You don't need to prepare yourself for breastfeeding - wise mother nature will do almost everything for you. The appearance of the breasts changes at the beginning of pregnancy. The rim around the nipple becomes larger and darker, and sebaceous glands appear on it, which naturally "impregnate" the nipples. The breasts become more sensitive to touch and a network of blood vessels is visible through the skin. Some women also change the size of their breasts - they grow by several sizes.

Until recently, doctors and midwives believed that a woman should toughenwartsby massaging them with a rough terry cloth in circular movements several times a day, and rub with petroleum jelly or cosmetic oil after the massage. Some also recommended squeezing a drop of colostrum from the nipples every day, starting at month 8, and rubbing it over the areola. These treatments were intended not only to strengthen the naturally delicate nipples and prepare them for the efforts ofbreastfeeding , but also to prevent inflammation of the mammary gland, which occurs most often during suckling. This advice continues to be given through word of mouth and it is also available on internet forums. Today, specialists recognize that no preparationbreastis needed for breastfeeding, because the nipples are built in such a way that they adapt themselves to new tasks, and their condition while feeding the baby depends solely on the proper attachment of the baby to the breast and proper suckling. Therefore, learning to attach your baby to the breast is much more important than preparing the nipples.

Breastfeeding - when help is needed

The only exception are the flat or inverted nipples of the future mother. Then, after consulting your doctor, you can use:

  • nipple lifting device - the device is effective, but quite expensive - it costs about PLN 200; use it before a planned pregnancy and during the first two trimesters (as long as the breasts are not too sensitive), as well as in the first days after childbirth; however, it will not work with breasts full of milk, so you should use it after emptying the breast, e.g. after feeding
  • Hoffman exercises - grab the nipple with two fingers and stretch it gently in opposite directions, horizontally and vertically, exercise 2-3 times a day, making 10 movements each way
  • correction overlays - from the third trimester of pregnancy; at the beginning, wear the aligners for a maximum of 2 hours, gradually increasing the time to 8 hours, remember to wash them every day and sterilize them once a week, wear the corrective aligners between feedings and continue exercising the nipples 2-3 times a day.

Once your baby is born, use the breast pump to pull out the nipple before feeding.

Beautiful breasts while breastfeeding

During pregnancy, you should take care of the comfort of your breasts and their appearance - their condition after childbirth depends on it. Start by getting the right bra, which is the correct size. It should have cups of the right size to fit the whole breasts and a fairly tight circumference. Throughout your pregnancy, adjust the bra size to your growing bust. In addition, every day, while taking a bath, give yourself a two-minute massage of your breasts with a stream of water from the shower, pouring alternately warm and cold water. Then dry them thoroughly, lightly touching them with a towel, and gently massage the anti-stretch cream into them.

Worth knowing

Where does the milk come from?

The breast is made of 9 lobes, and they are made of smaller lobes with mammary glands - this is where food is produced. It reaches the nipple through special channels that can expand and narrow, depending on the amount of flowing milk. The process is regulated by two neurohormonal reflexes: prolactin and oxytocin. When your baby sucks properly, it stimulates the nerve endings in the skin of the nipple and areola. The stimuli are transferred to the anterior pituitary gland. From here, prolactin is released, which stimulates the alveoli to produce milk. At the same time, the posterior pituitary gland receives a signal that triggers oxytocin. It causes the smooth muscle that surrounds the alveoli and ducts to contract, and thus the flow of milk from the breast.

monthly "M jak mama"

Category:

Pregnancy