Baby feeding mother milk pics

30 Empowering Breastfeeding Photos

It’s not easy, and it’s not always embraced by those around us. But these powerful, beautiful, sometimes raw images of women breastfeeding their babies are proof of the strength, determination and love that moms from across the country have for their newborns. Here, we’ve rounded up some of our favorite breastfeeding pictures from across the Internet and around the world.

Image: Emporio da Foto

The Breastfeeding Bride

This beautiful bride took the to-have-and-to-hold part of her wedding vows to a whole new level as she nursed her new baby boy mid-ceremony. The photographer was initially hesitant to share the breastfeeding pic, but ultimately decided to go for it, writing, “I was pretty sure people would find it as beautiful as I did.”

Image: Nicole Starr Photography

Breastfeeding to Shatter Stereotypes

As many moms know all too well, nursing doesn’t come easy to every baby. That can be especially true for babies with Down syndrome, whose poor muscle tone may interfere with a good latch. But that doesn’t mean those infants can’t breastfeed—which this group of women breastfeeding babies with Down syndrome set out to show.

Image: Courtesy of Christian Serratos/Instagram

Shutting Down the Shamers

Christian Serratos, who plays the butt-kicking, zombie-destroying Rosita in The Walking Dead, took to Instagram to put breastfeeding-shamers in their place. “This is my body and my page. So I will post what I want, when I want. Those who disapprove can suck my left tit,” she writes. With well over 200,000 likes, it looks a lot of people are cheering her on.

Image: Courtesy of Maya Vorderstrasse/Instagram

Multitasking Mama

When Maya Vorderstrasse shared this photo on Instagram, she was floored by the response of over 11,000 likes. Here, she’s feeding her older daughter Zoey with a bottle and baby daughter Hazel with her breast. She writes about her struggle to nurse both at the same time. “Feeding them is beautiful,” she says. “I don’t know about your journey, but I can tell you that whatever your choice or circumstance, don’t ever feel guilty or like you are inadequate. Ever. Just love them and do the best you can. You’re a rockstar. No. Matter. What. Whatever your feeding routine consists of, it is hard being a mother, so let’s show support for each other! To me, fed is best.”

Image: Ivette Ivens

A Burn Survivor  Persists

Burn survivor Schamica “Mimi” Stevenson opened up about her breastfeeding struggles to the Facebook group Black Women Do Breastfeed. She had tried to nurse her firstborn and stopped. But here she is with baby No. 2, persisting. She explains that breastfeeding still has it’s challenges, but that she was feeling good. “I feel lucky to still have nipples,” she writes. “So I’m going to continue to breastfeed and hope my story helps someone else.”

Image: Jessica Louise Imagery

Standing Up for Women’s Rights

Is there any setting more appropriate to proudly nurse baby in public than the Women’s March? We think not. Here, Tess Holliday does it with zero apologies.

Image: Foxy Photography

Extended Breastfeeding Pride

In honor of National Breastfeeding month, photographer Abbie Fox gathered a group of moms who continue to breastfeed their children past infancy. The result? This lovely picture of women breastfeeding and the note she posted on Facebook: “No matter if you nurse for a few days or a few years, there should never be any judgements against moms that are just doing their best to keep their kiddos healthy,” she writes.

Image: Courtesy of Jinti Fell/Instagram

Breastfeeding in the Great Outdoors

Jinti Fell travels Australia by way of a camper van with her husband and baby daughter, Ayana. On the topic of breastfeeding, she offers up this heartening message: “Nature loves courage. You make the commitment and nature will respond to that commitment by removing impossible obstacles. Dream the impossible dream and the world will not grind you under, it will lift you up. ” And with over 11,000 Instagram likes, it’s clearly a sentiment that’s resonating with others.

Image: NCee Photography

Breastfeeding With Cancer

A day before breast cancer patient DeShonjla “Shonni” Peterson was scheduled to undergo a bilateral mastectomy, she changed her mind. Instead of having both breasts removed, she opted to keep one. The reason: Shonni had just learned that she was carrying her second child and she wanted to nurse her. Here she is, breastfeeding newborn Zoë.

Image: Johnny Draper

Nursing and Primping for The Big Day

“When you’re getting ready to get married, life with your beautiful children doesn’t stop,” writes wedding photographer Jonny Draper. He captured this touching moment between UK mom and bride, Beth Martin, and her baby boy, George.

Image: Nicki Kaylor Photography

What No Breastfeeding Mom Wants to Hear

Women breastfeeding in public are constantly subjected to stares, dirty looks and other people’s opinions—and photographer and mom Nicki Kaylor was sick of it. So she gathered together some East Tennessee moms and asked them to write down what people have said to them while they’ve nursed. Here’s one of the many ensuing breastfeeding pictures, featuring Erin Peabody, her baby boy and the unwanted “you should use a blanket” advice that she’s tired of hearing.

Image: Courtesy of Lesley-Ann Brandt/Instagram

Lucifer Star Stands Strong

Lesley-Ann Brandt, a proud new mama and star of the TV show Lucifer, shared this sweet shot of her breastfeeding her son on Instagram, writing, “This is motherhood. Needing to pee so badly but you just rocked the perfect latch and Bebe is nuzzled in nicely for a good feed. Priorities people. Priorities.” The breastfeeding pic garnered over 21,000 likes, but some critics just couldn’t resist chiming in. Brandt fired back: “The irony is that these same men and sadly women are all but fine to see these boobs in my work (Spartacus) but breastfeeding my son? How dare I!"

Image: Courtesy of Jenny Tamas

A Breastfeeding Convert

Jenny Tamas didn’t see women breastfeeding when she was growing up. In fact, she used to frown upon the practice. “I was filled with ignorance and judgments. I used to believe breastfeeding moms did it for attention,” she writes on Instagram. Then she had her baby Lilly, and everything changed. Tamas now proudly nurses and openly shares her breastfeeding pictures. “It’s my apology to all women,” she writes, explaining that she wants to help others unlearn that breasts are for men. “I am so damn proud of myself that I am a part of normalizing something that was not normal for me growing up.”

Image: pRoy/Steel Feather Lace Elephant

A Thank-You Note to Black Breastfeeders

To honor the milestone of exclusively breastfeeding for twenty-four weeks—and the start Black Breastfeeding Week—Phylicia Sadsarin shared this precious breastfeeding photo along with a thank-you note to other black women breastfeeding. “To the mamas out there who are on this journey with me, I want to say thank you for helping to bridge the gap,” she says. “Thank you for sharing your struggles and your successes. Thank you to all of the Black lactation consultants out there!.. And thank you to all of the mamas-to-be who want to breastfeed: We are here to support you. There is a village and we welcome you with open arms.”

Image: Ivette Ivens

Three Generations

Mother of two and photographer Ivette Ivens loves taking breastfeeding pictures. In fact, she has a book called Breastfeeding Goddesses. While the breastfeeding pictures in it are decidedly ethereal, this one—recently shared on Instagram—is simple and real, and just as lovely.

Image: Eden Photography

Baby’s First Latch

Perfecting the proper breastfeeding latch can take a little practice—but this little one took to it quickly. One of the most expressive babies in breastfeeding pictures this year, this girl’s balled-up fist says it all: “Yeah! Nailed it!”

