• Preparing the mammary glands for feeding a newborn. How to prepare your breasts for feeding

    01.08.2019

    Pregnancy is a wonderful time. This is a time of exciting anticipation and pleasant reflection. For all nine months, the baby, while in its mother’s belly, goes through stages of incredible transformation. And at this time the mother has an excellent opportunity to prepare for the birth of her treasure. Most pregnant women associate preparation for childbirth with preparation of the cervix, training correct breathing, as well as purchasing the necessary items to care for the baby. But few people think about how to prepare the breasts for feeding, why this is even needed and how to do it correctly.

    The female body undergoes changes during pregnancy. AND mammary glands- not an exception. A few weeks after conception, the breasts become noticeably heavier and increase in size. The areolas of the nipples darken, their sensitivity increases, and many begin to secrete colostrum - the primary milk.

    Why do you need to prepare your breasts for feeding?

    In fact, preparatory actions are not only about protecting the breasts from cracks during feeding. But it is also important to maintain the shape and visual attractiveness of the breasts in perfect condition. How to prepare for breastfeeding without causing harm?

    How to cook breasts and nipples

    1. At the very beginning, you should determine the type of nipples. The main thing is that they are not retracted or flat, since with this shape it is difficult for the child to grab the mother’s breast for sucking. To find out what shape your nipple is, you can take an ice cube and rub it over the nipple. A normally shaped nipple will become convex, hard and pulled forward. Inverted nipples from the cold deepen even further into the areola. And flat ones remain just as flat when exposed to cold.
    2. Even during pregnancy, you need to take care of a comfortable, supportive bra, as well as a nursing bra with opening cups and wide straps. Preference should be given to underwear made from natural fabrics; the size should be chosen correctly, so that nothing is pinched and the woman is comfortable. It is difficult to do without special underwear during breastfeeding: it is comfortable, practical and, most importantly, safe.
    3. Not only the skin of the abdomen, but also the chest is susceptible to stretch marks. During pregnancy and breastfeeding, the mammary glands can increase significantly and dramatically. Unprepared, dry skin cannot withstand stretching and therefore stretch marks appear. Special moisturizing creams do an excellent job of preventing stretch marks. They make the skin elastic, soft, preventing rupture of connective tissue (stretch marks). When choosing a cream for stretch marks, it is important to pay attention to the composition of the product. It’s good when it contains little chemicals and a lot of natural oils. You need to be extremely careful in the postpartum period. It is advisable to avoid breast treatment altogether. by various means. And if this is necessary, then it is better to use baby creams or oils.
    4. Cold and hot shower. Alternating warm and cool water tones the skin, improves blood circulation, as if training it. Alternating exposure of the skin to water of opposite temperature is an excellent preparation of the breast for feeding. So, if possible, it is recommended to take a contrast shower daily.
    5. Massage. The massage is designed to strengthen tissue and increase blood circulation. But massage is contraindicated for prenatal breast preparation. Pregnant women should not touch their nipples, as by stimulating them, the hormone oxytocin is produced, which can cause miscarriage or cause premature birth. During pregnancy, the effect on the breasts should be very delicate and careful. In the postpartum period, breast massage can be done, and in some cases it is even necessary (for example, with engorgement, stagnation of milk and other problems).
    6. Consulting a specialist on breastfeeding (breastfeeding) will not harm any mother. During the conversation, all the questions of an inexperienced mother will be answered, including questions related to preparing the breasts for feeding.

    If your nipples are flat

    What to do when your nipples are flat? Indeed, with flat nipples, problems with the baby's latching onto the breast may occur. If a woman has exactly this breast structure, there is no need to worry. Maybe, unborn child will eat without problems.

    Helps to stretch out the nipple special exercises:

    You need to take the nipple by the areola with two fingers, squeeze, and then release. Perform for one minute. Then perform the same action with the second nipple;

    Rolling the nipple between the fingers from bottom to top;

    Light, short-term pinching of the areolas and nipples with your fingertips, but not with your nails.

    It is important not to overdo it here, as overstimulation of the nipples can be dangerous for pregnant women, especially if the pregnancy is still very early. And before preparing your breasts for feeding, it is better to consult a doctor and make sure your own actions are correct.

    If, nevertheless, a flat nipple is the reason the baby refuses to eat, help silicone pads for the chest. They are sold in pharmacies and come different shapes(somewhat reminiscent of a pacifier). The shields are applied to the nipples, and the baby drinks breast milk through them.

