Wish ListBreastfeeding Problems
It is a myth that breastfeeding should be easy because it is natural. While breastfeeding is effortless for some women, the vast majority will face some challenges. These challenges can range from reasonably quickly or easily resolved to significant breastfeeding problems.
Breastfeeding problems might relate to a physical or developmental issue or have no definable cause. Breastfeeding problems might commence right after your baby is born or later along the way. The one thing that unites all breastfeeding problems is how challenging they can be and how important reassurance and support are for parents experiencing them.
When experiencing breastfeeding problems, it is crucial to reach out to your midwife, lactation consultant or local breastfeeding organisation for support and advice. However, reading high-quality articles can also help develop your knowledge and understanding, as well as show you that you are not alone in facing breastfeeding problems.
A common issue with myriad causes is low supply, which is explored here through articles including How to Increase Breast Milk Supply if you have Insufficient Lactation, Increasing Breast Milk Supply – Power Pumping. For some, the challenge is engorgement, explored in 10 Ways to Relieve Breast Engorgement or perhaps your challenge is comfortably Breastfeeding with Large Breasts.
Also, in this section, we explore the impact of tongue and lip ties on breastfeeding problems through articles including Posterior Tongue Tie – What do we know and Lip Tie: A Breastfeeding Challenge. We also have an article on Using Reverse Pressure Softening to Help with Attachment, supporting more effective and comfortable breastfeeding.
Have you experienced breastfeeding problems? Do you have a story you would like to share that could benefit others? We are always looking for new content, and nothing is more supportive than the words of someone who has been there (or is there). If you have a story to share or would like to suggest a topic you’d like to read more about, please email Pregnancy Birth and Beyond.
Breastfeeding Problems Articles
How to obtain donor breast milk safely when you don’t have enough milk
Who might need to know how to obtain donor breast milk With the proper support, most birthing parents can successfully breastfeed their babies. Of course, there are still situations where parents need more milk, and as the Australian Breastfeeding Association states, breast milk from another mother is the best alternative. Very sick or premature babies in hospitals sometimes receive donor milk. The hospital prescribes it and arranges its supply. However, there are many situations outside of the hospital when
10 Ways to Relieve Breast Engorgement
In the early days after birth, your breasts start making milk in increasingly larger volumes. Sometimes, they overdo it, and breast engorgement occurs. What happens when your milk comes in The process of producing milk for your baby begins well before she or he is born. During pregnancy, your breasts start making colostrum. Producing colostrum is part of a stage called stage 1 lactogenesis. After birth, further hormone changes trigger copious milk production in stage 2 lactogenesis. In stage
Simple, Healthy Habits to Avoid Breastfeeding Problems
It’s how babies thrive, so you’d think breastfeeding would be effortless. And most of the time, it is. But sometimes there are bumpy patches. With good habits, you can make your breastfeeding journey smoother and avoid breastfeeding problems. Make sure baby is correctly attached First things first - proper attachment can prevent a host of breastfeeding problems. Nipple pain mostly is caused by incorrect attachment. Baby’s correct attachment also helps you avoid overly full breasts, blocked ducts and mastitis.
How to Increase Breast Milk Supply if you have Insufficient Lactation
Breastfeeding is a highly emotive, politically charged topic within the maternal and child health care industry. There are many strong views around the ‘rights’ and ‘wrongs’ of breastfeeding which can leave new mums feeling conflicted, confused and under unnecessary pressure. Never the less as a Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) practitioner, not a lactation specialist I add my voice to the conversation. There is a large range of opinion regarding what constitutes how much breast milk is adequate. For the
Using Reverse Pressure Softening to Help with Attachment
When breasts are engorged or nipples swollen, your baby may have difficulty attaching to the breast. Reverse pressure softening is a simple technique developed by Jean Cotterman that can help with attachment in these cases. The technique can be used in the first two weeks after the baby’s birth and you can perform it easily yourself. Reverse pressure softening works by moving swelling backwards and upwards into your breast, extending your nipple and enabling easier attachment. The technique has
Increasing Breast Milk Supply – Power Pumping
The benefits for babies of breastfeeding have been well documented and in recent times, significant health benefits for women have also been uncovered. However, despite their best efforts, many women experience issues with low supply. Because breasts work on the principle of supply and demand, using a breast pump is often recommended. Regular pumping delivers to the brain a ‘make more milk!’ message and can be very effective in increasing supply. However, despite regular pumping sessions, many women do
Breastfeeding with Large Breasts
When it comes to breastfeeding, a good deal of criticism has fallen on the humble breast. Some believe that small-breasted women will find breastfeeding next to impossible. Others consider breastfeeding with large breasts to be the true bugbear. The truth is that the size of your breasts has no bearing on how much milk you will produce or ease of breastfeeding. Common myths about breastfeeding with large breasts include: Large breasts produce more milk: the size of your breast
Posterior Tongue Tie – What do we know?
Increasingly, health professionals are diagnosing posterior tongue ties and surgically cutting the tie with a procedure called a frenotomy citing the tongue-tie as a reason for breastfeeding issues. There is a lot of debate about posterior tongue ties . Moreover, the current data about posterior tongue ties seems to be unreliable. The data does not always take into account the many connected factors that can cause problems with breastfeeding. The medicalisation we see in birth is now creeping into
Lip Tie: A Breastfeeding Challenge
Perhaps the most important factor in successful breastfeeding is a baby’s ability to latch onto your breast and achieve a good seal. While this might seem an obvious conclusion and a straightforward action, in practice, not every baby will latch well at the outset. Sometimes establishing that first really good latch can be challenging. However, once this initial difficulty is overcome, it is easier to achieve a good latch and seal. However, if a baby is born with abnormalities