Breastfeeding is highly recommended and if health and circumstances permit, most mums or mums-to-be would want to breastfeed. However, while we know of the benefits of breastfeeding and how fulfilling it can be, it’s simply not an option for some mums.
For those who can, it does come with its fair share of challenges too. Supply issues, cracked nipples, latching the baby, weaning, there’s just so much going on and mums don’t always know where to go when the going gets tough.
That’s why we’re here to help you get rid of your worries, dispel the myths, and tell you about the support you can get right from delivery. Read on to find out!
Why Breastfeeding Is Good For You And The Baby
Before we talk about the challenges, let’s take a quick look at the host of benefits that breastfeeding has in store for both your baby and you. Yes, you too, mama!
The World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends that you exclusively breastfeed for the first 6 months of your baby’s life and continue for up to 2 years of age and beyond, with the introduction of nutritionally adequate complementary solid food at around 6 months1. Why is that so?
Firstly, breastmilk meets all of your baby’s nutritional needs as it contains all the essential vitamins, minerals and nutrients for your baby’s complete growth and development2. That includes water as well. 80% of breastmilk is water3, so unlike formula-fed babies, exclusively breastfed babies don’t need water and will have less issues with constipation or hard stool!
Breastmilk even changes its composition to suit your baby’s changing needs. It is also loaded with antibodies to help your little trooper to fight off viruses and bacteria. The best part is that when you are exposed to viruses and bacteria, you start producing antibodies that go directly into your milk. That means you are building your baby’s immunity4!
Furthermore, breastfeeding a newborn reduces the risk of many diseases such as ear infections, colds, gut infections, bowel diseases, diabetes, allergies, sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) and many more2. This is in addition to preventing childhood obesity and having significant positive effects on babies’ long term brain development.
The benefits extend to you as well, mama. For one, it helps you shed the baby weight and helps your uterus to contract. Breastfeeding also lowers your risk for depression and diseases such as high blood pressure, heart disease and type 2 diabetes3 to name a few. Not forgetting how much money it saves you, for formula milk doesn’t come cheap. And trust me, it’s easier to latch on a hungry baby in the middle of the night then to get up and make the milk!
Having said that, a healthy and happy mama is most important. Thus, if you are unable to breastfeed, or experience low milk supply, don’t sweat it! Continue breastfeeding a newborn with whatever amount you have, even if it’s an ounce a day and supplement with a peace of mind. You are doing your best for your baby and that’s all that matters!
When The Going Gets Tough With Breastfeeding A Newborn…
Ideally, your milk flow kicks in soon after delivery, your baby latches on with no fuss and all is well. But in reality, breastfeeding can be difficult sometimes. You’re not alone. Here are some of the most common breastfeeding a newborn problems that mums face and how you can solve them:
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Plugged milk ducts
Small, hard lumps that form in the breast when milk clogs up and blocks the milk ducts causing them to be tender, swollen and red. It may be alarming to experience this for the first time but fret not. You can prevent this by ensuring your baby is latching correctly and that you are draining your breasts of milk frequently. Alternating feeding positions, frequent feeding, massaging, and applying warm compresses4 will have this problem solved in no time!
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Sore / Cracked Nipples
Sore nipples occurring during the initial stages of breastfeeding a newborn are usually caused by poor positioning or incorrect latch-on technique. Seeking help as early as possible to learn the correct latching technique can prevent or help to solve this problem.
You can apply purified lanolin cream on sore nipples or wear a breast shell in between feeding to protect your sore nipples from rubbing against clothing and to facilitate healing4. Rubbing some expressed milk over your nipples also helps. However, if it persists, do consult your doctor as an opening in the skin paves the way for infection.
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Mastitis
An inflammation of the breast tissue that results in breast pain, swelling, warmth and redness often accompanied by fever and chills. It can be caused by sore nipples left untreated, improper nursing techniques, blocked milk ducts, skipping feeding sessions or even wearing a bra that is too tight5.
If it does happen, you need to see your doctor and usually a course of antibiotics will set you right6. You can continue to feed your baby even with mastitis!
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Low Milk Supply
The more you feed, the more milk you produce. Of course, eating nutritious food and sufficient water intake goes a long way. In addition, you need to ensure that your baby has a good latch so there is effective milk flow. Using breast compression during feeding and expressing milk after a feed also helps to increase your milk supply4.
Don’t worry too much about how much milk you see for so long as your baby is producing enough wet diapers in a day and gaining sufficient weight, your milk supply is probably enough!
