Nipple care.
Some doctors recommend regular nipple massage in the last month of pregnancy to strengthen them. After the birth of the child, when he begins to suck, some doctors do not recommend anything special regarding nursing of the nipples, because in other parts of the world healthy breasts are not accepted to rub or lubricate. Others believe that it is useful to lubricate the nipples before and after feeding, or rub them with a mild saline solution( half a teaspoon of salt in a glass of boiled water).A solution of salt allows you to remove milk, but does not produce any effect on the bacteria. Mothers need to wash their hands with soap before touching the nipples( massage them or inspect them), because the infection easily penetrates through the pores and as the child easily becomes infected with stomatitis - a fungus infecting the mouth. But before the usual feeding, you do not have to wash your hands.
Some mothers find it useful 10-15 minutes after feeding to hold the nipples in the air before fastening the bra. Others believe that their nipples look drier and healthier if there are no waterproof pads in the bra.
Cases when very much effort is applied. I have to hear about women who want to breastfeed, but they can not. We start talking about how complex our civilization is, it makes mothers too nervous and deprives them of the opportunity to feed their children. There is no doubt that nervous work adversely affects breastfeeding, but I do not think that most women are nervous. Breastfeeding most often fails because the mother did not try hard enough.
Three important conditions must be observed: 1) stay away from the bottles with the mixture;2) do not fall too early into despair;3) it is enough to stimulate the breast after the appearance of milk.
If a child is artificially fed in the first three or four days of life, the likelihood that he will switch to breastfeeding is reduced. A child who is satisfied with the mixture does not try to suck everything out of his chest.(The water that is given in the early days to avoid dehydration does not affect the craving for the breast.) After the appearance of milk, it is wise to completely abandon the mixture if the child seems satisfied and does not continue to lose weight.
Sometimes mother falls into despair when she starts to appear milk or in one or two days, because she has not enough milk. But this is the most inappropriate time to give up breastfeeding. Mother has not yet used the one hundredth part of her abilities. If on the fifth day it gives at least 30 grams per one feeding, it is worth continuing. In this case it is useful to have a nurse next to you or an experienced nurse who will support and cheer.
At first, for normal stimulation of the breast, night feeding( at 10 pm and at 2 am) is as important as daytime feeding. If the breast with a three-hour or four-hour feeding regimen does not provide enough milk, it is useful to feed the child more often, it is possible every two hours( and at each feeding to emptise both breasts);you just have to watch so that the nipples do not get hurt. This is how the infant and breast adapt to each other in places where there is no cow's milk. Frequent devastation stimulates the chest, and it starts giving more milk. Then the child gets the opportunity to move to longer intervals. Of course, if a child goes hungry for many days, or continues to lose weight, or if the temperature rises from lack of liquid, it can not be endlessly deprived of the mixture. Frequent feeding should be discontinued if the nipples are cracked or if the mother is very tired due to a lack of normal rest.
If the mother has the opportunity to constantly contact the doctor, he will help to decide how many days the baby is able to do with a small amount of breast milk without resorting to the mixture, how long will the frequent nursing of the mother's nipples and how often to feed. However, in many cases, the mother's attitude to breastfeeding is more important. If she makes it clear that she intends to succeed, the doctor will give her instructions as she deems useful.