    How to get rid of increased nipple irritability

    After the birth of the baby and the start of breastfeeding, many women note discomfort in the nipple area and its excessive sensitivity. In order not to experience discomfort, it is important to adhere to certain rules:

    • It is necessary to properly apply the baby to the breast and wean it from the breast! Perhaps the baby has an incorrect latch - the nipple is injured, and hence discomfort. When the baby has eaten, you should not force the nipple out of his mouth. Help him release the nipple with your finger. As a rule, after the baby begins to suck properly, breast problems go away after 1-2 days.
    • Replace coarse underwear on linen made from softer natural fabrics. The hard tissue is likely irritating your already injured nipples.
    • Do not rub your nipples or rub products containing alcohol or other aggressive substances into them!
    • Treat your nipples with healing agents such as Bepanten or sea ​​buckthorn oil. Bepanten treats microcracks and creates a protective film on the areola. In addition, it is safe for the baby.
    • If the papillae hurt, you can make tea compresses, as well as compresses from a decoction of chamomile and oak bark.

    What not to do

    • Rub your nipples with a towel. This method of preparing the breasts for feeding has been known since Soviet times. Many obstetricians still argue that rubbing the nipples with a rough towel is simply necessary. In fact, when exposed to hard tissue, microcracks form on the nipple, invisible to the naked eye. Subsequently, these microcracks will become a gateway for infection. In addition, stimulation of the nipples during pregnancy is fraught with dangerous consequences, which were mentioned above.
    • Apply creams and other products to your nipples after childbirth. Nature itself took care of protection female breast, laying down in the body the process of producing a special protective lubricant for the nipples and areolas of the female breast. Interestingly, this protective lubricant appears only after childbirth and is designed to protect the vulnerable and delicate female breast from damage. Therefore, you should not buy “special” additional protective equipment. Obviously, they will not help a nursing mother, but they can cause harm, given the allergenic substances they contain. It should be noted that in some cases it is necessary to smear the nipples: when they have cracks. But if necessary, only a doctor should prescribe the ointment and only after an examination, because the active ingredient of any gel can cause allergic reaction in a baby.
    • Harden your nipples. Prepare your breasts for feeding wisely! There is no need to purposefully apply air baths or wipe your breasts with ice cubes! Moreover, during lactation, the breasts must be protected from hypothermia!

    Is it possible to maintain the same breast shape?

    Indeed, breastfeeding is a whole test for a woman’s beautiful breasts. To preserve its beauty and elasticity, you need to follow the traditional, well-known rules:

    Wear a comfortable, supportive bra of the right size;
    - wear comfortable underwear made from natural fabrics;
    - during the feeding period, when the breasts are filled with milk, avoid jumping and running;
    - while sleeping, do not take a position “on your stomach”;
    - you can’t suddenly lose weight or lose weight, everything should be gradual;
    - feeding the baby should occur in the correct comfortable position;
    - breast beauty will be helped natural oils, namely rubbing them in.

    It is important to note that the condition female figure, including breasts, largely depends on the hereditary factor, as well as on the degree to which a woman cares for her body and correct lifestyle.

    Breast exercises to help you prepare for breastfeeding

    1. Stroking. Use circular movements; you can stroke two breasts at the same time. It is allowed to massage with oils.
    2. Stroking the breast in the direction from the base to the nipple, from all sides. You can also stroke two breasts at the same time.
    3. Chest lifts. The breast is lifted from below with the palm of your hand, and delicately pressed from above with the other hand. Do the same with the second breast.
    4. Exercise against sagging breasts. Sit up straight. The hands are folded as if for prayer, the elbows are spread to the sides. Palms “look” up. Now you need to press the lower parts of your palms against each other, and at the same time the muscles supporting the chest will tense.

    Gentle massage is useful for preventing lactostasis. You can massage your breasts before each feeding; however, massage actions do not have to be professional; it is enough to just slightly knead the breasts to make it easier for the baby to suck milk.

    To summarize, I would like to note once again that special preparation of the breast for feeding is not something mandatory or necessary. Nipple preparation is only an addition to all prenatal preparation, with the exception of those extraordinary cases when feeding the baby is difficult due to certain reasons. It should be remembered that lactation is a natural process, and everything in this process is already provided for and wisely arranged by nature. Unnecessary rough interference in this “mechanism” will not bring any benefit. There is another extreme: connivance, wrong image life and unsanitary conditions, these moments also do not contribute proper preparation women for lactation. Therefore, before preparing your nipples, you should consult your doctor.

    Every mother knows very well how important the breastfeeding period is for her child. This is not surprising, since mother's milk contains everything necessary vitamins, minerals, antibodies and immune complexes responsible for the full growth and development of the baby.

    However, before starting breastfeeding procedures, it is worth figuring out how to prepare your breasts for feeding your baby. If the glands are monitored improper care, this can lead to serious problems with lactation, which, in turn, will affect the baby and the mother herself. Recommendations from specialists will help you avoid such difficulties. Let's take a closer look at how to properly prepare your breasts for feeding your baby.