Image: Courtesy of Anna Whitehouse/Instagram

Honest Chaos

Anna Whitehouse, the mom of two behind the Instagram handle Mother_Pukka, is nothing if not honest. “We are all still hanging together by a frazzled thread,” she writes. And she’s not alone—this post garnered words of encouragement and camaraderie, like “very familiar scene!” and “I absolutely remember those days of feeling overwhelmed.”

Image: Courtesy of The Nashville Bump/Instagram

When the Going Gets Tough

There are plenty of breastfeeding pictures that capture the beauty and joy of the moment. But this is the face of a breastfeeding mom who’s pushing through to provide for her baby. “Ok, I’m going to say it for us all. Breastfeeding is hard. It’s really, really hard. …The uncertainty, second guessing, responsibility, commitment, discomfort, just to name a few,” she writes on Instagram. “Mamas really do need all the support they can get. So mama, you’re hearing it from me, you’re not going crazy, it is hard, but you’re doing good. Keep going!! There’s a rumor going around that it gets easier."

Image: Brezi Merryman/Love is Photography

First Moments With Baby

That initial breastfeeding session can be intimidating for any new mom, but this mama looks positively serene nursing her very first baby from her hospital bed.

Image: Courtesy of Bunga S. Jehnsen/Instagram

Mom Support

Nothing beats having your mom by your side to cheer you on—especially when you’re providing for a daughter of your own. This gorgeous shot of three generations was shared on Instagram with an important message: “Supporting and loving future generations is the most important thing we can do.”

Image: Brezi Merryman/Love is Photography

Braving it Alone

This sweet moment of mom breastfeeding was captured shortly after she’d given birth to her first baby via c-section—and she did it on her own. Her spouse was deployed at the time, and her photographer was the only person with her during delivery.

Image: Alia Jadad

Hat Tip to Tandem Breastfeeding

“No I didn’t have a crazy amount of milk produced. I produced just enough to feed both of them. If they needed more, my body produced more,” this mom posted to Instagram. “[Soon] I will celebrate 3 years breastfeeding nonstop. I think the longest I have lasted is about 20 hours without feeding.”

Image: Cara Branham

The Last Nursing Session

“The last photo taken of me breastfeeding Ellamie,” this mama shared on Instagram. “I was fortunate enough to feed her from my body for 18 months, which I am so SO very grateful for because I’ve now seen how hard it is for some mamas to even start breastfeeding and have the right support and education to continue.”

Image: Barcroft Media

Mom's Brave Response to Being Shamed

Kelly Stanley of Johnson City, Tennessee, struggled to breastfeed her daughter when she was born. Baby Maya was diagnosed with a severe tongue and lip tie that made latching difficult, but thanks to an operation, Maya became able to breastfeed—a “massive accomplishment” for both mom and baby. Yet when the first-time mom went to nurse her baby while out to dinner with her parents, her father grabbed a cloth and shoved it at her, telling her to cover up. Her brave response to being “humiliated” and “shamed” was to post this powerful image on Instagram.

Image: Visual China Group

Chinese Mothers Raise Breastfeeding Awareness

Nearly a hundred young mothers participated in a nurse-in in Xiangyang, China with the goal of raising awareness about breastfeeding, advocating for the establishment of maternal and infant rooms in public places and creating a loving social atmosphere for both babies and mothers.

Image: Gina Knight

British Breastfeeding Mum Speaks Out

“In the U.K., just 1% of mums exclusively breastfeed. That is one of the lowest rates worldwide,” this British breastfeeding mom says in an Instagram post. “There is a lack of support in the U.K. to support mums with their breastfeeding journeys. My own experiences have been really up and down, with government cutting funding to breastfeeding support groups. Luckily there is a great bunch of mums online supporting mums who choose to breastfeed exclusively. ”

Image: Kirsten Noelle Craig

Normalize Breastfeeding

In an effort to normalize breastfeeding, this mom shared an Instagram photo of her wielding a powerful sign: “My child needs my milk; NOT your approval.”

Image: Out of Focus Pictures

Drowning Out Shameful Stares

“India used to be a breastfeeding friendly nation. Our scriptures symbolize a mother’s breast as pitcher full of nectar. Somewhere along the lines of modernisation and struggling with our own social and cultural hindrances, breastfeeding got surrounded by misinformation and moral policing," this breastfeeding mom says. "I have come to realise that just like Mumbai’s monsoons, a baby’s cry to be fed is unpredictable. Would you rather hide or let your baby cry? I prefer to take a deep breath, look into my baby’s eyes and let the the downpour drown out any shameful comments or stares…I am certain that we Indian mothers can regain our lost confidence in breastfeeding by prioritising our babies above everything else. ”

Image: Trina Cary Photography

Feeding on a Float

Breastfeeding can happen anywhere: In your favorite armchair, at a restaurant, on a park bench, even, in the case of this mama, on a swan float in your backyard pool. It’s a go-to nursing spot for this Australian mom, who says her daughter just loves it.

Image: With A Little Grace Photography

Giving Breastfeeding a Boost in Qatar

A 2012 government survey found that only 29 percent of mothers exclusively breastfeed in Qatar during the first six months of baby’s life. Globally, the average is 37 percent. “I started the project with the aim to raise positive awareness about breastfeeding,” says the Qatar-based photographer who captured this moment. “I had several different breastfeeding meet-ups that helped women discuss their experiences and talk about breastfeeding.”

Please note: The Bump and the materials and information it contains are not intended to, and do not constitute, medical or other health advice or diagnosis and should not be used as such. You should always consult with a qualified physician or health professional about your specific circumstances.

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mutter hält und stillt kleines baby - breastfeeding stock-fotos und bilder

Mutter hält und stillt kleines Baby

neugeborenen baby junge saugen milch von mütterbrust. porträt von mutter und stillenbaby. - breastfeeding stock-fotos und bilder

Neugeborenen Baby Junge saugen Milch von Mütterbrust. Porträt...

Neugeborener Junge saugt Milch aus der Brust der Mutter. Porträt von Mutter und stillendem Baby. Konzept der gesunden und natürlichen Babystillernährung.

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Neugeborenes Baby mit seiner Mutter auf der Krankenstation

Mutter stillt Baby Junge am Krankenhausbett.

neugeborenes baby mädchen stillen in mütter arme. - breastfeeding stock-fotos und bilder

Neugeborenes Baby Mädchen Stillen in Mütter Arme.

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Kleines Baby, das sich während des Stillens an seiner Mutter...

Porträt eines süßen kleinen Kindes, das stillt und ein Nickerchen in den Armen der Mutter macht. Süßes nacktes Baby, das den Zeigefinger der Mutter festhält. Nahaufnahme-Porträt.

nette junge mutter mit baby-mädchen zu hause - breastfeeding stock-fotos und bilder

Nette junge Mutter mit Baby-Mädchen zu Hause

Mutter stillt ein Neugeborenes, sitzt auf Schaukelstuhl im Zimmer.

schmerzen und probleme bei einer frau beim stillen eines babys. mutter erlebt beschwerden während des stillens - breastfeeding stock-fotos und bilder

Schmerzen und Probleme bei einer Frau beim Stillen eines Babys....

Schmerzen und Probleme bei einer Frau beim Stillen eines Babys. Mutter erlebt Beschwerden beim Stillen

junge mutter stillt ihr baby. in vitro fertilisation (ivf). familie der asiaten - breastfeeding stock-fotos und bilder

Junge Mutter stillt ihr Baby. In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF)....

banner zur weltstillwoche. - breastfeeding stock-grafiken, -clipart, -cartoons und -symbole

Banner zur Weltstillwoche.

