Breastfeeding, Everything You Wanted To Know

Breastfeeding is recommended as the primary source of nutrition for babies for at least the first 12 months of their life. Yet, it’s not always an option.

There’s no judging from us, a fed baby is the best baby! However, this article specifically is about breast milk.

Breast milk is a nutritionally complete food and also possesses antibacterial and restorative properties. A mother’s body will generally produce exactly the amount and type of milk needed to nourish her child.

While delivering nutrients and antibodies specialized to the child’s environment and stage(s) of development.

But not every parent can or wants to breastfeed

For various reasons, some mothers either have trouble producing enough milk for their child, encounter latching issues, are temporarily separated from their child, or simply just do not want to breastfeed.

Stay Healthy!

Obviously, you will want to give your own baby the best possible nutrition. Yet this is also important for your own well-being and for the quality of any milk you donate.

Stay away from any medication that isn’t prescribed by a medical practitioner (including drugs such as alcohol and tobacco), eat a wide variety of nourishing foods, and keep yourself hydrated.

Use the Freezer

If you begin lactating before your baby arrives. Collect the colostrum you produce in syringes and freeze it. You never know whether you may need expressed colostrum for your own baby. So this is a useful thing to do if you’re able, even if you don’t plan to donate it.

Pump It!

Sometimes there can be an oversupply of milk as a mother’s body settles into production and works out what’s needed. A breast pump can help to ease the discomfort of engorged breasts and collect this precious excess milk.

Supply & Demand

Milk supply is determined by demand. Once your body has established the amount of milk your baby needs. You can express a little extra every day or so and build up a stockpile in your freezer.

Milk Banks!

Find your nearest milk bank or unofficial breast milk-sharing community. Share your white gold so other babies can enjoy the benefits of being fed the most natural food in the world.

Support!

Even if you can’t donate breast milk, you can still help by supporting new mothers and encouraging them to keep trying when they are having problems breastfeeding.

The anxiety that accompanies these issues will often make them worse so new mothers need all the positivism they can get!

Don’t be afraid to use a pacifier when the baby is not hungry and just comfort nursing.

Don’t forget to head over to ‘Breastfeeding Tips and Tricks’ to read more!

 *Breast milk can do a lot of things but always contact a trusted medical practitioner for advice if your baby has any skin or digestive issues that are obviously distressing to them or go on for more than a couple of days.*