As a nursing mom, there will undoubtedly be times when you will have to be away from your baby. Perhaps it will only be for a short period of time, such as when you go on a date with your husband. Sometimes you might have to be away from baby for a longer period, such as if  you have to travel on business and cannot take your baby along. Or there is a medical procedure that you must have, that will make it impossible for you to breastfeed for awhile.

This doesn’t have to mean weaning, however.

If you are a nursing mom, there are some extra steps you can take to ensure you and your baby cope well with this change in schedule.

This means stocking up on milk to nourish your baby while you’re away, keeping up your milk supply and remembering a few comfort techniques for yourself.

Here are a few tips for moms who have to leave their nursing baby.

1) Store Milk for Baby

Depending on how long you’ll be gone, you’ll want to begin pumping extra milk a few times a day to be stored and used to feed your baby while you’re away. This might take a couple of weeks, depending on how much your baby eats, how often you pump and how accustomed you are to pumping. Pumping is definitely a learned art. Don’t be discouraged if you get little or no milk at first.

Many moms find that it’s easiest to pump extra milk in the morning when their supply is higher, or after a nap. (Typically a woman has more milk after a period of sleep.) You could also nurse baby on one side and pump on the other with a high quality hand held pump. The familiar sensation of baby’s nursing makes the milk flow more easily, and you’ll often get more milk.

Store your milk in freezer-safe containers that the babysitter or another family member can pull out and warm for baby when he or she is hungry.

If your baby is not used to bottle feeding, it’s a good idea to introduce the bottle to him or her before leaving. It usually works best if someone else offers the bottle, not you, as baby will often reject a bottle when your breasts are nearby. Some babies are so sensitive, they won’t bottle feed if mom is in the house, so consider running an errand the first time your baby’s caregiver attempts this.

You can also leave behind an article of clothing of yours, such as a shirt or nightgown, to remind baby of your smell while feeding.

2) Keep Up Your Milk Supply

While away, it is important to keep up your milk supply if you plan on nursing your baby when you get back. To do this, you’ll need to find a pump that works well for you. It may be a hand pump, electric pump or by hand expressing your milk. You’ll want to pump as often as your baby usually nurses, if possible. (If you can’t manage this, shoot for every 4 hours and once at night.)

As long as milk is being taken out of your breasts, your body will believe it is still nursing and continue to produce milk on a regular basis.

Many women find it helpful to take along a picture of their baby to look at while pumping or a blanket that has their smell. It is a good idea to use the same blanket during a couple of feedings before leaving and take this with you. You might want to wear nursing pads throughout the day to catch any leaking that may occur.

3) Comfort Techniques

Not being able to nurse as frequently can cause painful engorgement for some women. The breasts feel sore, tender and hard in some areas.

Pumping the milk out can help out tremendously, but you may still want to employ some comfort techniques for your own benefit.

Take a warm compress, such as a hand towel moist with warm water and place on your breasts. After a few minutes of direct heat, gently massage the lumps in your breasts. This will help the milk flow easier and is a good time to pump some milk out.

After massaging the breasts, a cold pack might help reduce discomfort and pain. A hot or cold shower can replace the hot or cold packs if you wish.

It may not be easy when a mom has to leave her nursing baby, but hopefully with these tips you’ll be as comfortable as possible and resume a happy breastfeeding relationship once you and baby are reunited!

photo credit: Daquella manera

Reality Check #1: The First Weeks of Breastfeeding May Hurt

“I tried to breastfeed but my nipples got so sore and cracked that I had to stop.”

I’ve heard so many mamas say something along these lines as the reason they quit breastfeeding. They see these images of happily nursing women, figure breastfeeding is supposed to be a 100 percent positive experience from the get-go, and then are disappointed when it’s not only unpleasant in the early days—it’s downright painful. Moms probably wonder what they’re doing wrong and some may even think they can’t breastfeed. So they switch to formula.

Maybe they just needed a reality check.

