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Translated by: Maythé Ruffino and Damaris Bernard
Congratulations! If you are a new mother or welcoming a new baby brother or sister into your family, it can be exciting, joyous, but it could also be a bit overwhelming. Between doctor appointments and baby diapers, another important component in your child’s life is feeding! We’ll talk about the benefits of breastfeeding, how to successfully breastfeed, and resources to support you in the process of breastfeeding your newborn.
The milk in your breast arrives very early, at 12 or 18 weeks of pregnancy in the form of what is called colostrum. Colostrum is the first milk a mother produces and is made up of proteins, fats, sugars, and even antibodies that contribute to your baby’s immunity – protecting him from germs found in the environment – that’s why we call it liquid gold! ! After 2 to 4 days of delivery, you will start to produce mature milk. During this period, you may notice that your breasts become large, firm and tender (swell), this is a sign that you are producing milk, but it could be uncomfortable for some women.
Why breastfeed?
Breastfeeding has many benefits for babies and mothers! It has been shown to lower the risk of ear infections, diarrhea, eczema, asthma, sudden infant death syndrome, diabetes, childhood cancers, and obesity. Mothers who breastfeed have reduced rates of breast and ovarian cancer, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, high blood pressure, and heart disease. The very act of breastfeeding also provides psychological benefit for the mother and her baby. A hormone called oxytocin is released when you breastfeed and not only allows milk to come in, but also helps reduce stress and promotes bonding and affection between mother and baby. Research has shown that babies who are breastfed are also at a lower risk of developing respiratory or digestive tract infections, asthma, in addition to those already mentioned.
Latino mothers have higher rates of beginning to breastfeed their babies at birth, but only 18% of Latino mothers continue to exclusively breastfeed without supplementation. They are actually more inclined to combine breastfeeding with formula supplementing their babies’ feeding. African American women have the lowest breastfeeding rates of all other racial ethnic groups in the United States. Which means that too many African American mothers and babies miss out on the many benefits of breastfeeding. So it is important to ask your friends and family for help to support you in your goals in the process of breastfeeding your baby. There are many great resources available to help you. Our favorites are the California Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children, known by its acronym in English, WIC (https://wicbreastfeeding.fns.usda.gov/), La Leche League (https://www.llli.org/) y Cinnamoms (https://www.cinnamoms.org/).
All of these organizations provide resources to help mothers breastfeed and have detailed websites that provide a wealth of information and support to families. There are detailed diagrams and videos to help visualize the different positions and techniques for breastfeeding. All of these organizations provide online and in-person support, have support groups, and even provide breast-pumping machines and refer you to professional counselors who assist with the breastfeeding process near the area where you live.
Positioning
There are several different positions for breastfeeding, and the ideal position is when you and your baby are most comfortable.
Some of the most common positions are: reclined or relaxed with the baby facing the front, holding the baby horizontally, carrying the baby horizontally by crossing the arms, holding the baby like a soccer ball, and with the baby lying on their side.
The reclined or relaxed position with the baby facing the front and holding the baby horizontal are the most common positions that mothers try to breastfeed first. The position carrying the baby horizontally crossing the arms, allows greater control. The position holding the baby like a soccer ball is useful for mothers who have undergone cesarean deliveries or have larger breasts. Finally, the position with the baby lying on its side allows a more comfortable positioning for the mother.
We hope you can breastfeed by trying each of these different positions and finding the optimal one for you! Although it is normal for first-time breastfeeding mothers to experience mild pain at first or increased tenderness in the nipples, very severe or persistent discomfort may indicate a need to change position when breastfeeding, or the need to wear nipple shields or Even if the pain is very bad, it can indicate the possibility of an infection such as candidiasis or mastitis (bacterial infection of the breasts).
In addition to breastfeeding your baby, pumping or hand expressing are other great additional techniques you can experiment with to help you through the breastfeeding process. Expressing milk with a pump machine is especially helpful for mothers who need to be separated from their babies for long periods of time, such as when they have to go to school or work. Expressing milk allows you to maintain your milk supply while you are away from your baby. Breast milk machines or pumps are covered by insurance and may also be available at WIC centers in your area. Expressing milk with the machine or by hand is very useful to stimulate milk production and relieve swelling or enlargement of the breasts that can become uncomfortable or even painful.
While breastfeeding is ideal, there are certain circumstances in which it is not recommended. Such is the case of mothers affected by HIV, with active herpes lesions in the breast and when they suffer from active tuberculosis. In these circumstances, formula feeding or donor breast milk would be the recommended alternatives.
References and works cited
- https://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/baby/breastfeeding/Pages/Transitional-Milk-and-Mature-Milk.aspx
- https://www.healthychildren.org/English/ages-stages/baby/breastfeeding/Pages/Benefits-of-Breastfeeding-for-Mom.aspx#:~:text=Studies%20show%20that%20women%20who,blood%20pressure%20and%20high%20cholesterol.
- https://www.llli.org/breastfeeding-info/
- https://www.aap.org/en-us/advocacy-and-policy/aap-health-initiatives/Breastfeeding/Pages/Benefits-of-Breastfeeding.aspx
- https://wicbreastfeeding.fns.usda.gov/5-breastfeeding-holds-try (images of positions)
- Jones KM, Power ML, Queenan JT, Schulkin J. Racial and ethnic disparities in breastfeeding. Breastfeed Med. 2015;10(4):186-196. doi:10.1089/bfm.2014.0152
- https://www.cinnamoms.org
- https://www.pbs.org/newshour/health/racial-disparities-persist-for-breastfeeding-moms-heres-why
- https://www.hindawi.com/journals/nrp/2016/9278401/
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