These are the most common problems that breastfeeding mums face. When the going gets tough, remember that you, mama, are tougher. Also, think of the numerous benefits of breastfeeding and that should get you through! Do also remember that you are not alone in your struggles and often, they can be overcome.
Be open to alternatives. For example, if latching is an issue, then alternate direct latching with pumping, and as mentioned, if you must supplement, do so without guilt. It’s really important that you make time for self-care and remind yourself that you are doing enough.
At the end of the day, the one thing that your little ones will remember the most is the love you have for them.
Breastfeeding A Newborn: Start Right To Finish Well!
Mums, the beginning of your breastfeeding journey is crucial. If you don’t start right, chances are that you will give up breastfeeding much sooner than you should. A mum shares with us why getting the right advice and support is so important at the beginning.
“I had my first child at the age of 27, after an emergency c-section. So I wasn’t mentally prepared for a c-section so when my baby arrived, and was still in a daze. I was holding my baby for the first time, trying to get the hang of breastfeeding. Believe me, I really wanted to breastfeed him.
But I had an endless stream of visitors, and everyone seemed to have an opinion and tried to tell me what to do. At some point, I gave up and told the nurses to formula feed my baby. I decided I would try again when we got home.
Things got a bit better when I was in the privacy of home. However, my aunt, who was there for my confinement was convinced that my baby milk intake wasn’t enough and that was why my baby kept crying.
I was also told that my baby would sleep through the night if he had formula, and that was good for sleep training. Eventually, I started ‘topping up’ feeds with infant formula milk, and night feeds were purely formula.
My milk supply started to dip and finally, at around 5 months, I called in a lactation consultant from the hospital I’d delivered my son. I wish I had sought her out earlier for it would have given me the right advice. Once I went down the slippery slope of supplementing with infant formula milk, it was difficult to satiate my son with my own milk.
Infant formula milk fast took over and even though I continued offering whatever milk I could, I gave up at about 6 months, not long after I returned to work. I felt defeated and rather upset that my breastfeeding journey with my firstborn hadn’t been very successful.
When it came to my next baby, I was determined not to make the same mistake. I made it clear that upon delivery, my baby was only to have my milk. While I was in the hospital, the lactation consultant and nurses guided me on the right techniques of breastfeeding and the various positions I could switch between.
They also said it was perfectly normal for a baby to want to latch shortly after being fed. I learnt that the best gauge of my milk supply was the number of wet diapers my baby was producing and the steady weight gain. I was thankful for the right advice as I went on to have a successful breastfeeding a newborn journey until my son was past three.
So I breastfed him through my third pregnancy. I tandem breastfed him and my new baby for a couple of months and that felt like the most satisfying feeling in the world!”
Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI) In Singapore
Mums, as you can see, it is imperative that you start your breastfeeding journey right. In that light, the BHFI seeks to promote and support breastfeeding for the well-being of all mums and babies.
It is supported by Singapore’s Health Promotion Board (HPB) and is part of a global effort founded by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the World Health Organisation (WHO) to ensure maternity hospitals meet best practice standards in supporting mothers to breastfeed successfully.
Hospitals under this initiative provide breastfeeding education and a conducive environment for you to begin your breastfeeding journey.
Worldwide, it has been shown that mothers who give birth in such hospitals have increased exclusive breastfeeding rates and longer duration of breastfeeding because of initiatives such as one hour of skin-to-skin contact immediately after birth and 24-rooming in of mother and child.
Mums, we sure hope that after reading this comprehensive guide on breastfeeding a newborn and its benefits, you will feel more confident to embark on this journey. For more comprehensive information, please visit our HPB website. There are downloadable resources handy for parents with children aged 0 to 2.
Find out whatever you need to before delivering then go forth in confidence and let your baby lead the way. Remember, don’t give up when it gets tough. Push on and you will find it to be the most rewarding experience in your life!
References
- www.who.int/health-topics/breastfeeding#tab=tab_2
- www.healthhub.sg/live-healthy/1141/pregnancy-feeding-your-baby-breastfeeding
- www.who.int/news-room/q-a-detail/breastfeeding#:~:text=Breast%20milk%20is%20more%20than,that%20comes%20with%20each%20feed.
- www.healthhub.sg/live-healthy/1038/pregnancy-breastfeeding
- www.verywellfamily.com/common-problems-of-breastfeeding-431906
- www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/mastitis/symptoms-causes/syc-20374829
- www.uofmhealth.org/health-library/hw98039#:~:text=Breastfeeding%20with%20mastitis&text=of%20the%20infection.-,You%20can%20safely%20continue%20breastfeeding%20your%20baby%20or%20pumping%20breast,have%20for%20emptying%20your%20breasts.