While it’s not normal for breastfeeding to hurt, meaning it shouldn’t hurt, it’s not uncommon, especially in the early days. While it’s true that a proper latch doesn’t hurt, it often takes time to get a good latch. In the meantime, there can be soreness.

Breastfeeding is a learning process for both baby and mom. Babies need to learn how to properly latch on to get the most milk in the shortest amount of time. Once they figure out a correct latch, the clouds will lift, your cracks will heal, and the pain will go away.

In fact, a good latch can stop pain instantly. Therefore, if you are having pain that is beyond the soreness you could expect from a new activity, have your baby’s latch checked by a lactation consultant or La Leche League leader or other breastfeeding specialist.

Reality Check #2: Life with a Newborn is a Life Spent Nursing

Newborns must nurse often (and all the time) to build up mom’s milk supply. Couple this with the fact that newborns have small tummies that quickly digest breastmilk and you have one hungry baby.

A newborn baby may seem like a total leech—a cute, cuddly leech, but a leech nonetheless. Don’t assume your baby isn’t getting enough milk because she constantly wants to nurse. This is just the way the early days of breastfeeding are. Your best bet is to plan accordingly.

Create a “feeding station” in a nice comfy nursing chair. Give yourself a breastfeeding stool to ease any back pains and keep pillows handy to prop your baby or supporting arm on. (Nursing pillows are especially helpful.) Keep a large glass of water nearby along with a stack of books, a telephone, your laptop, and anything else you need to pass the time.

Instead of wishing you could do other things than sit and nurse, lay back and enjoy it. Now is your time to relax. This won’t last long at all. Pretty soon you’ll be running around the house chasing a toddler, wishing you could sit all day (or at least for five minutes!) and read a good book.

Reality Check #3: The Smell of Dirty Diapers Won’t Make You Cringe

You won’t have to hold your nose during diaper changes if your baby is exclusively breastfed. (The introduction of solid foods greatly changes this scenario. Consider yourself warned!)

The dirty diaper smell may not be unpleasant at all. Many moms say their exclusively breastfed baby’s poopy diapers smell like buttermilk. So if the smell of buttermilk makes you cringe, get a face mask ready.

Not only will the diapers smell better, the spit up of an exclusively breastfed baby won’t stink or stain your clothes. Consider this nature’s gift to you. You’ve worked hard to give your baby the best food in life. When you’re covered in spit-up or hands deep in poopy diapers, at least know that Mother Nature saved you from the stink. The perks of breastfeeding keep getting better and better…

Before we go into some of the specific techniques to refer, remember this very important phrase: Early and Often

Early and often is almost like a mantra. It’s something that breastfeeding educators repeat over and over because it is very important to nurse both early and often in order to:

Establish milk supply – you need to give the message to your brain right away to “send milk!”
Help baby learn to breastfeed – these early hours and days are crucial
Assist your uterus to contract (reducing blood loss after birth)

Important Things to Remember:

In the first hours and days postpartum, your milk will consist of colostrum, the early milk that your breasts start producing during pregnancy. This milk is exceedingly important for new babies as it contains antibodies that help your baby build a healthy immunity. Colostrum “paints” the intestinal tract with healthy bacteria which will help prevent allergies and other health problems later. It’s very important that your baby not receive any other milk or liquid other than your milk during the early hours and days postpartum. Extra water, sugar water, or formula are not needed for a healthy full term baby.

If your baby is born prematurely, your medical team will likely be thrilled that you are nursing, as he especially needs the health benefits of your milk! They will work with you to make sure your baby gets your milk in whatever fashion he can handle. Some premies take a little time before they can nurse at the breast, but you can pump your milk with a hospital grade electric breastpump and feed him this liquid gold.

Your Doctor may tell you that your baby needs formula or sugar water if he is large or hypoglycemic (low blood sugar). This is false. Your baby needs to nurse as much as possible so that he gets your milk, and to stimulate a hearty supply.

