If you've ever had a milk blister on your nipple, you most likely remember how painful one can be. Like a paper cut, it makes you wonder how something so small could hurt so much! Improper latching and an oversupply are the most common causes of milk blisters. Here's a helpful overview on what they are and ways to treat them: http://kellymom.com/bf/concerns/mother/nipplebleb/
Boob Scoop: Mothers often delay a dental visit because they're concerned that if they receive local anesthesia, the medication will be passed onto their breastmilk. However, most medications used for oral and IV sedation are considered compatible with breastfeeding. Therefore, there is no need to interrupt breastfeeding after receiving novocaine or other local anesthesias, such as bupivacaine and lidocaine. In addition, Nitrous oxide (laughing gas) sedation is also compatible with breastfeeding because it is insoluble in the bloodstream. That is, once administered, it goes from your brain to your lungs, to the room air, immediately after you stop ingesting it.
Sharen Medrano, Yummy Mummy Support Group IBCLC (www.nycbreastfeeding.com)
Boob Scoop: Some mothers may notice their expressed milk will have a “soapy” appearance and a taste/smell that becomes sour-smelling rather quickly after being stored. This results from an excess of the enzyme lipase in their milk and only affects a small percentage of mothers. Lipase is responsible for breaking down the fat in breastmilk. If there is an excess of Lipase, then the fat gets broken down too quickly after being expressed, and results in the soapy appearance and sour smell described above. The milk is not harmful and most babies are not bothered by the mild change. However, the longer the milk sits in room temperature, the more apparent the taste/smell becomes to the baby, which of course, may result in more aversion. For more information, check out this helpful link: http://kellymom.com/bf/pumpingmoms/milkstorage/lipase-expressedmilk
Sharen Medrano, Yummy Mummy Support Group IBCLC (www.nycbreastfeeding.com)
Boob Scoop: Mothers are often surprised when their growing baby is feeding just as much as they did in the early months. It's important to remember that breastfeeding is more than just a means to acquire food. As your growing baby becomes more aware of his surroundings and is exposed to new experiences, breastfeeding remains a familiar activity, and therefore a comforting one. The numerous experiences of being close to his mother - hearing her voice, smelling her unique scent, receiving the comfort of her warm milk and the biologically specific components of human milk - all work in unison to create the ideal environment for the development and healthy growth of a baby. It's no wonder that breastfeeding is often referred to as a total package mothering tool. http://yummymummystore.com/blog/ Sharen Medrano, Yummy Mummy Support Group IBCLC (www.nycbreastfeeding.com)
Breast storage capacity refers to how much breastmilk a mother can hold in her breasts in between feedings. Storage capacity is not determined by breast size, although breast size can certainly limit the amount of milk that can be stored. A mother with a larger milk storage capacity may be able to go longer between feedings, without impacting milk supply and her baby’s growth. A mother with a smaller storage capacity, however, may need to nurse her baby more often to satisfy her baby’s appetite and maintain milk supply, since her breasts will become full quicker. In the end, either capacity can allow a mother to produce enough breastmilk for her baby.
Concise and practical information is usually all mothers need to get breastfeeding off to a good start. You'll be happy to have read this excellent piece if you're due soon. http://fullbellysisters.blogspot.com/2011/08/five-things-you-can-do-during-your.html
Sharen Medrano, Yummy Mummy Support Group IBCLC (www.nycbreastfeeding.com)
Boob Scoop: Pediatricians advise parents to wean their baby off the bottle by the end of the first year, in part, because long-term bottle drinking can damage a baby's teeth. The one-year recommendation is not applicable to breastfeeding. In fact, among many other benefits, a longer duration of breastfeeding is linked to better oral development. During breastfeeding the unique motion performed by the tongue and jaw help to ensure that the palate develops in a rounded U-shape, which allows for proper teeth alignment. Having a U-shaped palette also decreases the likelihood of snoring and sleep apnea later on in life. http://yummymummystore.com/blog/ Sharen Medrano, Yummy Mummy Support Group IBCLC (www.nycbreastfeeding.com)
Boob Scoop: When a baby breastfeeds, she can comfort suck after a feeding to help herself settle. However, with a bottle she may appear to still be hungry when all she really needs is more sucking time. A slow flow bottle nipple helps with this because it offers the baby an opportunity for additional sucking time and a chance for the baby to realize that she is full. A slow flow bottle can be particularly helpful when a baby is in daycare: a mom may begin to doubt her milk supply if her baby is drinking more than the she is pumping at work. But it may not be that the baby needs more breastmilk in the bottle but rather that she needs more sucking time. Besides using a slow flow bottle nipple, a pacifier or other soothing methods, like being carried in a sling or carrier, can help a baby to settle after a feeding. http://yummymummystore.com/blog/ Sharen Medrano, Yummy Mummy Support Group IBCLC (www.nycbreastfeeding.com)
Boob Scoop: A great way to minimize the worry that comes with the thought of pumping and returning to work, is to do a practice run of what a work day will look like. A week or two before returning, pick a day when someone can watch your baby and schedule pumping sessions as if you were back at work. And of course it's okay if you never get a chance to do this: more important than squeezing in a practice run is to establish good milk supply during the weeks of maternity leave. Establishing good milk supply in the first 8 -12 weeks will play a key role in making the transition to work easier. http://yummymummystore.com/blog/ Sharen Medrano, Yummy Mummy Support Group IBCLC (www.nycbreastfeeding.com)
Boob Scoop: After the first few months, you may be surprised that your baby is not nursing as frequently as the early months, which may lead you to question whether something is going on. Well as babies grow and become more efficient with nursing they don't need to be at the breast as often. Feeding frequency varies from baby to baby and is partly dependent on the mother's breast storage capacity (http://yummymummystore.com/blog/Breast-storage-capacity/). But no need to worry - efficiency is usually the driver of your baby's less frequent feeds. http://yummymummystore.com/blog/ Sharen Medrano, Yummy Mummy Support Group IBCLC (www.nycbreastfeeding.com)
