Breast milk is the most precious food we can give your baby. From the first days, mothers want to breastfeed their babies and give them all the nutrients they need.
The first breastfeeding should ideally take place as soon as your baby is born, ideally within the first half hour. In some cases, the mother’s milk may not come in that early. This is perfectly normal, but some mothers start to blame themselves and feel that they are not enough for their baby.
In fact, it is quite expected that breast milk will be low for the first 3-4 days. It is very important to help the mother after the birth, to keep her morale high and to support her.
A mother’s high mood and rest are the most effective factors in the release of breast milk. Therefore, the psychological state of the mother directly affects breastfeeding. Our advice to fathers is “Please do not forget your wives, support them to be happy!”. When mothers are stress-free, happy and peaceful, their milk completes the maturation process faster and their milk increases.
To increase your milk, it is very important to breastfeed your baby regardless of the time of day. The first 10 days you hold your baby in your arms is the maturation period of milk. During this period, breastfeeding your baby under the guidance of your baby will help your milk to take a certain form and mature. In the following 3 weeks, your body will have determined your baby’s needs and will start producing milk according to your baby’s sucking pattern. If you move with your baby during this period, it will be very comfortable. Sleeping, waking up and feeding together with your baby will be effective in forming the bond between you and your baby. It is also important to put the help of adults in order at the beginning of this process.
Believing that you will breastfeed your baby until birth, knowing who to talk to if you are stuck about breastfeeding in the first days, and choosing a breast pump will make it easier for you later
The following tricks can help you to increase your milk.
- The primary way to increase and maintain your breast milk supply is to breastfeed your baby plenty.
- Stress directly affects the secretion and formation of breast milk, so it is important to avoid stress and anxiety. Do not hesitate to ask for help from your partner and relatives. This is important for your health and the health of your baby.
- Drinking plenty of water directly affects the formation of breast milk. Breastfeeding mothers should consume an average of 3 – 3.5 liters of water per day. It is useful to pay close attention to fluid intake, especially during summer periods.
- after day 4 – 5, breast milk may start to be produced more than the baby needs. If your baby cannot empty your breast by sucking, expressing your breast after breastfeeding will increase your milk production. Because your body will start producing milk to fill your empty milk ducts. In all my trainings, I recommend that expectant mothers and fathers determine a breast pum before giving birth.
- Sleep is also a factor that affects milk very much. Therefore, especially if you can sleep with your baby for 1 hour at noon, this will positively affect your milk.
- Especially a protein-based diet will have a positive effect on your milk. Plan your diet as 3 main meals and 3 snacks. Emphasize animal protein in the evening meal. Your snacks can be nuts such as almonds, walnuts and a glass of buttermilk.
- 5-7 servings of fresh vegetables and fruits should be consumed daily. However, it is important to choose these from seasonal products.
- Salami, sausage, sausage, sausage, ham and other foods that contain additives such as spices and salt with a high concentration of salt should not be consumed as they can retain the fluid in your body.
- Milk, yogurt and cheese, which are rich in calcium, should be consumed every day.
What to Consider from the First Day to Increase Breast Milk
– As soon as your baby is born, you should breastfeed your baby within the first half hour, without waiting for your milk to come in and certainly without giving your baby sugar water. This will be your baby’s first feeding.
– It is important to receive breastfeeding education before giving birth to prepare yourself psychologically for breastfeeding and to learn and practice the necessary exercises to prepare the nipple for lactation.
– From the moment your baby is born, breastfeed him or her whenever you want. Newborn babies usually want to suck 8-10 times a day. As the number of feedings gradually decreases, the duration of suckling increases. Frequent breastfeeding supports milk production and prevents your breasts from swelling and hurting.
– Practice breastfeeding a lot while you are in the hospital. Get support from the baby nurses at the hospital. You will find that you will be more comfortable when you come home.
– Your nipple may be tender in the first days after giving birth. However, if this tenderness persists after a week and ten days, you should reconsider your choice of breastfeeding position .
– Giving formula, cow’s milk or other foods before or after breastfeeding reduces the amount of milk the baby sucks from the breast. Less breastfeeding causes the mother to produce less milk. Do not start this type of supplementary food without the advice of your doctor.
– You should not use the bottle before your baby learns to suck on the breast. This period is approximately 6-8 weeks. After that, you can choose bottles that allow your baby to use the same sucking technique on the pacifier as on the breast. Thanks to these special bottles, your baby will not reject the breast and will both feed from the bottle and suck on the breast.
– You should also pay attention to your own nutrition while breastfeeding your baby.
Breastfeeding mothers should drink at least 2 liters of water a day, at least 2 glasses of milk or consume plenty of dairy products such as yogurt and cheese. To meet the protein requirement, she should eat legumes such as dried beans, chickpeas, lentils, meat, chicken and fish at every meal. Vegetables and fruits should not be neglected at meals. In addition, mothers who think that their milk is low may benefit from consuming more sugary foods (such as molasses, honey, jam), although this has not been medically proven.
– You should avoid foods that you discover give you and your baby gas.
– Helping the breastfeeding mother and providing her with a peaceful environment is of utmost importance.
– Whichever breast you nursed from last time, you should start the next session from that breast. This way, the baby can also get the fat left over from the previous breastfeeding.
– Each breastfeeding lasts 20-30 minutes on average, depending on the baby’s sucking strength. But if your baby sucks for a shorter time and has a good weight gain, you should be fine.
– If your milk is low, make sure you express with your milk pump after each feeding. This will alert your body that your baby needs more milk. And your milk will start to increase over time.
– Especially in the first few weeks, try to sleep and wake up with your baby. This will make you more resilient and therefore increase your milk supply.
When you are breastfeeding, 3 liters of water a day, apricot, pear and quince compote, fennel tea can support your milk production. We can even say that fish oil is also successful in increasing breast milk. Breastfeeding mothers eating fish containing omega 3 supports the brain development of our baby. Therefore, try to eat fish at least 3 times a week and try to eat grilled or baked meat when you are not eating fish.
But the most important thing is to feel good about yourself. Believe in yourself, breastfeed a lot and pay attention to your diet. You will see that your breast milk will start to increase in a short time.
Esra Ertugrul
www.bebeimgeliyor.com