Keep in mind that before your milk supply increases (about the 3rd to 5th day postpartum), you are producing teaspoons, not ounces. That is perfectly okay. The more often you put baby to breast, the quicker your milk will transition from colostrum to mature milk. This doesn’t diminish the importance of colostrum however. Colostrum is referred to as “liquid gold” for a reason.

Having a colicky baby is every new parent’s nightmare. Baby colic is defined as a baby who cries for no apparent reason, even though the baby feeds and is otherwise healthy, for three hours a day, three days a week, for three weeks. Among doctors, this is known as the “rule of three.”

There are a few different suspected causes for baby colic, many having to do with the baby’s digestive system. Some experts feel that colic is usually caused by gas, by an immature digestive system, by the baby swallowing air or by trace substances passed through the mother’s digestive system and into the breastmilk.

How can you remedy baby colic? Here are a few tried and true natural methods.

Colic Calm Gripe Water

This is a popular product on the market. It’s completely homeopathic, meaning it doesn’t contain any unnatural chemicals. Its primary ingredients are baking soda and essential oils. Mothers who’ve used grip water have found its success rate to be quite high.

Gripe water can relieve your baby’s discomfort in just a few minutes after ingestion. Keep in mind that it should only be used when necessary, as baking soda can upset your baby’s stomach’s acidity balance.

Baby Massage

Get a book or two on baby massage. Giving your baby’s tummy a nice, relaxing massage can really help calm your baby down. Also try giving your baby a warm hot water bottle to hold. Put hot water inside the bottle, wrap it in soft blankets and let your baby hold it against its stomach.  Take care that the bottle feels warm, not hot, to the skin. ** This should always, always be done with adult supervision.**

Babywearing
Babies who are “worn” against the adult caregiver cry less. For some, the constant motion, upright position and closeness are enough to “cure” the colic. Read more about babywearing here. The best tool for babywearing in terms of helping a colicky baby is a soft cloth carrier such as the Sleepy Wrap.

Allergies

If your baby is breastfeeding, try cutting dairy from your diet. Your baby could be intolerant to cow’s milk or other forms of dairy products. Trace amounts could be making their way to your baby through your body. While it’s generally not recommended for a breastfeeding mother to restrict her diet unnecessarily, (read: the best diet for breastfeeding mothers), allergy to cow’s milk is probably the most common allergy among babies.

Breastmilk v Formulas

If your baby is using a baby formula, consider switching to just breastmilk, which is far easier to digest. Keep a supply of pumped breast milk on hand for when you must be away from baby. If pumping isn’t working out for you and you must use formula, try switching brands. Ask your baby’s Doctor about this. Some babies are sensitive to certain formulas but will do fine on another.

White Noise

Try a white noise CD or machine. A white noise CD is basically a recording that sounds like what your baby heard while it was in the womb. This may help calm your baby down. White noise machines or CDs can be purchased online, or at a baby store.

Any one of these natural  techniques may cure your baby’s colic. It’s also possible that none of them will work and you’ll just have to wait it out. Start by trying babywearing; then if that doesn’t work, experiment with some of the other techniques.

A recently launched website aimed at helping women identify the best time to conceive or avoid pregnancy naturally, has conducted research into the attitudes women have towards breastfeeding and why they did or didn’t use the age-old method to feed their child.

The poll, by www.FertilityFlower.com, asked 3,102 mothers across America if they breastfed their children and the reasons behind their decision.

According to the research, the majority of those asked, 71%, breastfed their children and a further 8% ‘attempted’ to breastfeed and ‘gave-up’ after finding it too difficult.

Of those who breastfed their baby, more than 1 in 5, 21% admitted to doing so to ‘help’ them lose the weight that they gained during pregnancy and a further 16% breastfed because it was ‘cheaper’ than buying formula milk.

More than two thirds, 68%, of those who breastfed their baby said it was so that they could ‘bond’ with their child.