Junge Frau und neugeborenes Baby. Mutter mit Kind. Line Art beiges Konzept.

mutter stillen ihr neugeborenes baby mädchen - breastfeeding stock-fotos und bilder

Mutter stillen Ihr Neugeborenes baby Mädchen

Schönes neugeborenes Mädchen mit Mutter

eine weibliche mutter stillt ein baby, während sie nachts auf einem heimbett sitzt. mama füttert milch kleinkind baby im licht der abendlampe - breastfeeding stock-fotos und bilder

Eine weibliche Mutter stillt ein Baby, während sie nachts auf...

Eine Mutter stillt ein Baby, während sie nachts auf einem Heimbett sitzt. Mama füttert Milchkleinkind Baby im Licht der Abendlampe

flaschen mit muttermilch auf dem hintergrund der mutter halten in ihren händen und stillen baby. mutterschaft und baby pflege. - breastfeeding stock-fotos und bilder

Flaschen mit Muttermilch auf dem Hintergrund der Mutter halten...

mutter in schmerzen stillen ihr baby - breastfeeding stock-fotos und bilder

Mutter in Schmerzen stillen ihr Baby

Neu verheiratete Mutter mit Schmerzen beim Stillen ihres kleinen Jungen zu Hause

stillberaterin.

frau sitzt auf dem stuhl und stillt baby. mutter und kleinkind. innenraum der wohnung. - breastfeeding stock-grafiken, -clipart, -cartoons und -symbole

Stillberaterin. Frau sitzt auf dem Stuhl und stillt Baby. Mutter...

Stillberaterin. Die Frau sitzt auf dem Stuhl und stillt das Baby. Mama und Kleinkind. Interieur der Wohnung.

junge mutter stillt ihren kleinen jungen an öffentlichen orten - breastfeeding stock-fotos und bilder

Junge Mutter stillt ihren kleinen Jungen an öffentlichen Orten

Junge Mutter, die ihren kleinen Jungen an einem öffentlichen Ort stillt. Triest, Italien, Europa

schwarzes stillsymbol isoliertes symbol - breastfeeding stock-grafiken, -clipart, -cartoons und -symbole

Schwarzes Stillsymbol isoliertes Symbol

Einfaches Silhouettensymbol isoliert auf weißem Hintergrund

vektorillustration einer frau, die ihr neugeborenes baby stillt, in einer zeilenkunst in händchen haltend.

mutter und baby zusammen im linearen stil - breastfeeding stock-grafiken, -clipart, -cartoons und -symbole

Vektorillustration einer Frau, die ihr neugeborenes Baby stillt,...

symbol für die pflegeraumlinie - breastfeeding stock-grafiken, -clipart, -cartoons und -symbole

Symbol für die Pflegeraumlinie

nette junge mutter mit baby-mädchen zu hause - breastfeeding stock-fotos und bilder

Nette junge Mutter mit Baby-Mädchen zu Hause

Mutter stillt ein Neugeborenes, sitzt auf Schaukelstuhl im Zimmer.

junge mutter hält neugeborene zwillinge in ihren armen und stillt sie - breastfeeding stock-fotos und bilder

Junge Mutter hält neugeborene Zwillinge in ihren Armen und...

weltstillwoche, mutter mit babypflege - breastfeeding stock-grafiken, -clipart, -cartoons und -symbole

Weltstillwoche, Mutter mit Babypflege

world breastfeeding week banner mit mama stillendes baby auf rosa hintergrund vektor design - breastfeeding stock-grafiken, -clipart, -cartoons und -symbole

World Breastfeeding Week Banner mit Mama Stillendes Baby auf. ..

World Breastfeeding Week Banner mit Mama Stillen Baby auf rosa Hintergrund Vektordesign

mutter kuscheln mit ihren babys - breastfeeding stock-fotos und bilder

Mutter Kuscheln mit ihren Babys

Mutter kuschelt mit ihrem Neugeborenen im Wohnzimmer

stillkonzept, mutter füttert ein baby mit brust. vektor-illustration im flachen stil, vorlage für banner, zielseite - breastfeeding stock-grafiken, -clipart, -cartoons und -symbole

Stillkonzept, Mutter füttert ein Baby mit Brust. Vektor-Illustrati

mutter stillendes baby zu hause - breastfeeding stock-fotos und bilder

Mutter stillendes Baby zu Hause

Mutter stillt Baby zu Hause

die mutterschaft - breastfeeding stock-fotos und bilder

die Mutterschaft

glückliche junge mutter mit baby junge zu hause fühlen - breastfeeding stock-fotos und bilder

Glückliche junge Mutter mit Baby Junge zu Hause fühlen

junge mutter stillen ihr neugeborenes kind.

stillzeit säugling konzept. mutter ihr baby sohn oder tochter mit muttermilch zu ernähren - breastfeeding stock-fotos und bilder

Junge Mutter stillen ihr neugeborenes Kind. Stillzeit Säugling...

mutter kind fütterung von brust auf grund des rotes herz - breastfeeding stock-grafiken, -clipart, -cartoons und -symbole

Mutter Kind Fütterung von Brust auf Grund des rotes Herz

mutter stillt ihren kleinen sohn beim frühstück - breastfeeding stock-fotos und bilder

Mutter stillt ihren kleinen Sohn beim Frühstück

Mutter stillt ihren kleinen Sohn, während sie im Strandrestaurant Frühstück isst

vorteile des stillens für neugeborene - breastfeeding stock-fotos und bilder

Vorteile des Stillens für Neugeborene

Vorteile des Stillens für Neugeborene. glückliche Mutterschaft. Familienwerte.

mutter fütterung neugeborenen baby mit brust und flasche vektor set - breastfeeding stock-grafiken, -clipart, -cartoons und -symbole

Mutter Fütterung Neugeborenen Baby mit Brust und Flasche Vektor. ..

Mutter füttert Neugeborenes mit Brust- und Flaschenvektor-Set. Mutterschaftskonzept

stillpositionen festgelegt. mutter und baby zusammen. infografik zum fütterungsstart. - breastfeeding stock-grafiken, -clipart, -cartoons und -symbole

Stillpositionen festgelegt. Mutter und Baby zusammen. Infografik...

stillen und bett teilen, um eine perfekte bindung zum kind zu entwickeln - breastfeeding stock-fotos und bilder

Stillen und Bett teilen, um eine perfekte Bindung zum Kind zu...

Schönes Kind ohne Kleidung, das während des Stillens ein Nickerchen macht, in engem Kontakt mit einer unerkannten Frau im blauen Hemd liegend. Bettenteilung, um das Stillen angenehm zu gestalten. Draufsicht, Lichteffekte.

stillen - breastfeeding stock-fotos und bilder

Stillen

frau mit neugeborenem - breastfeeding stock-fotos und bilder

Frau mit Neugeborenem

baby ernährung die muttermilch. mutter stillen baby.

- breastfeeding stock-fotos und bilder

Baby Ernährung die Muttermilch. Mutter stillen Baby.

schöne mutter stillt baby. junge frau, die ihr neugeborenes baby stillt. konzept der laktation säugling, postpartale periode, natürliche mutterschaft. mutter und kind in der natur im freien. - breastfeeding stock-fotos und bilder

Schöne Mutter stillt Baby. Junge Frau, die ihr neugeborenes Baby...

