It was the middle of May 2019. I sat up, turned on the lamp and as I watched it rain, I asked God why He made breastfeeding so incredibly painful if He wanted us to care for our babies. Breastfeeding is tough! No doubt we all know a mom or we were that mom who struggled with the lifegiving gift we are blessed (or cursed) with. I have some theories as to why it can be difficult for moms and babies to endure this which I’ll share. Most importantly though, is to understand the benefits.
Is breast really best? The long and the short of it, yes. I know feminist groups will argue with me on this but the science is clear. When the baby latches to the breast some of their saliva enters through the ducts and is picked up by mom. Should a baby be deficient in Vitamin B, or certain antibodies, the next day’s breast milk will have what the baby needs! Isn’t that amazing? So while a mom may struggle with production giving baby, what you can do is only going to benefit them, and you.
Breastfeeding shrinks your uterus. I wish I had known this truth after having my first. I didn’t realize that nipple stimulation caused the uterus to clamp down which in turn, causes more bleeding. I had no idea!
When struggling with breastfeeding seek help! Don’t just keep trying the same things over and over. Of course, chiropractic, but have your baby checked for a lip or tongue tie. While most pediatric chiropractors have been trained to look for these, I’ve missed a posterior tie before under the tongue, so it never hurts to get a second opinion.
Because most births occur in a hospital, mom will usually be hooked up to an IV, primarily for fluids and easier access should drugs be needed. While the intentions are good, the baby is also getting these fluids. Baby is then slightly waterlogged, as are mom’s breasts, making it harder for the baby to engage with the nipple. If baby is swollen from the fluids this can also dampen the vital primitive reflexes primarily the sucking reflex that can make breastfeeding possible. Have you ever seen the baby crawl? It’s absolutely amazing! They will actually make their way from mom’s stomach to her breast if uninhibited! That extra IV fluid also gets urinated out in the first 24 hours so while a new mom is in the hospital and they’re worried about the baby losing too much I encourage moms to not panic just yet, as the baby’s true weight wouldn’t have included all that extra fluid.
Lastly, milk production is triggered by the release of the placenta. So if the baby is born via Cesarean Section a little weight loss can be expected because it may take an extra day for milk to come in.
That’s the quick and painless version. For more tips and tricks follow us!
In Health,
Dr. Alexia
