When you're a new mom, your baby's health is your primary concern. Coupled with the anxiety of wanting to do everything right in caring for your new infant, your own health suddenly takes a backseat. This should not be the case. How else can you care for your child if you're not in top shape?
The state of your postnatal health is crucial to your ability to breastfeed your baby. When you're feeling poorly, this affects your milk supply. And when you neglect to care for your own breasts, you and your baby will become quite uncomfortable during his feeding time. Take it from me: I didn't bother at first with those nipple creams, thinking that I didn't really need them. But pretty soon, they started getting really sore and eventually cracked. Breastfeeding became quite painful for me and not so enjoyable for my baby, who didn't like sucking on a dry, rough nipple.
I learned my lesson quite well. Before giving birth to my second child, I already prepared myself for breastfeeding duties. I did this by reading maternity books and here are some breast care tips for all women out there who are expecting their first babies and planning to breastfeed them.
Daily washing of nipples – Clean your nipples daily but avoid using soap because it strips away the natural oils that protect the skin from drying and cracking, and it can aggravate a sore and cracked nipple. Always treat your breasts with care — don't rub them dry for gently pat them dry instead.
There is no need to wash your nipples before or after each feed but, before you fasten or put on your bra after feeding, let your nipples dry in the air, and always wash your hands before handling your breasts in order to prevent infection.
Engorgement - About 3 or 4 days after you have given birth, your breasts will fill with milk. They will become larger and heavier, and feel tender and warm when you touch them. If they overfill it is known as engorgement. Engorgement usually only lasts a day or two, but it can be uncomfortable and may recur.
To ease engorged breasts, take off milk by manual expression or by feeding your baby. In addition, you may find that it helps to bathe them with warm water or cover them with warm towels, or to strike them gently but firmly towards the nipple.
Engorgement can recur at any time during the period of breastfeeding, particularly if your breasts are never properly emptied or if your baby misses a feed.
Blocked ducts - A blocked duct may occur in the early weeks of breastfeeding. It may result from engorgement, from a bra that is too tight, or from dried secretions on the nipple tip blocking a nipple opening. If you get a blockage, your breast will feel tender and lumpy and there may be reddening of the skin.
To clear a blocked duct, start the feeds with the affected breast and gently massage it just above the sore area while feeding to ease the milk gently towards the nipple. If the blockage will not clear, don't offer the breast to your baby and consult your doctor immediately as it could become infected and result in a breast abscess, which is painful, although not a catastrophe.
Sore nipples – When you begin breastfeeding, your nipples may feel slightly tender for the first minute or so of sucking. This tenderness is quite normal, and it usually disappears after a few days. Sore nipples, however, are a common problem in the early weeks and can turn what should be a pleasure into something of an ordeal. Incorrect latching on and carelessness when taking your baby off your breast are the Principal causes of sore and cracked nipples, but taking care to start and finish feeding Properly can prevent these problems arising, and is essential if they are to heal after they have become sore or cracked.
Sore nipples heal quickly when they are exposed to the air so; if possible, go topless or braless occasionally, especially when resting, in order to let the air circulate over them.
Cracked nipples - If a sore nipple becomes cracked, you may need to keep the baby off' that breast up to 72 hours and express milk from the breast to avoid engorgement. Cracked nipples can be very painful, and they can lead to breast infection. To help avoid cracked nipples, apply a drop of baby lotion to your breast pad.
Mastitis - The first signs of mastitis (breast infection) are swelling, tenderness, and reddening of the affected area, accompanied by flu-like symptoms, which can include a high temperature, chills, aches, headaches, and perhaps nausea and vomiting. If you think you have developed an infection,- contact your doctor, if treated promptly with antibiotics, mastitis usually subsides within a day or so. You cannot pass the infection on to your baby, because it only affects your breast tissue, not your milk.