Schöne Mutter stillt Baby. Junge Frau, die ihr Neugeborenes stillt. Konzept der Stillzeit Säugling, postpartale Periode, natürliche Mutterschaft. Mutter und Baby in der Natur im Freien.

freundinnen, die ihr handy benutzen, während sie ihr baby zu hause stillen - breastfeeding stock-fotos und bilder

Freundinnen, die ihr Handy benutzen, während sie ihr Baby zu...

Freundinnen sitzen zusammen auf dem Sofa mit ihrem kleinen Jungen und schauen zu Hause auf das Handy. Frau stillt ihren kleinen Sohn und benutzt Mobiltelefon mit ihrer Partnerin im Wohnzimmer.

mutter stillen baby in ihren armen zu hause. - breastfeeding stock-fotos und bilder

Mutter stillen Baby in ihren Armen zu Hause.

neue mutter füttert baby mit brust - breastfeeding stock-grafiken, -clipart, -cartoons und -symbole

Neue Mutter füttert Baby mit Brust

Neue Mutter, die das Baby mit der Brust füttert. Junge Frau, die ein kleines Kind in den Armen hält. Vektorillustration für Stillen, Gesundheit, Babynahrung, Mutterschaft, Pflegekonzept

porträt von mutter und stillenbaby. - breastfeeding stock-fotos und bilder

Porträt von Mutter und stillenbaby.

Das Konzept des Stillens. Porträt von Mutter und stillendem Baby.

mutter stillt und spielt mit ihrem neugeborenen baby - breastfeeding stock-fotos und bilder

Mutter stillt und spielt mit ihrem neugeborenen Baby

Mutter stillt und spielt mit dem neugeborenen Jungen

- print - breastfeeding stock-grafiken, -clipart, -cartoons und -symbole

- Print

lächelnde junge mutter in weißem t-shirt-stillenden baby - breastfeeding stock-fotos und bilder

Lächelnde junge Mutter in weißem T-Shirt-stillenden Baby

krankenschwester doula begleitet das stillen - breastfeeding stock-fotos und bilder

Krankenschwester Doula begleitet das Stillen

Krankenschwester Doula begleitet Mutter und Baby

mutter mit babys.

weibliche krankenschwester kleinkinder. junge mütter und kleine kinder. glückliche elternzeichen. abbildung des mutterschaftskonzepts - breastfeeding stock-grafiken, -clipart, -cartoons und -symbole

Mutter mit Babys. Weibliche Krankenschwester Kleinkinder. Junge Mü

junge lächelnde mutter stillt ihr baby zu hause. - breastfeeding stock-fotos und bilder

Junge lächelnde Mutter stillt ihr Baby zu Hause.

stillende mutter - breastfeeding stock-fotos und bilder

Stillende Mutter

mutter, die ihren neugeborenen jungen stillt. realistisches heimporträt - breastfeeding stock-fotos und bilder

Mutter, die ihren neugeborenen Jungen stillt. Realistisches...

Mutter stillt ihren neugeborenen Jungen. Realistisches Heimporträt

junge mutter hält ihr neugeborenes baby boy - breastfeeding stock-fotos und bilder

Junge Mutter hält ihr neugeborenes Baby boy

handgezeichnete mutter, die ihr kind stillt illustration - breastfeeding stock-grafiken, -clipart, -cartoons und -symbole

Handgezeichnete Mutter, die ihr Kind stillt Illustration

Junge Frauen verschiedener Ethnien mit Kindern. Mama hält ihr Baby. Liebe und Mutterschaft. Handgezeichnetes Banner. Neugeborenes isst Milch, Weltstillwoche Illustration.

afroamerikanische mutter singt wiegenlied für säugling zu schlafen - breastfeeding stock-fotos und bilder

Afroamerikanische Mutter singt Wiegenlied für Säugling zu...

Mutterschaftskonzept. Porträt einer lächelnden afroamerikanischen Frau, die ihr entzückendes kleines schwarzes, verärgertes Baby an den Händen hält, Schlaflied singt, ein beruhigendes Kleinkind, das zu Hause im Schlafzimmer steht

automatische brustpumpe, mutterbrust milch ist die am meisten gesunde nahrung für neugeborene. glückliche mutter mit babys im bett zimmer, haus, vintage farbe - breastfeeding stock-fotos und bilder

Automatische Brustpumpe, MutterBrust milch ist die am meisten...

brasilianische frau, die ihr baby stillt - breastfeeding stock-fotos und bilder

Brasilianische Frau, die ihr Baby stillt

Brasilianische Frau stillt ihr Baby

porträt einer mutter und stillenden babys.

konzept stillen - breastfeeding stock-fotos und bilder

Porträt einer Mutter und stillenden Babys. Konzept Stillen

Porträt einer Mutter und eines stillenden Babys. Konzept Stillen.

junge mutter, stillen ihr neugeborenes baby junge outdoor im park - breastfeeding stock-fotos und bilder

Junge Mutter, stillen ihr neugeborenes Baby junge outdoor im Park

Junge Mutter, stillt ihren neugeborenen Jungen draußen im Park, Herbstzeit

porträt einer glücklichen jungen mutter, die ihr baby auf weißem hintergrund stillt, leerer kopierraum für werbetext - breastfeeding stock-fotos und bilder

Porträt einer glücklichen jungen Mutter, die ihr Baby auf weißem...

Porträt einer glücklichen jungen Mutter, die ihr Baby mit der Brust füttert, auf weißem Hintergrund, leerer Kopierplatz für Werbetext

mutter stillt auf der couch liegend - breastfeeding stock-fotos und bilder

Mutter stillt auf der Couch liegend

mutter stillen baby sitzen sofa nach hause - breastfeeding stock-fotos und bilder

Mutter stillen Baby sitzen Sofa nach Hause

Mutter stillt ihr Kind, das vor dem Hintergrund des Lichtfensters sitzt. Mama saugt kleinen Jungen zu Hause

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Prejudices related to breastfeeding

Instead of an introduction, I would like to say that the ideas of modern women about breastfeeding are a collection of prejudices. They are so common that in many books for expectant mothers and in magazines for parents, it is actions based on prejudice that are described as correct and necessary.

“Breastfeeding is something incredibly difficult, almost no one is able to feed for a long time, everyone always has a lot of problems and one sheer inconvenience”

There is nothing easier, more comfortable, more enjoyable for mother and baby, and, by the way, cheaper than properly organized breastfeeding. But for that to be the case, breastfeeding needs to be learned. The best teacher in this matter may not be a book or a magazine for parents, but a woman who has been breastfeeding her child for a long time, more than a year, and receiving positive emotions from this. There are women who breastfeed for a long time and perceived it as a punishment. For example, one mother fed a child for 1.5 years and for all these 1.5 years she pumped after each feeding, and when she decided that she was enough and decided to wean the child, she had mastitis due to wrong actions. Now she tells everyone that breastfeeding is hell. She didn't feed her baby properly for a single day.

"Breastfeeding spoils the shape of the breast"

It is true that breastfeeding does not improve the shape of the breast, but the breast changes during pregnancy. It is then that it increases and becomes heavier, and, if its shape contributes to this, it “sags”.

