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Breastfeeding:
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 provide all the nutrients that the baby will need
later in life. Breast milk is much easier to digest then any formula in
the market, at the same time it provides protection against infections,
prevents future food allergies, helps the growth of healthy teeth, and
most important it 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 forth month are at risk of developing asthma, food
and respiratory allergies, intestinal bacteria, and oral weaknesses
(poor teeth development).
Sometimes a mother can not breastfed 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 midwifes have used them for years
to improve quality and quantity of milk, to 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 cause 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 the
mother keeps eating a well balance diet after giving birth, and
preferably foods with no traces of pesticides 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 change to 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
² Eat alfalfa or take it in capsules, it stimulates lactation, improves
quality and quantity of milk.
² Chaste tree Increases flow of milk, by affecting pituitary's
prolactin secretion.
² Chinese use an herb called codonopsis to increase lactation and
strengthen the blood.
² Goat's rue this herb is been used by midwifes for hundreds of years
to improve breast milk production by as much as 50 %.
² Vervain encourages milk secretion and flow, it also increases
absorption of nutrients from food and helps with postpartum depression.
² Milk thistle promotes production of milk and decreases pesticide
residues in breast and milk.
TIP: Did you know that tight bras may stop the milk production and cause
plugged ducts?.
² Cumin helps increase milk production.
² Caraway, aniseed, dill, and fennel promote flow of best milk. It can
be taken in form of teas or infusion.
² 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 start 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, painful, the breast
feels hot to the touch and a fever may develop, the baby may have a hard
time to latch on and suck.
We recommend
² Take a handful of Confrey leaves and steam them for a few minutes
wrapped in a gauze and placed on the breast are very helpful relieving
engorgement.
² Take the homeopathic remedy Belladonna 6X.
² Soak a towel in hot water and place it on the breast ten minutes
before feeding.
² Poke root reduces swollen breast and pain. Use under doctor
supervision.
² Elder is used to reduce swelling of engorged breast.
² Chamomile help control inflamed breast.
² Give your baby frequent feeds on both breast 10 to 15 minutes each.
² Use a pump to extract milk between feedings to control engorgement.
² Massage the breast while feeding to help milk flow easily.
² 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.
² Bryonia reduces swollen and hard breasts.
² Pulsatilla and calcarea is very helpful reducing the size and
hardness of engorged breasts.
² When the production of milk is excessive and produces engorgement a
cold compress using peppermint oil should be used.
² 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 taking care of as soon as possible, if
not so it can develop into Mastitis.
We recommend
² Castor oil helps with inflammation and pain.
² Elder is used to reduce swelling of plugged breast ducts.
² Queen's delight Clears congestion of lymphatic vessels, stimulates
white blood cells to react to infection.
² Check your nipples everyday, if you see dry milk on them or dark dots
remove them with a cotton and warm water and feed your child as soon a s
possible from that breast.
² Place the baby in different positions every time, this will ensure
that all ducts are being used.
² Place hot towels on the breast or run hot water over them in the
shower.
² 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, the breast swells due to a bacteria that enters 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
² Take poke root this helps mastitis. Use under doctor supervision.
² Queen's delight Clears congestion of lymphatic vessels, stimulates
white blood cells to react to infection.
² Place hot towels on the breast or run hot water over them in the
shower.
² Elder is used to reduce swelling of breast infected with mastitis.
² Rest as much as you can.
² Drink lots of water or alfalfa juice.
² Coat your nipples with breast milk after feeding.
² 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 antibiotic as much as you can.
² Wash your hands before and after feeding, to prevent bacteria
contamination.
² Dandelion is very helpful and popular herb to treat mastitis.
² The chinese use gentian to cure mastitis.
² Madder root is useful in relieving mastitis.
Cracked nipples
Cracked nipples can develop when the baby is being position wrongly or
by using damp breast pads. The nipple becomes irritated, red, and
painful in some cases bleeding may develop.
² Calendula cream will soothe and encourage the healing of cracked
nipples and is safe for the baby to swallow.
² The homeopathic remedy called chamomilla helps heal cracked nipples.
² The homeopathic remedy called pulsatilla helps heal cracked nipples.
² Sulfur is also helpful for cracked nipples.
² Apply vitamin E to sore and cracked nipples.
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