29.03.2024

Myths and realities of life of a nursing woman

There are many myths about breastfeeding. Some argue that breastfeeding is very difficult and not every woman will cope with this task, others – on the contrary, that it is very convenient, useful and generally brings sheer pleasure. Only truth, as you know, is always somewhere in between.

The fact is that the life of a young mother is never easy and carefree, regardless of whether she is breastfeeding or not. Nevertheless, the proper organization of breastfeeding greatly facilitates some tasks and saves a lot of time for mom (and this also has a very positive effect on the health of the baby).

So what is the difference between reality and all that is written on the Internet?

Feeding causes pain and discomfort

Everyone who has read Anna Karenina knows about this. Only in reality, classics and even mothers, grandmothers, midwives can be mistaken. Breastfeeding should not cause discomfort: many mothers complain about it, but the causes of pain are improper application, a shortened bridle, infection, or even all together. When a woman learns to properly apply crumbs to her chest or heals, these symptoms will disappear.

Milk often ends at 3 months.

One of the main problems of nursing mothers is not enough milk. This would not have been so much talk if the doctors did not recommend feeding by the hour. After several weeks in this regimen, the milk is really not enough.

But where does it come from if its quantity is directly affected by how often the baby sucks? There is a direct relationship, similar to the principle of supply and demand. If simpler, then the more milk leaves, the more will come.

Of course, it also happens in a different way: very often mothers have problems with hormones, so no efforts help increase the production of breast milk. Even in such a difficult situation, lactation can continue, even if supplementary feeding is needed.

We also read:  How to increase lactation of breast milk at home (folk remedies and tablets)

The baby will constantly “hang” on the chest

Nursing mothers often lead the same life as everyone else: many work and even travel on business trips, get an education and write dissertations. To breastfeed, it is not necessary to sit around the clock in an embrace with a baby. The only thing is that up to about 6 months of age the crumbs and the truth will be difficult to go somewhere more than a couple of hours.

If breastfeeding, it will sag

Not true. Whether the breast loses its shape or not depends more on other factors: skin elasticity, bad habits (especially smoking), age, the number of kilograms gained during pregnancy, and the weight loss rate. So the bust may lose elasticity due to pregnancy, but not due to feeding the baby.

If you breastfeed, he will not let parents sleep at night.

Toddlers can constantly wake up. Only this parameter is purely individual and hardly depends on the characteristics of nutrition. However, breast milk is indeed faster digested than the mixture, and the baby may ask for an addition. It is also important to remember that nighttime breast applications are necessary for both the baby and his mother: at night, the maximum amount of the hormone prolactin is formed, which, together with oxytocin, supports the production of breast milk.

In other words, night feeding will help to avoid the very lack of milk that everyone is so worried about. However, in this case the question arises: how to get enough sleep? A counter question immediately arises: where does the opinion that nursing mothers do not sleep at night come from? Scientists have studied sleep rhythms in women who have recently given birth and have come up with opposite results. It turned out that nursing mothers sleep more, although they often have to wake up to go to the peanut. They also have better quality of sleep, namely, the duration of the deep phase is longer than that of mothers nursing babies with mixtures: 182 minutes versus 62 (in the control group – 86).

It is amazing how nursing mothers manage this. The secret is that they often choose a joint sleep – not in the same bed with a baby, but, for example, using an extra bed for a baby (the baby is always nearby – extra beds for newborns). So women can give breasts half asleep, without even getting up, and then immediately fall asleep (the prolactin produced also provides a sound, healthy sleep). Meanwhile, mothers who feed their babies with mixtures are forced to get up, warm, feed. Only after all these manipulations can you try to fall asleep.

Nursing mother must follow strict diets

Another myth that does not stand up to criticism. Mom, breastfeeding, you can eat everything (only vegetables and fruits are better to choose seasonal). From the diet, it is worth excluding sausages, canned food, cola and other frankly harmful products that are not recommended to everyone else. Plus, the first 2 months after giving birth is better not to use anything dairy.

The need for restrictions appears only when the baby has signs of allergy. Even in this case, the mother does not need to immediately switch to buckwheat with turkey and clean water. First, you should abandon the most common allergens: milk, chicken, nuts, honey. An important nuance: the mother’s menu does not always become the root of the problem – often even a strict diet does not help, because allergic reactions cause a variety of reasons. It can be concluded that a varied diet of the mother during breastfeeding prevents the development of allergies in the child.

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