Breast changes during lactation. Approximately 1-1.5 months after birth, with stable lactation, it becomes soft, produces milk almost only when the baby suckles. After the end of breastfeeding, 1.5-3 or more years after the birth of the baby, involution of the mammary gland occurs, lactation stops. Iron "falls asleep" until the next time. Under natural conditions, the end of breastfeeding always coincides with a decrease in the baby's need for breastfeeding. The chest remains soft, inelastic. The shape of the breast largely depends on the presence of adipose tissue in it, the amount of which decreases during prolonged breastfeeding. After the end of breastfeeding, adipose tissue is gradually restored. If a woman does not feed a child, the involution of the mammary gland occurs within the first month after childbirth. The shape of the breast still does not return to its pre-pregnancy state. And if you think about it and figure out why a woman has breasts at all? It's for breastfeeding.

"Breastfeeding spoils the figure"

Many women are afraid to gain weight while breastfeeding. But usually a woman gains weight mainly during pregnancy, and not when she is nursing. Moreover, if before pregnancy she tried to meet certain fashionable standards, for example, 90-60-90, during pregnancy she returns to her weight, her genetically incorporated physiological norm (and it may be far from fashionable standards) + the well-known 7-10kg per uterus, fetus, amniotic fluid, increased volume of circulating blood and a little bit more for various little things. Weight gain during pregnancy can be significant. Many women begin to lose weight after 6-8 months of feeding, and gradually, in the second, third year of feeding, she “drops” everything that she has accumulated. It turns out that the figure from breastfeeding often just improves.

Very often it turns out that a woman, having stopped breastfeeding 1.5-2 months after giving birth, begins to gain weight. Perhaps this is due to the resulting hormonal imbalance, tk. no woman is designed for such a rapid cessation of lactation.

"You have to prepare the breast for feeding." And then various recommendations follow, from sewing hard rags into the bra to advice to the husband at the end of pregnancy to “dissolve the ducts” of his wife

There is no need to prepare the breast for feeding, it is so arranged by nature that by the time of birth it is quite ready to feed the child. Cloths, for example, can cause skin irritation. Any manipulation of the nipple at the end of pregnancy can lead to very undesirable consequences due to the stimulation of the oxytocin reflex: stimulation of the nipple - release of oxytocin - contraction of the muscles of the uterus under the influence of oxytocin - the uterus is "in good shape" - and, as the worst option, stimulation of premature labor. And in general, has anyone seen a cat with a rag in a bra, or a monkey doing a hardening shower massage?

“With a flat, let alone inverted nipple, breastfeeding is impossible”

Strange as it may seem to people who have never breastfed, a baby's nipple is just a point from which milk flows. If the child sucks in the correct position, then the nipple is located at the level of the soft palate and does not participate in the actual sucking. The child sucks not the nipple, but the areola, massaging, decanting it with the tongue. A breast with a flat or inverted nipple is difficult for a baby to hold in his mouth while suckling and it is more difficult for him to suck on it. Mom should show patience and perseverance in the first days after the birth of a child. Any child is perfectly trained to suck even the most uncomfortable, from our point of view, breast.

The nipple changes shape during sucking, stretches and takes on a more comfortable shape for the baby, usually in 3-4 weeks. There are also various devices called "nipple formers". They are put on immediately after feeding, when the nipple is slightly extended by the efforts of the child and worn until the next application. The nipple formers hold the nipple in an extended position. But even without these things it is quite possible to do.

It is very important for a mother with flat or inverted nipples to ensure that her baby never suckles anything but her mother's breast after birth. The child of such a mother, having sucked on a bottle or a pacifier, quickly realizes that this is a more convenient object for sucking and begins to refuse the breast. In this situation, mom will need even more patience and perseverance.

"You can't keep a newborn at the breast for more than 5 minutes, otherwise there will be cracks"

The child should be kept at the breast for as long as he needs. Feeding ends when the baby himself releases the breast.

If we talk about cracks, then there are only three groups of causes that lead to their formation.

Mom washes her breasts before each feeding. If she does this (and even with soap, and even anoints with brilliant green after feeding - a favorite pastime in Russian maternity hospitals, for example) - she constantly washes off the protective layer from the areola, which is produced by special glands located around the nipple, and dries the skin. This protective lubricant exists just to prevent the loss of moisture in the delicate skin of the nipple, it has bactericidal properties and inhibits the growth of pathogenic microorganisms and, which is especially important for the child, smells about the same as amniotic fluid. The sensitive skin of some women cannot tolerate such exposure for a long time and begins to crack, even with proper attachment of the baby.
Causes related to the incorrect position and behavior of the baby at the breast: the baby is not properly attached and sucks in the wrong position. And if this is true, then 5 minutes after 3 hours is enough for the formation of abrasions, and then cracks. The baby may latch on correctly, but in the process of suckling, he may perform various actions that can lead to cracking if the mother does not know that these actions need to be corrected and not allowed to behave like this. It must be remembered that the child has not suckled before, and does not know how to do it (he knows only the general principle of sucking). Unfortunately, most mothers also do not know how a baby should behave at the breast; they have never, or almost never seen it. What shouldn't a child be allowed to do? "Move out" to the tip of the nipple. This happens especially often if, during sucking, the child does not stick his nose into his mother's breast. If the mother feels that the grip is changing, she should try to press the baby with her nose to her chest. Very often this is enough for the child to “put on” correctly.

If this does not help, the nipple must be removed and re-inserted correctly. The baby should not suckle the breast incorrectly for a single minute. He doesn’t care how to suck, he doesn’t know that he hurts his mother, he doesn’t know that the wrong position does not allow him to suck out enough milk, he doesn’t know that with the wrong position there is not enough stimulation of his mother’s breast and there will not be enough milk production. You can not let the child play with the nipple. A child who has learned to slide down on the tip of the nipple sometimes begins to pass the nipple back and forth through the parted jaws. Mom, of course, it hurts or is unpleasant, but in most cases, mothers allow this to be done “If only he sucked ...” they say ... Why? It often happens that children who do not feel the touch of the breast with their nose during sucking, or do not feel it very well, begin to make search movements with the nipple in their mouth. Here you need to gently press the baby to your chest so that he understands that he is already in place and there is nothing more to look for. Sometimes, especially if the mother has long and large nipples, the baby grabs the breast in several steps, “climbing” up in several movements. This also happens in cases where the child has already sucked on the pacifier and does not open his mouth well. The nipple is injured so very quickly. To avoid this, it is necessary to properly insert the nipple into the wide-open mouth, bringing the nipple itself past the jaws, as deep as possible. Moms don't know how to breastfeed properly.

A typical picture for maternity hospitals with separate stay is as follows: a baby was brought to the mother for 30 minutes, the baby held everything correctly and sucked well for these 30 minutes, he would still suck, but they came to pick him up and the mother pulls (slowly or quickly) his nipple from mouth. Six such pulls per day is enough for the development of abrasions. You can take the nipple only after opening the jaw with the little finger (quickly insert the tip of the finger into the corner of the mouth and turn it - it does not hurt at all and no one suffers).

Diseases of the skin of the nipples. Most often, mothers are faced with a fungal infection of the skin of the nipples - "thrush". In this situation, the skin most often looks "irritated", it can peel off, itch, cracks may appear, even despite proper application, there may be pain during and after sucking, piercing pains along the milk ducts. This problem is usually solved with the use of specific treatment and also has nothing to do with the topic of preparing the breast for feeding or the time the baby is at the breast.

