Breastfeeding Tips Women Share Intrigues Doctors
In fact, maternal alcohol consumption has been demonstrated to decrease milk production, and may have an adverse effect on the baby, Schaffir said. Many cultures also encourage mothers to eat oatmeal to increase milk production, but no studies have been conducted to examine its use.
Folk traditions that aid with breast pain or engorgement were also mentioned, including using cabbage leaves, even though studies have questioned their effectiveness.
Several lactation consultants recommend tea bags to help women deal with nipple soreness, but a randomized trial of breastfeeding women with pain demonstrated that tea bags offered no additional benefit than a water compress, Schaffir said. A review of studies that examine treatment for nipple pain concluded that there was no significant benefit to the use of tea bags, lanolin or expressed milk on the nipple.
The lactation consultants who made recommendations based on folklore compared with those who only made medical recommendations did not have any significant difference in relation to age, parity, education, experience or socioeconomic status.
Eat a well-balanced diet for your health
One of the wonders of breast milk is that it can meet your baby’s nutritional needs even when you’re not eating perfectly. (However, if your diet is too low in calories or relies on one food group at the exclusion of others, this could affect the quality and quantity of your milk.)
Just because your baby won’t be harmed by your occasional dietary lapses doesn’t mean that you won’t suffer. When you don’t get the nutrients you need from your diet, your body draws on its reserves, which can eventually become depleted. Also, you need strength and stamina to meet the physical demands of caring for a new baby.
Many breastfeeding moms feel extra hungry, which makes sense: Your body is working around the clock to make breast milk for your baby. Eating small meals with healthy snacks in between – the way you may have done during pregnancy – is a good way to keep your hunger in check and your energy level high.
Aim for slow and steady weight loss
Some new moms find the weight just seems to fall off, while others don’t lose much. It all depends on your body, your food choices, your activity level, and your metabolism.
The best plan: Lose your pregnancy weight gradually. Plan to take up to a year to get back to your pre-pregnancy weight.
Don’t try to lose weight by dieting until at least two months after your baby is born. A reduced-calorie diet in the first couple of months could sap your energy and diminish your milk supply.
If you’re overweight or obese, you may be able to start trying to shed pounds earlier but first ask your doctor for advice. And be sure to stay hydrated – sometimes dieters cut back on water when they eat less food.
Most women can safely lose 1 pound each week by combining a healthy diet with moderate exercise.
A sudden, large drop in your calorie intake can affect your milk supply, so don’t go on a crash diet to lose weight quickly. If you’re losing more than 1 pound a week after the first six weeks, that’s a sign you need to take in more calories.
The folk traditions communicated in this survey represent a particular culture in the United States, and folklore in general varies by culture and background. Surveys of lactation consultants in different countries and different ethnicities may yield different results, Schaffir notes.
“With the attention given to these remedies, this survey may spur future research to objectively measure whether such recommendations are actually safe and effective, rather than relying solely on anecdotal evidence,” Schaffir said.
Fact #1: Breastfeeding may reduce your risk of developing breast cancer.
Recent studies showed that pre-menopausal women who breastfed their children were 50 percent less likely to develop breast cancer, compared to women who did not nurse their children. This research also supported a strong correlation between a woman’s duration of breastfeeding and her risk reduction rate—especially for women who nursed longer than one year. Additional research has shown a correlation between women who were breastfed as infants and a lower risk of breast cancer later in life.
Fact #2: Your breast size has nothing to do with the amount of milk you can produce.
The size of your breasts is determined by the amount of fatty tissue they contain. There is no evidence to suggest that women with small breasts (or nipples for that matter) have more problems with low milk production. Milk is produced in the mammary glands that are present in all women’s breasts. No matter where you fall on the spectrum of breast sizes, rest assured that their girth (or lack thereof) will have no impact on your ability to produce enough milk for your baby.
Fact #3: Nursing mothers are protected by U.S. Laws.
The Treasury and General Government Appropriations Act, signed into effect by President Clinton in 1999, included language that protects a woman’s right to breastfeed anywhere on federal property. Other examples of federal laws that protect a nursing mother’s rights are:
The Pregnancy Discrimination Act Amendment, which protects nursing women from being fired or discriminated against for expressing breast milk during their breaks.
The Breastfeeding Promotion Employers’ Tax Incentive Act, which provides tax breaks to companies who create nursing stations at the workplace.
The Safe and Effective Breast Pumps Act, which developed federal-regulated standards for breast pumps.
Several states provide immediate jury duty exemptions for lactating mothers, and in almost every state, a woman’s right to nurse in public is legal and exempt from indecency prosecution. State laws vary, so be sure to research your own. Know your rights and if you are comfortable nursing in public, exercise that right!
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The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center