctor and the Obstetrician are monitoring the mother and the baby. Professional help must be sought. Around Day 5, there is milk surge and breasts may get tender and engorged and may be mother will feel feverish. This is natural and the doctor must be consulted and not the malishwalli bai – the masseuse.
Interestingly, baby girls will show some enlargement of the breast buds and milky secretions on Day 7/8. This is due to influence of mother’s hormones and will stop naturally.
Coming to foods that help in increasing breast milk:
These are called as GALACTOGOGUES. Nothing is proven, but all cultures have their favourites. Ajwain seeds, Aliv seeds, Bajra rotis, shatavari etc.
The best stimulus for More Milk is FREQUENT BREAST FEEDING.
As baby sucks, it sends signals to the brain to release hormones that increase milk production.
Only in case of small premature babies or sick babies who cannot latch on and suck, then the mother can use breast pump.
Cow’s milk or buffalo’s milk and formulae made from them are no match for mother’s milk. Only in extreme cases of absent breast milk or if the mother is ill and cannot feed, should they be used.
The first fortnight is the most challenging for mother and baby, but for the benefits that breast milk gives, it is totally worth the effort.
Breast milk is to be treated same as cow’s/buffalo’s milk. It can be pasteurized, frozen, stored in refrigerator, warmed in microwave to room temperature and given to the baby.
In large birthing centres, mothers with excess milk will donate for babies whose mother is having difficulty in producing enough milk.
All in all, Breast milk is a miracle food for the babies. Every mom and baby must get a fair change at establishing breastfeeding.
“BREAST IS BEST” no doubt.
Breast feeding involves an excess expenditure of about 400 calories per day.
Naturally, if the mother is nursing, then she does not have to worry about losing her pregnancy weight. In about 6 months, she should be naturally back to her pre-pregnancy weight.
Breast milk contains the right combinations for the development of baby’s brain and body.
No extra foods, supplements are needed for the mother. On her normal diet she can nurse the baby comfortably.
Drinking plenty of water to provide for almost a litre of breast milk produced daily is a must.
Medications, even herbal and so called natural ones must be avoided as they can pass in breast milk and harm the baby.