4% of those that breastfed their baby admitted to doing so because they felt ‘pressured’ to do so by either a partner, family member or their midwife.

The research found that 16% of the respondents didn’t breastfeed their baby or even attempt to for the first feed. 31% of which cited it was because they were concerned about the affect it could have on their breasts and a further 7% said it was for fear of it being painful.

29%, of those that breastfed admitted to feeling ‘embarrassed’ at times and 15% of those that didn’t breastfeed said one of the elements for their decisions was the embarrassment they would feel breastfeeding in public places.

Kimberly Ann Racic, founder of FertilityFlower.com, commented on the research;

“Breast milk is the perfect food for babies. Therefore the decision to breastfeed or not shouldn’t be taken lightly. However, I don’t think anyone should be shamed into breastfeeding when they don’t want to. Good news for women who would like to continue breastfeeding but are anxious about doing so in public, there are covers that can be bought or made that allow for complete discretion. ”

She continued,

“If mothers are feeling unsure as to what is best for them and are struggling to reach a decision, I would suggest that they do some research online and talk to other mothers candidly about their fears. They are likely to get a realistic picture of what breastfeeding is like. After that, they’ll be able to make the decision to breastfeed or not based on real information rather than perception. ”

LINK http://www.FertilityFlower.com

photo credit: moppet65535

Nursing Bras - During breastfeeding, the breasts need comfort and support that is provided by a bra. Usually normal bras cannot meet the comfort needs of a breastfeeding mother, while they are sometimes difficult to handle, they can also interfere with nursing a child and put strain on the breasts. Nursing bras, made from special and comfortable fabric can provide support and convenience during breastfeeding. They are stretchable to accommodate the changing cup size of the breast; they are comfortable and can prevent plugged milk ducts. It is preferable to buy a soft cup bra and to avoid under wired bras since they can put a strain on the breasts thereby, decreasing milk production. A nursing bra should open at both cups and should be handled with one hand; a good brand of nursing bras in Bravado Nursing Bra.

Breast Pumps ? A breast pump is one of the essential items for both working and non-working mothers since by the time the baby has established feeding from the breast, milk can be pumped, stored and fed to the baby using milk bottles. Breast pumps are used for this purpose; once again a variety of pumps are available and they can be bought depending upon frequency of use, efficiency and type. If the use of pumps is only occasional, a manual pump can be used but for mothers returning to work, a good quality single or double breast electric pump would be easier. Popular breast pumps are Medela style and pump style advanced, made by Medela.

Baby Slings - It is usually difficult to attend to an infant, get house work done and look after other children all at the same time. A baby sling can help make things easier and is also one of the most convenient items in taking care of a baby. It allows the mother to hold the infant for as long as both like, it reduces the crying of the baby by meeting its demand of being held and the mother can attend to other tasks at the same time. It can also help with the baby?s brain development since it can observe its surrounding with more ease and its senses are stimulated. Mothers can even breastfeed their baby discreetly in a baby sling. MayaWrap and Hug of Joy are two popular brands that make good quality baby slings.

Breastfeeding Pillows - These pillows can make breastfeeding not only highly comfortable for the mother and baby but they make breastfeeding effective and enjoyable as well. These pillows offer proper breastfeeding position for the baby, bringing it in direct contact with the nipple. The mother therefore, does not have to spend time discovering a comfortable breastfeeding position for the baby. The mother gets a comfortable breastfeeding position as well by putting less strain on her back, and she will not need to tire herself by holding the baby in her arms and she can nurse for as long as she wants or is needed.

Nursing Pads - They can be used when breasts start leaking automatically as a response to the baby?s need or time to be fed. Washable or disposable nursing pads can be placed in the bra to avoid making the leakage prominent. There are different types of pads catering to the varying needs of lactating women and a type most suitable to a particular leaking pattern should be bought. Two popular brands brands making different types of nursing pads are Avent and Medela.

