Breastfeeding woes finally enlighted (I think!)

Book is overdue(I think) and I still haven't completed reading this book. So now, doing a quick skimming through on sections which I think is useful for me.

A sentence from the book struck me "As soon as your baby gets a bottle, the weaning process begins. Your milk supply will be reduced. Even glucose water spoils the baby's appetite for mother's milk. The fine balance of supply & demand is disturbed. If you have already given one or more bottles and want to reverse the trend, gradually replace the formula feedings, one at a time, with breast milk. If you have decided to continue to offer formula at certain meals and nurse at other feedings, there may be a consequence : Your baby may suck less and less well at the breast as a result."

*gasp* no wonder I could feed no further than 2 weeks and even fish & papaya soup didn't help me.

This time round, I told hubby that supposedly Aricia has jaundice again and the Dr Toh suggests to combine feeding, we do it with spoon and not bottle-feed. No wonder my girlfriend, Winnie, who delivered in TMC (very pro-breastfeeding) never even give babies by bottles.

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What to do if you have a problem breastfeeding?

# BF is a matter of supply & demand. The more you nurse, the more milk you will have. If baby doesn't ask to nurse often enough, you may have to wake him up at certain intervals for a while to "condition" the baby and your body.

# If you can't stimulate enough milk by the baby's sucking, increase your milk supply by hand expressing or pumping.

# You may be afraid you don't have enough milk when you notice your breasts have gotten smaller and softer again. Don't worry! It means the milk ducts have stabilized. The right amount of milk is being produced.

# In many cases there is enough milk, but the let-down reflex isn't working. Try to find your inner balance through a massage, a warm shower, a footbath, a warm drink, music, a comfrtable atmosphere, hormonizing fragrances, breathing and relaxation exercises, or visualization exercises to "nurture" the breast and release the milk flow. Allow yourself times of quiet and contemplation to "turn off."

# Be sure to get enough fluid (more than 2 quarts or litres a day) and eat a balanced diet (rich in calcium, protein and Vitamin B-12). Many women can increase their miolk supply by drinking milk-enhancing teas or by taking a Vitamin-B rich, brewer's yeast supplement.

The list goes on, too long can't be typing everything down. If you're interested grab this book from the bookstore or library.

Excerpts from the book I am reading now : Breastfeeding Naturally by Hannah Lothrop

Herbs for Breastfeeding