It talks about proper weaning and weaning pediatrician, IBCLC consultant dr. Audronė Mulevičienė.
Breast milk has comprehensive benefits
According to E. Gurčinė, mother’s milk is the most optimal food for a developing baby up to 6 months, satisfying the need for all necessary substances and water: “It has many antibodies, immune cells and other protective substances, so it protects and strengthens the child’s immunity, helps fight diseases and infections, contributes to a positive influence on the development of the mouth and jaw and the protection of erupted teeth from caries. Also, mother’s milk is rich in probiotics, hormones and enzymes, which also have a positive influence on the growing child.”
According to research, breastfeeding women have a reduced risk of developing breast cancer, type 2 diabetes or cardiovascular disease, and their body recovers faster after childbirth.
“Breastfeeding calms and relaxes the mother and child, reduces the risk of postpartum depression,” said E. Gurčinė.
The most common challenge is sore nipples
The main challenge that nursing mothers face is nipple damage. Most often, this problem occurs when colostrum is replaced by transitional milk – this happens 2-3 days after birth.
“If the mother is still in the hospital, you should boldly ask for help from specialists, instead of living with pain. If the family has already returned home, a specialist should be contacted. Although the best consultation is live, it is often possible to help from a distance, explaining to the mother how the child should latch on to the nipple, how to hold the child properly, or how to hold the child,” said the consultant.
The specialist added that it is completely normal if there are other breast problems, such as lumps, lumps, mastitis: “These conditions scare all mothers, but they should not be afraid of it. By consulting a doctor or other specialist live or over the phone and following the given recommendations, further health problems can be prevented.”
It urges you not to give up
It is only in very rare cases that women are unable to breastfeed or find it extremely difficult due to physiological challenges.
“Now we are seeing more and more hormonal disorders caused by the environment, pollution, lifestyle changes, increased obesity, which makes it harder for some women to get pregnant, their breasts or mammary glands may not be fully developed.
In such cases, breastfeeding may not meet 100 percent of the child’s food needs, but we want to emphasize that combined feeding is also a very good choice and every drop of mother’s milk is both important and useful,” said E. Gurčinė.
According to her, competent specialists will help you find the best solution in every situation, so you should not give up.
How can lactation be managed?
It is not uncommon for breastfeeding mothers who face difficulties to look for answers on the Internet or ask their friends for advice. Unfortunately, these methods are more likely to lead to misinformation than useful advice.
According to E. Gurčinė, one of the most popular breastfeeding myths – the disappearance of milk – is completely misleading, because “this cannot happen if the mother breastfeeds according to need and does not restrict it in the least.”
It is not uncommon for mothers to fear that the child is gaining too much or too little weight due to the mother’s milk, which is too lean or too fat. However, the specialist said that the quality of the milk of all women is similar, and other factors influence the child’s weight, such as limited breastfeeding time, too long intervals at night, giving a pacifier instead of breastfeeding, strap problems, etc.
According to the lactation specialist, milk production is a continuous process that operates on the supply-demand principle. A mother who feels her body is able to naturally manage lactation. E.Gurčinė states: “As much milk as we remove from the breasts, so much milk is produced.” If the child is separated from the mother or is breastfed very slowly, then the mother should withdraw milk additionally. Otherwise, if the mother feels that the breasts are very hard and the body is producing too much milk, it is possible to help regulate the milk production by feeding one feed from one breast and the other from the other.”
It is important not to stop feeding
According to pediatrician A. Mulevičienė, it is recommended to feed a child exclusively with mother’s milk up to 6 months, and then start additional feeding by continuing breastfeeding up to 2 years or more, because “there are no limits – you can breastfeed as much as the mother and the child want”.
In exceptional cases, the child can be fed earlier, but only with a doctor’s recommendation. The specialist emphasized that it is extremely important not to delay additional feeding, because it is from 6 months that the child is mature enough to eat solid food, he begins to lack iron and other nutrients, and his digestive tract and elimination organs are ready to get acquainted with additional food.
“Although at first the child eats very little, it is important not to give up and feed him as needed. It usually takes 3-6 weeks for a child to learn to eat complementary foods. Sometimes even more time may be needed – there is really no need to worry about this if parents see that the child’s need and desire is increasing,” said A. Mulevičienė.
According to her, parents can start with cereals, vegetables, fruits, gradually including more iron-containing products – meat, fish, eggs.
“It is normal if some products need to be tasted 10 times for the child to like them. The most important thing is to introduce him to as many different flavors as possible and to keep trying new ones so that parents discover what he likes,” said the doctor.
Proper weaning
With the introduction of complementary feeding, it becomes clear that breastfeeding will end at some point. However, the pediatrician noted that it is not necessary to stop breastfeeding when the child goes to kindergarten or when the mother goes to work: “Everything can be easily coordinated, for example, by getting to know the child in the morning and returning in the evening. This will help the child to calm down, will not cause a lot of stress, on the contrary, it can make it easier for the child to adapt in kindergarten and be more resistant to all newly encountered infectious agents.”
According to the specialist, it would be ideal if the mother could wait for the moment when the child gives up the breast on his own, which usually happens when he is no less than 2 years old: “Weaning in this way is the easiest. However, if the mother wants to stop breastfeeding earlier, it is advised not to do so before the child turns one. Some mothers choose to breastfeed less during the day, others at night. The most important thing is to do everything slowly.”
In addition, it is extremely important to pay attention to the stage of the child’s development – because when the child experiences many impressions or changes, weaning will be more difficult.
“We should choose a calm stage, when the mother can pay a lot of attention to the child, can carry it and be together for a longer time. It is important for the child to feel that only the milk is gone and that the mother is still there. In other words, we break some ties while strengthening other ties,” she advised.
for R0468
2024-08-13 08:45:53