Nursing Tops - These tops are convenient for mothers especially if they want to nurse their child in public without drawing a lot of attention. They are fashionable; there is no need of exposing the belly or even the whole breast to nurse effectively using nursing tops. Apart from various other nursing top manufacturing brands, Bumblebee contains a wide range of tops.

Many other items like breastfeeding ponchos, breast shields, boppy pillows, nursing stools are also popular items among breastfeeding mothers. They can even be given as popular baby shower gifts.

Health care professionals and pediatricians can make the difference between mothers choosing breast milk for their babies and mothers choosing formula milk for their babies, that is, the role they play in this area can indirectly affect the baby’s long term health. The presence of properly educated and well informed health care experts in cities, towns and villages is important to widely advocate the practice of breastfeeding.

First of all, health care experts should get to know the pregnant women in their area, their medical condition and keep track of their progress. They should visit the mothers regularly during pregnancy and talk to them about breastfeeding, pointing out its benefits and long term effects; highlighting its requirements and techniques, ways to increase milk production and inform them about the release of hormones (prolactin and oxytocin) which are good for relaxing, so that they can form their decision well before the delivery. They should also make clear the risks for the baby when the mother chooses not to breastfeed; greater risk of infections, medical conditions and later medical problems.

Breast milk strengthens the immune system of the baby, decreases the risks of various diseases that can affect the baby during breastfeeding or through childhood. It also reduces risks of infant mortality, gives long term health benefits to the baby and improves the bond with the mother. Breastfeeding is also beneficial for the mother and helps her lose pregnancy weight quicker, delaying ovulation and consequently, pregnancy, reducing risk of ovarian and breast cancer and improving the mother’s bond with the baby. In addition to this, breastfeeding has economic and financial benefits as well by reducing costs of formula milk by up to $1000 per household, and saving money that would be spent on hospital bills by reducing risks of illnesses in the baby. So, it is vital to inform parents about the various benefits of breastfeeding and to provide moral support to the mother during pregnancy, after delivery and throughout the breastfeeding period.

On the part of hospitals, they can participate in campaigns to advocate breastfeeding by increasing health care staff such as lactation coordinators, nurses or physician assistants to help mothers in initiating breastfeeding right after delivery, discourage the use of bottles and formula milk (except in special conditions) and to educate about breast pumps and its uses. To facilitate breastfeeding health care experts should first of all, assess if there are any contraindications present such as in infants with galactosemia, mothers with certain medical conditions, mothers using illegal drugs and mothers using certain medicines.

Health care experts should be present during and after delivery so that they can assist mothers in initiating breastfeeding, placing infant in direct contact with the mother, helping in latching, and advising mothers to breastfeed after every couple hours and pointing out different and optimal breastfeeding positions. After a caesarean birth, advise positions comfortable for the mother during breastfeeding and for premature babies, advise getting expressed milk to feed the baby using breast pumps should be given. Information about the types of breast pumps available and some of the famous brands producing manual and electric breast pumps such as Medela breast pump producing Medela style and Medela style advanced breast pumps.

After the mother and baby have been discharged from the hospital, health experts should pay a visit in the first week to weight the infant, perform a physical examination, inquire about breast problems (engorgement, soreness etc.), inquire about the infant’s bowel movements and take notice of mother’s breastfeeding practices. Another visit should be paid after 2 to 3 weeks pointing out positive progress of the baby and discouraging any introduction of complementary foods at this point. Educating the mother about the appropriate time of adding complementary foods to the baby’s diet; listing the necessary nutrients and advising about food items good for baby’s growth and development should also be a part of the responsibility of health care experts at hospitals. Educating the mother about vitamin and mineral supplements and if the mother or baby are not doing well at any point, they should be referred to a lactation expert or support group immediately.