    Shower

    Even during the process of bearing a baby, the mother’s body undergoes global changes. First of all, it changes hormonal background, and the mammary glands begin the process of adaptation to future lactation processes. Therefore, a woman should know how to prepare her breasts for childbirth and feeding, long before the long-awaited child is born.

    First of all, great attention should be paid to the hygiene of the mammary glands. During pregnancy, the expectant mother’s body is susceptible to a wide variety of infections, so you should not allow even the slightest chance of its occurrence.

    To do this, you need to shower more often. In addition, do not forget that almost all pregnant women suffer from increased sweating. This is fertile ground for the growth of pathogenic bacteria on the skin of the expectant mother. While taking a shower, you should pay more attention to your armpits and intimate areas. Increased sweating can lead to the appearance of fungus, which is unacceptable during the period of bearing a baby.

    Detergents and clothes

    During pregnancy and after birth, you should avoid aggressive chemical gels. It is also not recommended to use products with fragrances and all kinds of fragrances. It's best to buy regular baby soap, which can be found in any store or pharmacy.

    If you decide to use gels, you need to make sure that they contain 0% acids. This will help avoid flaking and dryness. skin not only on the chest, but also on other parts of the body.

    Also, speaking about how to prepare the breasts before feeding, it is worth paying attention to the clothes that the expectant mother wears. It is best to give preference natural fabrics, especially when it comes to underwear. You also need to ensure that the bra does not squeeze, but only supports the woman’s breasts.

    How to prepare your breasts for the first feeding

    These procedures are performed before birth. To prepare the mammary glands, you need to start walking with your chest open for 15-20 minutes a day. However, you need to make sure that the room is not too cold; the woman should avoid drafts.

    At the next stage, you can begin to pour over the mammary glands, first with slightly cool and then colder water. At the same time, you should also not overdo it. It is enough to direct a shower with cool water on your chest for a few seconds during daily hygiene procedures.

    Checking the shape of the nipples

    Speaking about how to prepare your breasts for feeding a baby, it is worth mentioning that each woman has her own physiological characteristics. First of all, this concerns the nipples. For some women they are too flat, for others they are not elastic enough. All this makes the feeding process difficult.

    Owners of convex mammary glands have nothing to worry about, since the baby can easily find his way around and find the source of the food he needs. The same applies to those whom nature has endowed with elastic nipples. But ladies with so-called depressed mammary glands may experience some difficulties. The same applies to owners. To correct the situation and figure out how to prepare the breasts for feeding in this case, you should pay attention to several manipulations that will help solve the problem.

    Nipple shape correction

    Of course, in this case there is no question of surgical intervention. To figure out how to prepare your breasts for feeding, massage should be put first. Thanks to such manipulations, you can not only stimulate the mammary glands, but also slightly change the shape of the nipples. All manipulations can be performed at home.

    To perform the massage, you need to gently pull the nipples forward using your thumb and index finger. In this case, you need to ensure that the skin on the areolas is not damaged. You also need to move your fingers in all directions using stretching movements. In order to develop nipples, 2-4 minutes of such exercises once a day are enough.

    Also for those who want to get as much as possible more information On how to prepare your breasts for feeding, it will be useful to know that today there are specialized bras with special inserts on sale. Such products work on the principle of vacuum pumps, pulling out a woman’s nipples. However, you need to keep in mind that such accessories are not harmless, so you should not use them for a long time. It is enough to start wearing such a bra about a month before giving birth. At the same time, wearing the accessory for 5 minutes a day is enough.

    Breast pumps can also be used for these purposes. They also slightly modify the shape of the nipples, further softening the skin. However, you should not use these products before giving birth. It is better to use them when a sufficient amount of milk accumulates in the breast.

    However, before preparing your breasts for feeding a newborn in this way, you should visit a gynecologist. The fact is that such stimulation of the nipples can provoke uterine contractions, which is not very good in some situations. Therefore, it is better to obtain a doctor’s approval first.

    Sensitive nipples

    This is another common problem that many women suffer from. If we talk about how to prepare your nipples for breastfeeding if they are too sensitive, then there are some useful recommendations.

    First of all, during pregnancy you should start wearing bras made of coarser fabric. It is better if the products do not contain seams. In this case, the fabric will act on the areola, reducing its sensitivity threshold, but the nipples will not suffer serious damage. If it is difficult to choose such a bra, then you can use your usual products, after placing waffle napkins in the cups.

    It is also worth taking 10-15 air baths a day. This will also help reduce elevated blood pressure. In addition, it is recommended to massage the mammary glands. This will be useful not only for hypersensitivity, but also for prevention and preparation for feeding.