“While there is no milk, it is necessary to drink more water”

The first day after childbirth, liquid colostrum forms in the breast of a woman, on the second day it becomes thick, on 3-4 days transitional milk may appear, 7-10-18 days - milk become mature. Colostrum is scarce and thicker than milk. This is the main argument in most Russian maternity hospitals in favor of supplementing and feeding the child (otherwise he allegedly suffers from hunger and thirst).

If a child needed large volumes of liquid immediately after birth, then nature would arrange the woman in such a way that she would be flooded with colostrum immediately after childbirth. But the child does not need extra water at all. All he needs he gets from colostrum and milk! The water that is given to the child while the mother has colostrum literally “washes away” the colostrum from the gastrointestinal tract, depriving the baby of the action of colostrum necessary for him. Water is given from a bottle, which leads to "tangled nipples" in the baby and may lead to refusal of the breast. Water causes a false feeling of fullness and reduces the need for suckling in a child. If we give a child 100 g of water per day, he sucks 100 g less milk (this applies not only to a newborn). The kidneys of a newborn are not ready for a large load of water and begin to work with overload. The list of arguments against can be continued, but these are enough.

“While there is no milk, it is necessary to supplement the child with formula, otherwise he will lose weight, starve”

The child is not designed to receive anything other than colostrum and milk. In the first days after birth, one colostrum is enough for him. Weight loss in the first day of life is a physiological norm. Newborns lose up to 6-8% of their birth weight in the first two days of their lives. Most children regain their weight or begin to put on weight by 5-7 days of life. Supplementary feeding with a mixture in the first days of a child's life is nothing more than a gross interference in the functioning of the baby's body. You can call this intervention a metabolic catastrophe. But in most Russian maternity hospitals, this is completely ignored!

In addition, the introduction of supplementary feeding is carried out through a bottle, which very quickly leads to "tangled nipples" and the baby refuses the breast. Sometimes one or two bottle feedings are enough to stop a baby from breastfeeding! The mixture causes a feeling of fullness, lingers in the stomach for a long time, the child has a reduced need to suckle the breast, which leads to a decrease in breast stimulation and a decrease in milk production.

“I feed my baby on demand! He demands from me in 3. 5 hours!”

Feeding on demand means putting the baby to the breast for every disturbance or search. The baby needs breastfeeding around every sleep, he falls asleep at the breast and when he wakes up, he is given the breast. A newborn child in the first week of his life can indeed be applied relatively rarely - 7-8 times a day, but in the second week of life, the intervals between applications are always reduced. During wakefulness, the child can ask for a breast up to 4 times per hour, i.e. every 15 minutes! Usually a child fed on demand is applied in the first month of life 12 or more times a day, usually 16-20 times. If a child in the first months of life is applied less than 12 times, then the mother either does not notice his modest requests, or ignores them (meaning a healthy, physiologically mature child).

In the overwhelming majority of cases, at the moment when the child begins to ask for a breast more often, the mother decides that the child is starving and introduces supplementary feeding. And the child asks for breasts not at all because he is hungry. He constantly needs a sense of confirmation of physical contact with his mother. During his life in his mother's belly, he is very used to the following: warm, crowded, I hear my heart beating, my lungs breathe, my intestines growl, I smell and taste amniotic fluid (filling the baby's nose and mouth), almost all the time I suck a fist (studies suck). Only in these conditions the baby feels comfortable and safe. After childbirth, he can get into such conditions only if his mother takes him in her arms, puts him on her breast, and then he will again feel cramped, warm, he will hear familiar rhythms, start sucking and feel the familiar smell and taste (the smell and taste of milk are similar to the taste and smell of amniotic fluid). And a newborn child wants to get into such conditions as often as possible. And a modern mother is waiting, she can’t wait, when the intervals between feedings will increase, when will the child start eating in 3. 5-4 hours, when will he stop waking up at night ??? Hurry!!! And, usually, to the timid attempts of the child to ask for a breast, he answers with a pacifier, a rattle, gives some water, talks, entertains. The child is most often applied to the breast only when he wakes up. And he quickly agrees with this position. The child always takes the mother's position. But here a “pitfall” awaits mother and baby - insufficient breast stimulation and, as a result, a decrease in the amount of milk.

“Feeding on demand is a nightmare! It is impossible to sit and feed the child for days!”

That's what mothers who can't breastfeed say. With properly organized feeding, mom is resting! She lies, relaxed, hugs the baby, the baby sucks. What could be better? Most women cannot find a comfortable position, they sit, they hold the child awkwardly, their back or arm numbs, if they feed lying down, it usually “hangs” over the child on the elbow, the elbow and back become numb. Moreover, if the child does not take the breast well, it hurts the mother . .. What kind of pleasure can we talk about here? In the first month - one and a half after childbirth, when the child is applied chaotically, without a pronounced regimen, sucks often and for a long time, the mother can feel good only if breastfeeding is organized correctly, it is convenient for the mother to feed, she knows how to do it standing, lying down and sitting, and even moving.

“After each feeding, you must express the rest of the milk, otherwise the milk will be wasted”

No, you do not need to express after each feeding if breastfeeding is properly organized. If you feed your baby 6 times a day and do not express, indeed, milk can disappear very quickly. If you express after each feeding, then you can support lactation for some time. The terms are different, but rarely it is more than six months, cases of feeding on such behavior for more than a year are isolated.

When feeding a baby on demand, the mother always has as much milk as the baby needs and there is no need to pump after each application. In order for the newborn to completely suck out the breast, it is applied to one breast for 2-3 hours, and to the other for the next 2-3 hours. Somewhere after 3 months, when the child is already applied relatively rarely, he may need a second breast in one attachment, then the next time he is applied to the one that was last.

There is one unpleasant “pitfall” in regular pumping after feeding, which even most doctors are not aware of. It's called lactase deficiency. When a mother expresses after a feed, she expresses just the “hind” fatty milk, which is relatively poor in milk sugar, lactose. She feeds the child mainly with the anterior portion, which accumulates in the breast between rare feedings. There is a lot of lactose in the anterior portion. The child is fed "only lactose", the gastrointestinal tract of the child after some time ceases to cope with such volumes of lactose. Lactase deficiency develops (Lactase is an enzyme that breaks down lactose - milk sugar, it begins to be missed). This is one of the reasons for the development of lactase deficiency; the second, for example, is this: the mother gives the child two breasts in one feeding. But about this separately.

“You should give your baby two breasts at one feeding.”

No, it is not necessary to give two breasts. A newborn baby can be applied for 1.5-3 hours to one breast. Then 1.5-3 hours to another (for example, the baby woke up, sucked a little and didn’t want to anymore, but after 30 minutes he wanted to suck a little more. After 20 minutes, he sucked longer and fell asleep; all these attachments were from one breast; when the baby wakes up, you can offer him another breast). We need this so that the baby sucks the breast to the end, and receives "front" and "hind" milk in a balanced amount. If the baby is transferred to the other breast in the middle of feeding, he will receive less fat-rich hind milk. He will suck mainly the front portion from one breast and add the same from the other. Foremilk is rich in lactose, and after a while the baby can no longer cope with the load of lactose. Lactose intolerance develops.