Discussing the mother’s plans of returning to work and informing her of the methods to continue breastfeeding the baby efficiently while she will be away from the baby should also be part of their duty. Working moms should be encouraged to use breast pumps at this point as a way to increase milk supply to meet baby’s demands. Moreover, the health care experts must be fully prepared to answer questions concerning the frequency of breastfeeding, methods to check the amount of milk taken, ways to deal with nipple soreness and other problems. Apart from paying visits at home, it is also important to stay in touch with the parents through the telephone and answering any of their queries. Health care experts are a vital source of information for parents to carry out breastfeeding and baby care as efficiently as possible, information that might not have been available to them through any other source.

“My baby fusses and sometimes pulls away from the nipple while nursing. What does this mean and should I be concerned?“

This is fairly common and there are several things that could be going on here.

First, nursing babies have different personalities. Some babies are quite relaxed at the breast. Others are more finicky. Not all babies relax during a nursing session. Sometimes your baby will appear downright unhappy. Don’t get discouraged, even though I know it can be disheartening to see your baby protest and pull off the breast during this otherwise miraculous bonding experience.

If your baby fusses while nursing, take note of any potential triggers for this unease. Growths spurts, teething, sickness, and new developmental milestones can cause a baby to fuss. If you baby fusses while nursing at the beginning of a feeding session, he or she may be protesting a too fast or too slow let-down. If baby gets fussy at the end, he or she may want to switch breasts to a faster milk flow or need to be burped.

Some babies experience some soreness or birth trauma and benefit from a visit with an Osteopath or Chiropractor. My second born son, after an adjustment, started nursing with ease. He previously fussed when lying on one side (and nursing on that particular breast).

If your baby suddenly starts fussing after nursing comfortably for awhile, he may have a sore throat or earache. Tell your Doctor about it if you’re concerned. Another possibility is that the baby has developed a yeast infection in his mouth called thrush.

Know that fussing at the breast is common during the first six to eight weeks. If you’re concerned, have a lactation consultant check your latch and rule out any signs of thrush. Otherwise, it’s just another newborn quirk.

When moms ask me “how often should I nurse my baby,” I tell them to trust their child. I realize that the breastfeed-on-demand people were right. Newborns need to nurse between eight to 12 times in 24 hours (about every two to three hours), and they know how to regulate their calorie intake.

It’s impossible to nurse a baby too often. Although technically it is possible to overfeed a nursing baby. How so? Sometimes mothers have an over abundant milk supply that baby can’t handle. This sometimes happens with younger babies and moms who have a strong letdown. If you have a baby with a strong need to suck, try limiting them to just one breast per feeding instead of switching sides. This will help regulate your supply to baby’s needs. Also, they will get more of the higher fat “hindmilk” if they are kept to one breast per feeding, which may lead to less spitting up.

During a growth spurt, a baby may want to nurse all the time. It usually takes two or three days of increased nursing for mom’s body to respond by increasing her supply. Limiting a baby’s nursing during this time could lead to slow weight gain.

Breastmilk is supremely efficient, being digested within 90 minutes of the last feeding. Look for hunger cues—the rooting reflex, fussing, sucking on fingers—and offer the breast to offset any crying.

Babies are smart. As long as they’re eating enough, go with their flow. The biggest lesson with breastfeeding is learning to trust your baby.

In the article, Rosin mentions several reasons why, in her opinion, the benefits of breastfeeding are overstated. She also concludes that breastfeeding takes too much time and asks:

“…is it this generation’s vacuum cleaner—an instrument of misery that mostly just keeps women down?”

What are your feelings on this matter?

While not a medical researcher or health expert, the author claims that the so-called benefits of breastfeeding are actually minimal when one takes the time to do an independent study of the medical literature.

Another controversial claim is that:

“It is a serious time commitment that pretty much guarantees that you will not work in any meaningful way.”

As a divorced mom who supports her 4 kids on one income, this statement leaves the author scratching her head.

In this house, it’s Mom – who happens to still be breastfeeding the youngest – who pays the bills.

What do you think about the article? Is it a backlash against breastfeeding from an unhappy mother? Does she speak truth? Or what?