BREASTFEEDING PROBLEMS AND NATURAL SOLUTION

 

 

Breastfeeding is the act of naturally feeding an infant with milk produced in the mother's breast. 

This has unlimited amounts of benefits for the baby not only breast milk is healthier but the action of feeding the child is a moment of love in which the baby learns to bond, smell, and caress with the mother as she gives nourishment and affection. 

Without a doubt breast milk is the best food for a newborn, nothing comes even closer to providing all the nutrients that the baby will need later in life. 

Breast milk is much easier to digest than any formula on the market, at the same time it provides protection against infections, prevents future food allergies, helps the growth of healthy teeth, and most importantly improves brain development. 

Studies had shown that breastfed babies are more intelligent than formula-fed babies. 

However, many mothers stop breastfeeding after the third or fourth month switching to formula and later to cow's milk, this certainly robs the baby of the special qualities that breast milk offers. 

Infants that stop nursing before the fourth month is at risk of developing asthma, food and respiratory allergies, intestinal bacteria, and oral weaknesses (poor teeth development). 

Sometimes a mother can not breastfeed her baby due to a number of reasons, such as low-quality of milk, breast pain, infection, etc. 

That's when herbs come into play, many midwives have used them for years to improve the quality and quantity of milk, fight infection, and much more, take a look at the following conditions and the natural ways to treat them. 

Low quality or quantity of milk 

Low-quality of milk can be caused by medications or a poor diet, many antibiotics contaminate the milk and a diet high in caffeine may cause colics and sleeping problems for the baby. 

It is very important the mother keeps eating a good balance diet after giving birth, preferably foods with no traces of pesticides as these poisons become highly concentrated in the milk. 

The use of a breast pump may inhibit the production of milk, lowering the amount available to the baby, this gives the false idea that the infant should be changed to a formula in order for him to be satisfied, when in fact the problem is the quantity of milk that the mother is producing. 

Herbs can help with both of these common problems. 

We recommend 

Eat alfalfa or take it in capsules, it stimulates lactation and improves the quality and quantity of milk.  

Chaste tree Increases the flow of milk, by affecting the pituitary's prolactin secretion. 

Chinese use an herb called Codonopsis to increase lactation and strengthen the blood. 

Goat's rue this herb is been used by midwives for hundreds of years to improve breast milk production by as much as 50 %. 

Vervain encourages milk secretion and flow, it also increases the absorption of nutrients from food and helps with postpartum depression. 

Milk thistle promotes the production of milk and decreases pesticide residues in breast milk. 

TIP: Did you know those tight bras may stop milk production and cause plugged ducts?. 

Cumin helps increase milk production. 

Caraway, aniseed, dill, and fennel promote the flow of the best milk. It can be taken in form of teas or infusions.  

If you are prone to chills while breastfeeding and have poor-quality of milk use Calcarea. 

Engorgement Breast 

Engorgement is a very common problem that starts affecting the mother in the first two or three weeks after delivery and is more annoying to women with poor skin elasticity. 

Engorgement is due to milk excessively filling the breast together with blood and fluid retention in the same area. 

Usually, the breast feels full, hard, tight, tender, and painful, the breast feels hot to the touch and a fever may develop, and the baby may have a hard time latching on and sucking. 

We recommend 

Take a handful of Confrey leaves and steam them for a few minutes wrapped in gauze and placed on the breast are very helpful in relieving engorgement.

Soak a towel in hot water and place it on the breast ten minutes before feeding. 

Poke root reduces swollen breasts and pain. Use under doctor supervision. 

Elder is used to reduce swelling of the engorged breast.  

Chamomile help control inflamed breast. 

Give your baby frequent feeds on both breasts 10 to 15 minutes each. 

Use a pump to extract milk between feedings to control engorgement. 

Massage the breast while feeding to help milk flow easily. 

Mix 2 quarts of boiling water. 2 tsp. of vitex berries. 2 tsp. of blessed thistle leaves. 1 tsp. of nettle leaves. 1/2 tsp. fenugreek seed. 1/2 tsp. anise seed. Let it steep for 30 minutes, strain, and drink 2 cups a day.

Bryonia reduces swollen and hard breasts. 

Pulsatilla and Calcarea are very helpful in reducing the size and hardness of engorged breasts. 

When the production of milk is excessive and produces engorgement a cold compress using peppermint oil should be used. 

A compress of marshmallow and slippery elm often reduces engorgement. 

Plugged duct 

This is a problem that occurs when the baby does not empty the breast completely on each feeding, the milk remaining in the duct hardens and blocks the duct eventually plugging it. 

Tight bras can cause plugged ducts as well. 

If the breast feels sore it might be a sign of plugged ducts. 

A plugged duct should be taken care of as soon as possible, if not so it can develop into Mastitis. 

We recommend 

Castor oil helps with inflammation and pain. 

Elder is used for reducing swelling of plugged breast ducts. 

Queen's delight Clears congestion of lymphatic vessels and stimulates white blood cells to react to infection. 

Check your nipples every day, if you see dry milk on them or dark dots remove them with cotton and warm water and feed your child as soon as possible from that breast. 

Place the baby in different positions every time, this will ensure that all ducts are being used. 

Place hot towels on the breast or run hot water over them in the shower. 

Massage the breast in the direction of the nipple to try to get the milk to come out. 

Mastitis 

Mastitis is a condition that results when a plugged duct becomes infected, and the breast swells due to bacteria that enter through tinny cracks on the nipples. 

The breast infected with mastitis becomes red and painful with pus secretion other symptoms are fever, fatigue, vomiting, or nausea. 

We recommend 

Take poke root this helps mastitis. Use under doctor supervision. 

Queen's delight Clears congestion of lymphatic vessels and stimulates white blood cells to react to infection. 

Place hot towels on the breast or run hot water over them in the shower. 

Elder is used for reducing swelling of breasts infected with mastitis. 

Rest as much as you can. 

Drink lots of water or alfalfa juice. 

Coat your nipples with breast milk after feeding.  

There are antibiotics that are safe for nursing mothers and their babies, see your doctor if your case is very severe. 

However, we recommend that you try to avoid antibiotics as much as you can. 

Wash your hands before and after feeding, to prevent bacteria contamination. 

Dandelion is a very helpful and popular herb to treat mastitis. 

The Chinese use gentian to cure mastitis. 

Madder root is useful in relieving mastitis. 

Cracked nipples 

Cracked nipples can develop when the baby is being positioned wrongly or by using damp breast pads. 

The nipple becomes irritated and painful in some cases bleeding may develop. 

Calendula cream will soothe and encourage the healing of cracked nipples and is safe for the baby to swallow. 

Sulfur is also helpful for cracked nipples. 

Apply vitamin E to sore and cracked nipples.