Transferring a baby from one breast to another can cause hyperlactation in some women, and if the mother also expresses both breasts after each feeding ... There are such mothers. Curtailing excess milk is sometimes more difficult than adding missing ... In some cases, feeding at one feeding from two breasts is necessary to stimulate lactation when there is a shortage of milk. A growing baby, most often after 3-4 months, may need two breasts in one feeding. Then the next application begins with the breast that was last.

“The more liquid you drink, the more milk”

There are mothers who try to drink as much as possible, sometimes up to 5 liters of liquid per day. And a nursing mother should drink only as much as she wants. By thirst. Mom shouldn't be thirsty. And if water is drunk on purpose, and even more than 3-3.5 liters per day, lactation can begin to be suppressed.

“Sucking the fist is very harmful”

The whole end of pregnancy the child sucked the fist, so he learned to suck. Fist sucking is one of the inborn habits of a newborn. After childbirth, the baby begins to suck on the fist as soon as it enters his mouth. At 3-4 months, the fist is the first thing that the baby can put into his mouth on his own. He can do things on his own!!! This is amazing! And at this age, many babies begin to actively suck their fingers and fists. There is nothing wrong with this. Mom only needs to watch the baby a little. If a baby plays with a fist, then he sucks, then he stops, he can not be distracted from this activity. If the baby begins to actively suck the fist, then the baby wants to suck for real, offer him a breast. If the need to suckle the baby is fully satisfied by the breast, then the baby stops sucking the fist by 5-6 months. (Then, at 6-7 months, he begins to “look for teeth”, but this is a completely different behavior). The cam baby sucks almost the same as the breast, opening its mouth wide. Some babies have a very funny behavior when, having stuck to the chest, the baby tries to put his fist in his mouth . ..

"My baby needs a pacifier"

The baby is not designed by nature to suckle anything other than the breast (and the fist, in a pinch). A child is always taught to use a pacifier. There are children who immediately push out the pacifier with their tongue. And there are those who begin to suck it. There are mothers who hold the pacifier with their finger so that her child does not push it out. Usually, the first time a baby gets a dummy is when he showed concern and the mother does not know how to calm him down. To calm down, the child needs to suck on the breast, well, they didn’t give him a breast, they gave him something else, he will have to suck what they give ...

“A child often asks for breasts, which means that he is hungry, there is not enough milk for him”

As mentioned above, a newborn child asks to be breastfed often, not at all because he is hungry. He wants to suck, he wants to mom. He constantly needs confirmation of psycho-emotional and physical contact with his mother.

“Sufficient milk or not, we will find out on control feeding”

We will not learn anything on control feeding (the child is weighed before and after feeding, the difference is calculated and find out how much he sucked for feeding). Because:

A baby who feeds on demand constantly sucks different portions of milk. In one application 5 ml, in another - 50, in the third - 150. You can get 5 ml. (Once I weighed my daughter after 30 minutes of suckling. She gained 14 g. In the first month of her life, she gained 1200 g - and what would the district pediatrician tell me if this was control feeding in the clinic?)
The newborn is designed to receive small portions of milk, but often. The vast majority of newborns in the conditions of feeding 6-7 times a day still suck out small portions of milk, and not 6 times 120 ml. And of course they don't eat. They start gaining poorly or stop gaining weight, or lose weight altogether.

Whether or not enough milk is available can be determined in two ways:

Wet diaper test. (This is a test for wet diapers, not for used diapers, because you need to know exactly the number of urination). If a child older than 7 days pees more than 6-8 times a day, his urine is light, transparent, odorless, then he receives a sufficient amount of milk. Usually the child pees during wakefulness every 15-30 minutes. If a mother uses diapers, but wants to find out if there is enough milk or not, she needs to remove the diapers from the child for three hours. If the baby pees 3-4 times or more in three hours, then you can not count further. If you peed 3 times or less, we count for 6 hours. If in six hours he peed 4-5 times or more, you can not count further, if less than 4, we count further. And so on… Weekly weight gain (for a child older than 7 days) should be between 125 and 500 g.

“If applied frequently, the baby will suck everything out quickly, the breast is soft all the time – there is no milk. It is necessary to “save” milk for feeding”

When feeding a child on demand, the breast becomes soft about a month after the start of feeding, when lactation becomes stable. Milk begins to be produced only when the baby suckles. The breast is never “empty”, in response to the sucking of the child, milk is constantly produced in it. If the mother is trying to fill her breasts for feeding, waiting for the breasts to “fill up”, she gradually reduces the amount of milk by such actions. The more mother attaches the child, the more milk, and not vice versa.

“The stomach needs to rest”

But the child's stomach doesn't work very well. Milk there only curdles and is quickly evacuated to the intestines, where the actual digestion and absorption takes place. This is the prejudice from the old song about feeding according to the schedule after 3 hours. The newborn does not have a clock. No mammal makes even intervals in feeding its newborns. The body of the child is adapted to the continuous flow of mother's milk, and he does not need to rest at all.

“After each feeding, keep the baby upright for 20 minutes”

Do not hold the baby upright after each feeding, especially if the baby has fallen asleep. Most of the time the baby lies on its side. If he burps a little, then the diaper just changes under his cheek. It is necessary to hold the artificial man vertically so that he does not spill the 120g poured into him. And we are talking about babies who are fed on demand and receive small portions of mother's milk. In addition, the cardiac sphincter of the stomach needs training, which it can only receive if the child is lying down.

“You need to sleep at night”

At night, you need to not only sleep, but suck your breast. Most newborn children are so arranged that they sleep from 10-11 pm to 3-4 am, then they begin to wake up and ask for breasts. In a child of the first month of life, applications in the morning hours (from 3 to 8) are usually 4-6. Night feedings with properly organized breastfeeding look something like this: the baby got worried, the mother put it to the breast, the baby sleeps sucking and the mother also sleeps, after a while he lets go of the breast and sleeps more soundly. And such episodes happen in a night 4-6. All this is easy to organize if the mother sleeps with her child, and for this she needs to be able to feed lying down in a comfortable position.

If the baby sleeps separately from the mother, in his own bed, then he stops waking up for morning feedings, sometimes already a week after birth, sometimes by 1.5-2 months. Most modern mothers take this with relief, because. for them, finally, the night running back and forth, nodding while sitting in a chair or on a bed over a sucking child, and some also pumped at night ... And here they are waiting for a pitfall called insufficient stimulation of prolactin and, as a result, a decrease in the amount of milk . A mother and her child are a wonderful self-regulating system. While the baby has a need to suck in the morning, his mother produces the maximum amount of prolactin, just from about 3 to 8 in the morning.

Prolactin is always present in the female body in small amounts, its concentration in the blood increases significantly after the baby begins to breastfeed, most of all it is obtained in the morning hours from 3 to 8 in the morning. Prolactin, which appeared in the morning, is engaged in the production of milk during the day. It turns out who sucks at night, stimulates his mother's prolactin and provides himself with a decent amount of milk during the day. And whoever fails to suckle at night, he can quite quickly be left without milk during the day. No mammal takes a nightly break from feeding its young.

“I lost my milk because of my “nerves””

Milk production depends on the hormone prolactin, the amount of which depends on the number of times the baby is latched on and nothing else. The experiences of the mother on any occasion do not affect him. But the release of milk from the breast depends on the hormone oxytocin, which is engaged in the fact that it contributes to the contraction of muscle cells around the lobules of the gland and thereby contributes to the flow of milk. The amount of this hormone is very dependent on the psychological state of the woman. If she is frightened, tired, in pain or in any other discomfort during feeding, oxytocin stops working and milk stops flowing from the breast. A child cannot suck it out, a breast pump does not express it, and it cannot come out with its hands ...

