What to do to survive the lactation crisis when there is not enough milk for 2-3 days? Do not immediately decide to feed your baby with modified milk, because this way lactation may be inhibited and breastfeeding will end prematurely.

How to stimulate lactation ? There comes a point in a young mother's life thatlack of foodbecomes a problem. Many mothers get discouraged from breastfeeding too quickly, underestimating the importance of the exclusiveof breastfeedinguntil the end of the 6th month of life. In Poland, 60 percent. six-month-old babies still suckle the breast, but only 8-9 percent are fed this way only. This is very little compared to, for example, Scandinavia or the USA. Mothers usually feed too little as a reason to start feeding, which leads to premature termination of breastfeeding quite quickly.

Breastfeeding and supplementation

Meanwhile, it is often not an actual shortage of food, but only a temporarylactation crisis . The worst thing you can do then is to panic and start giving your baby formula milk right away, because it's the fastest way to stop lactation. Usually, it is enough to follow a few proven tips and after a few days the production of food will meet the needs of the baby again.

Important: about two months after giving birth, lactation stabilizes, i.e. the amount of milk produced is adjusted to the baby's requirements. From now on, the breasts are soft both before and after feeding.

Some mums mistake breast softness as a symptom of lack of food because their breasts seem empty. Meanwhile, this is normal: hard, full milk breasts are only in the beginning when there is an overproduction of milk, then the breasts soften as before, but still produce milk. However, if there is actually less food and the baby is not gaining weight as it should, then you need to know what to do to stimulate lactation.

Discover products that stimulate lactation

The most important principles of breastfeeding

  • Put your baby to your breast often

Frequent suckling of the baby stimulates the prolactin reflex, i.e. the process of food production. The more often a baby sucks, the more milk is produced. So put your baby inbreasts as often as possible, during the day even every 1-1.5 hours, and at night every 3 hours (night feeding is the most effective in stimulating lactation, because the concentration of prolactin is the highest then). It's best to just spend a day or two in a crisis, just resting and embracing a baby. During each feeding, give both breasts, starting with the one you breastfed recently. If you really want to maintain lactation, don't give formula milk, especially through a teat bottle. This has fatal consequences: a child who is lazy with food from a bottle that does not require any effort ceases to be motivated to suckle the breast and lactation ceases. It's better to starve your baby a little than to feed him with the formula immediately in the event of a crisis.

Important

Or not to pump?

Lactation is best stimulated by a well-sucked newborn. The breast pump does this worse and should only be used to stimulate lactation when there is a real shortage of food, which results in disturbances in the weight gain of the baby. When a lactation consultant or pediatrician recommends pumping (electric breast pumps are the most effective and efficient), it should be done after or between feedings, and the expressed milk should be given to the baby using a spoon, syringe, dropper or using a special set with a catheter. Feeding with a teat with a bottle disrupts the suckling mechanism and also makes the baby lazy, which discourages them from sucking the breast.

  • Be calm and of good cheer

Your mental state largely determines whether or not a breastfeeding will be successful. Remember: stress inhibits lactation, so you need to do everything to reduce it as much as possible. It's hard not to get nervous when your baby is hungry, but you have to believe that even interrupted lactation can be rebuilt and many women have succeeded. Believe in yourself and start thinking positively. Enjoy the fact that you have a baby, give yourself some pleasure (watch a comedy pub, read a new issue of your magazine, eat something delicious), do not worry about household chores. Now the only important thing is to feed your baby, and it will work if you stay calm and relaxed yourself. Drinking lemon balm or chamomile teas, which have a soothing and relaxing effect, will help you in this. Psychological support from other people is also very important, especially from your life partner.

  • Eat a lot and he althy

When breastfeeding, you need to eat well, that is, not be on any diet (unless prescribed by a doctor) and eat what you like. Of course, you need to use common sense, so avoid fatty and hard-to-digest foods, but excessive onesBeing careful, refusing yourself tasty dishes that you want is not necessary at all, and it can even be harmful, because it causes stress. Make your menu varied and easy to digest, eat lean meat, fish, dairy products, groats, lots of fruit and vegetables (what ingredients are especially valuable now, see the box opposite), but occasionally indulge in a cupcake or coffee - do not worry! Also, eat plenty of food, including 3 main meals and 2-3 small snacks a day.

  • Hydrate the body

The body needs food and water to produce food, so you also need to consider fluids. It is best to drink still mineral water, in addition, fresh fruit juices, herbal teas and grain coffee are recommended. Of course, you can also drink Bavarian tea with milk, but the opinion that it has some extraordinary milk-making properties is a myth - Bavarian works just like any other drink. It is also a myth that you have to drink a lot of fluids - the more the better. Drinking 4-5 liters of water a day is unnecessary and even unhe althy, just drink enough to not feel thirsty.

Breastfeeding diet

During breastfeeding, it is you - through your diet - that you provide your baby with the ingredients necessary for his development, the most important of which are: protein, calcium, vitamins and minerals (calcium, iron, magnesium) and unsaturated fatty acids. You'll find protein in lean meat, fish, eggs, dairy, and legumes. The sources of calcium are: dairy products, sardines with bones and some fruits (dates, figs, blackberries), iron includes: red meat and liver, spinach, lettuce, lentils, egg yolk, and magnesium: nuts, seeds, green vegetables and cocoa. If the diet is poor, it is worth taking vitamin and mineral supplements after consulting a doctor, because the child will not receive as many ingredients as he needs. The same is true for omega-3 unsaturated fatty acids, the main source of which is oily sea fish. If you eat little fish, take fish oil or capsules with omega-3 acids regularly, as the DHA acid contained in them is extremely important for the proper development of your child's brain and intelligence.

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