Breastfeeding Course 2.

Last week I went to the second and last part of the breastfeeding course. I did not have time to make a good 'story' out of the evening but I decided to post my (probably incoherent) notes anyway. Maybe I find some time to polish them still at some point.

Unfortunately, Barbara was not able to join the course again so I went by myself. I arrived late at the breastfeeding course and they had already started with discussing questions & problems that may arise during the breastfeeding period.

- Not advisable to use a nipple hat for breastfeeding when the nipples have cracks because they bring down the milk production. First try if it is possible to use a different position to ease the problems and only use nipple hats after consulting with your doctor or verloskundige. It is OK to use nipple cushions between breast feeding periods.

- In general it is not a problem to use anti-conception pill when breastfeeding. However ostregen slows down the milk production so it is advisable to use a pill without this hormone.

- A clogged up milk canal is recognizable by a painful/hard/blue spot forming on the breast. When milk finds another way (then the canal) to leave the canal it will sip into the surrounding breast area. The body reacts on this and starts cleaning up the milk in the same way as it reacts to an infection. This may cause nipple cracks and fever. In case this happens and the fever lasts for more then 24 hours you have to go to a doctor. Also with both nipple cracks and fever you have to go to the doctor immediately. Luckily a lot of these “breast infections” may be prevented by detecting them in time. It was adviced to check the breast every meal time for hard spots. In case you find them you can: massage them, let the baby especially drink that side of the breast and let the baby drink more often. In this way the ‘clog’ can be gotten rid off before it gets worse.

- What mama eats (e.g. tastes) influence the content of the breast milk. This can cause cramps. I asked, if what my mother in law said, whether tea can help to solve the kramps. The answer was that they did not advice to use (venkel) tea anymore because it also contains a substance that is not good for the baby (although I didn’t ask which). What you can do is rub the baby’s tummy, put something warm on the tummy, or lay the baby on his belly (on your arm).

- However, a lot less substances leave traces in the milk then pass through the placenta to the baby. So, the mother is allowed to eat (raw) beef again, file american, and raw cheeses. And especially garlic is something a baby likes. Studies show that garlic makes the baby drink more milk. It is OK for the mother to drink (some) alcohol again, but some planning is involved. The maximum amount of alcohol after a glass of whine arrives in the milk around 2 hours after drinking it. So, plan your feeding-drinking behavior such that the baby doesn’t get a maximum amount of tralala. If you really feel like going party party (e.g. for carnival) then of course you can also pump off milk before and put it aside and give it to the baby instead of ‘fresh’ milk.

- After feeding for a while, the breasts get used to the feeling of being full with milk. Therefore, after a while it may not feel like the breasts are full anymore when they are supposed to be. However, usually they still are. If the baby is still growing well and does his deeds in his pampers well, then there is nothing to worry about.

The second part of the evening was about different milking pumps. Although, milking can be even done by hand (by pressing with two fingers behind the nipple) most women prefer to use a pumping device. In Holland there are two dominant brands: Philips Avent and Medela. The teacher had taken some models to show us. If you pump milk only once in a while a manual pump suffices, if you pump on a regular bases, it might be more convenient (and worth while) to use an electric pump (P.S. the Medala Swing seems to be the best option. It is very silent and still reasonably priced). If a pump is needed in the beginning to stimulate the milk production it is possible to rent a fancy (3000 euro) electric pump. These are easier/better then the hand pumps of course.

A baby makes a vacuum, uses is tong and lips for stimulation and takes ‘bites’. A pump only creates a vacuum which simulate the sucking. Therefore, a pump requires some practice and some getting used to (and accepting). So, with pumping, assume a relaxed position for instance put on some music. Because it takes some practice don’t get scared if in the beginning you are not able to produce so much milk (e.g. only a bottom full). Drinking from a bottle instead of a breast also requires some practice from the baby’s part. Therefore, it is advicable to start practicing (with a bit of breast milk) at already 6 weeks of age, and repeat it once in a while so that by the time you have to go back working again, the baby is used to it. Baby’s tend to have an easier time practicing with papa’s or grandmothers. Because with mama they tend to want to breast (because they are used to that).

Breast milk can be stored:
- 8 to 10 hours at room (20 degrees Celcius) temperature
- 5 days in the fridge
- One month the freezer part of the fridge
- Up to 6 months in a stand alone deep freezer

It is adviced to heat the milk in a bottle warmer. A micro wave or pot doesn’t heat the milk equally and therefore ‘kills’ part of the healthy substances in the milk.

After 6 months the baby is old enough to eat other things then milk. P.S. An adviced method to get the baby to eat solid food is Rapley’s (www.borstvoeding.com). The way to decrease the milking times and milk production is to start with one feeding session less after having the baby fully empty the breasts in the previous session. If after 4 days no hard spots have formed, then feeding times can be decreased further with another session and so on.

A final question of the evening was what it to do when the baby looks ‘yellowish’ for a longer period of time after birth. Because, it is normal that a baby looks yellowish for some days. However, this can take longer (and also go away and come back again). In case the baby is otherwise healthy, nothing needs to be done. Otherwise, contact your house doctor.

So now I know everything about breast feeding. Besides the health advantages it also saves (in 6 months) 650 Euro compared to using powder milk. So, no reason not to do it if you are able to.