The manifestation of the “oxytocin reflex” was observed by every breastfeeding woman: when a mother hears the crying of a child (and not necessarily her own), her milk begins to leak. The body tells the mother that it is time to apply the baby. In a situation of stress or fear, nothing like this is observed. (Relationship to the ancient instinct of self-preservation: if a woman runs from a tiger and she smells of leaking milk, the tiger will find and eat her faster, so while she runs in fear through the jungle with a child under her arm, the milk will not leak when she gets to the safety of the cave - and calmly settle down to feed the child, the milk will come again.)

Modern stressful situations work like those tigers. In order for milk to flow out again, you must try to relax during feeding, think only about the child. You can drink soothing herbs, shoulder massage, calm conversation helps well. Anything to help you relax. And most modern mothers are not able to relax during feeding, it is uncomfortable for them to sit or lie down, it can be painful to feed - all this prevents the manifestation of the oxytocin reflex - milk remains in the breast, which leads to a decrease in lactation.

"The baby is too fat, it is necessary to limit the number of feedings and give water"

A breastfed child gains 125 to 500 g per week, or 500 to 2000 g per month. Usually, by 6 months, a child born with a weight of 3-3.5 kg weighs about 8 kg. The rate of gain is very individual, there is never any talk of "overfeeding", children who are actively gaining weight grow rapidly in length and look proportionate. Children who gain 1.5-2 kg per month in the first half of life, usually sharply reduce weight gain in the second half of the year and can weigh 12-14 kg by the year. There is never a need to limit the number of feedings, much less to give water.

“Baby lacks nutrients, needs complementary foods from the age of 4 months”

The need for other food manifests itself in a child of about 6 months of age, when he begins to actively wonder what everyone is eating there. And if a mother takes a baby to the table with her, he begins to actively take an interest in the contents of his plate. This behavior is called active food interest, and it indicates that the child is ready to get acquainted with new food and can begin it. Nevertheless, breast milk remains the main food of the child in the first year of life, and in many cases even at the beginning of the second, contains absolutely all the nutrients the child needs and much more.

"A nursing mother should have a strict diet"

Food should be habitual. It is preferable not to use exotic foods in the diet that are not characteristic of the "native" climatic zone. A breastfeeding mother may have interesting nutritional needs, and they must be met in the same way as the desires of a pregnant woman. A woman should eat according to her appetite, and not stick food for two into herself. And, of course, you need to try to eat healthy food. Do not use products containing preservatives, dyes and other unhealthy substances.

“A child should be fed for no more than a year, then there is nothing useful in milk anyway”

After a year of lactation, the quality of milk does not deteriorate at all. Milk continues to be a source of all the necessary nutrients for the child, and in addition, it supplies enzymes that help the child absorb food, contains the baby's immune defenses, and a lot of other substances that are not found in artificial mixtures, or in baby food, or in food. adults (hormones, tissue growth factors, biologically active substances and much, much more).

And don't forget that breastfeeding is not only nutrition, it is a special way of communication between mother and baby. Breastfeeding is necessary not only to eat, but also, for example, to sleep peacefully, or to receive comfort, support in difficult times. All this is necessary not only in the first year of life.

Lilia Kazakova, pediatrician,
Head of Breastfeeding and Child Care Consultants.

Breastfeeding in case of mother's illness.

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Nutrition

Stulova Maria Aleksandrovna Lactation Consultant

09.10.2013

Mom got sick! Nightmare! Grandmothers rush to the rescue, trying to protect the baby from infection and let the patient recover in peace.

However, good intentions and ignorance of physiology often lead to negative results.

Very important: if a nursing mother falls ill, it is necessary to choose medications that are compatible with breastfeeding*, and continue breastfeeding!!!

Contraindications to breastfeeding are the following diseases of the mother:

eclampsia, severe bleeding during childbirth and in the postpartum period,
open tuberculosis,
a state of severe decompensation in chronic diseases of the heart, lungs, kidneys, liver,
and hyperthyroidism,
acute mental illness,
especially dangerous infections (typhus, cholera, etc. ),
herpetic eruptions on the nipple of the mammary gland (before their aftercare),
HIV infection.

With such diseases of a nursing mother as rubella, chickenpox, measles, mumps, cytomegalovirus infection, herpes simplex, acute intestinal and acute respiratory viral infections, if they occur without severe intoxication, breastfeeding, subject to the rules of general hygiene, is not contraindicated.

The presence of hepatitis B and C in women is currently not a contraindication to breastfeeding, however, feeding is carried out through special silicone pads. In acute hepatitis A in the mother, breastfeeding is prohibited.

And if we are dealing with banal colds, flus or mastitis, then interrupting breastfeeding for the duration of the illness is NOT good for either the mother or the child.

Why?

Because by the time the mother has symptoms of the disease, the child may already be infected. He is in a state of “pre-disease”, but has the opportunity not to get sick or to suffer the disease in a mild / latent form.

To do this, it is necessary to help the baby's immune system and save the body's resources to fight infection. What can help the immune system are breast milk immunoglobulins, as well as a huge amount of vitamins and other biologically active substances from milk.

How to preserve the resources of the body - provide the child with the most easily digestible food (this is breast milk), which will save energy, reduce stressful situations (absence of a mother nearby, inability to habitually suckle the breast, the appearance of a new person in the house to care for the baby), save heat (avoid long walks in the cold season). Conclusion: the main help for the child's body is the preservation of the usual rhythm of breastfeeding and the usual contact with the mother.

If we decide to interrupt breastfeeding for the duration of the illness, then the child has to be transferred to artificial formula. What is NOT good for the child:

The child is deprived of mother's milk immunoglobulins and many bioactive substances
The load on the gastrointestinal tract increases, because mixture is an indigestible product to which the body must adapt
The risk of allergies increases and, accordingly, the body's resistance to infections decreases
The child is deprived of habitual sucking and nutrition, and with it the necessary contact with the mother - this is a psychological stress for the baby, weakening the body's resources
Often, when suckling the nipple, the child develops a mechanism of improper sucking, which prevents a further return to breastfeeding

What is NOT useful for a mother to interrupt breastfeeding during illness:

A change in the rhythm and quality of breast emptying, which in turn can provoke lactostasis, and then mastitis (especially if the mother has a bacterial infection).

During illness, the breast must be emptied very efficiently, sometimes giving the child to suck even more often than usual and from different positions. At the same time, many children themselves increase the rhythm of attachments during illnesses (mother's and / or their own) - they seem to “hang” on their chest for a couple of days. And grandmothers at this time can help mom around the house, take care of hygiene and the baby.
Usually safe, used in medium doses, are short courses of paracetamol, ibuprofen; most cough medicines; antibiotics - ampicillin and other penicillins, erythromycin. However, in the instructions for these drugs, you will most likely find a contraindication - breastfeeding. This is due to the fact that the manufacturer must conduct studies on the effect of the drug on the child through breast milk. Since it is very expensive and not every pharmaceutical company can conduct such studies, manufacturers are forced to write a warning. Studies by foreign companies show that the above drugs practically do not penetrate into breast milk (either due to the very large size of the molecules, or due to strong binding to blood proteins) and cannot harm the baby.