    Proper massage

    Any detail will be important in preparing for such important event like the birth of a baby. Doctors recommend not to ignore the question of how to properly prepare the breasts for feeding. To do this, you need to follow a number of simple techniques.

    To do a massage correctly, you should start with circular stroking of the chest. In this case, both hands are used at once. At this stage, you should not touch the nipples and areolas, since the mammary glands must first be “warmed up”.

    At the next stage, you need to start stroking the breast, first from the nipple up, then to the sides and down. Both mammary glands are massaged simultaneously.

    For the next exercise you need to take from below right breast V right hand and raise it a little. At the same time, you need to press the mammary gland from above with your left hand. However, you can't push too hard. After this, a similar manipulation is performed with the left breast.

    Doing similar exercises 5 times is enough. This will be very useful for those mothers who will need to express milk in the future.

    Gymnastics for strengthening

    Many women are concerned not only with how to prepare their breasts for feeding, but also with how not to lose the shape of the mammary glands after the birth of the baby. To avoid sagging breasts in the future, it is recommended that you begin performing special exercises during pregnancy that will help maintain firmness. It is best to perform procedures during morning exercises.

    The best exercise for these purposes is “prayer.” To perform it, you need to sit straight on a stool or chair, put your palms together and point them up at chest level. Elbows should be spread out to the sides at right angles. After this, you need to start pressing firmly with the lower parts of your palms towards each other. In this case, the muscles that are located directly under the mammary glands will tighten, which will help support the breasts.

    Psychological preparation

    It is equally important to prepare mentally for feeding your baby. Many women fear that after the birth of a child, their breasts will cease to be a sexual object and will be perceived by both the child and others solely as a vessel for milk. However, these problems usually fade into the background when the mother holds her child in her arms. To realize this, it is recommended to communicate more often with those women who are already feeding babies. As a rule, almost all of them are divided exclusively positive impressions.

    You need to prepare for the fact that breastfeeding is a completely normal process. This is useful not only for the baby, but also for the woman herself, since milk should not be allowed to accumulate. There is no need to worry that your husband will stop loving or desiring his wife. For any man, the birth of a child is no less exciting.

    What not to do

    Speaking about how to prepare your breasts for feeding, it is worth saying a few words about activities that are contraindicated for women. For example, to reduce the sensitivity of your nipples, you should never rub them with a rough or terry cloth. This can damage the skin and cause infection. The same applies to the use of alcohol or colognes for rubbing. This will only lead to damage.

    You should also refrain from too intense massage. All movements must be smooth.

    Some women start putting ice on their nipples to make them a little rougher. Such manipulations should not be performed, since too much hypothermia will not lead to anything good.

    It is important to know

    A woman does not produce milk immediately; at first it is so-called colostrum. However, this liquid is very valuable and useful for the child in the first days of his life. Thanks to colostrum, the baby’s fragile body resists infectious diseases, and his intestines begin to function in a new environment for him.

    Starting from the second day, milk begins to appear in the mother's breast. If this does not happen on the 3rd or 4th day, then in this case you should definitely consult a doctor. Supplemental feeding may be required. However, it is better not to rush to accustom your baby to artificial nutrition, it will be much healthier for him to eat colostrum.

    To quickly improve the functioning of the mammary glands, you should start drinking clean water on the second day after the baby is born (preferably in the afternoon). In this case, you need to drink often, but in very small sips. To stimulate lactation, women drink hot water, but this often leads to the production of much more milk than the baby needs.

    To prevent the baby and his mother from experiencing discomfort during feeding, it is recommended to lightly massage the breasts 15-20 minutes before the procedure. If the mammary glands are too swollen and very painful, you can express some milk. However, under no circumstances should you squeeze out every last drop.

    In addition to water, doctors recommend drinking teas, compotes, natural juices and fruit drinks. Also, while feeding your baby, you should eat more boiled and baked foods. Steamed dishes will be useful. You can also eat foods that the mother ate during pregnancy. The baby’s body is accustomed to such nutrition, so it digestive system will react normally to it. This will help avoid gas formation.

    If you want to try something new, you should be careful. New foods should be introduced into your diet gradually and always monitor the baby’s reaction. Perhaps he suffers from intolerance to certain components that will come to him through mother's milk.

    Finally

    How to prepare your breasts for feeding? Massage, hygiene, proper nutrition, healthy image life - all this will help prepare for the most important period in life. In addition, you should not forget to pamper yourself and avoid stressful situations. You should also consult your doctor if you have any doubts.

    While the expectant mother is still pregnant, she rarely thinks about breastfeeding, especially if the baby is her first. Typically, she is more concerned about how breastfeeding may affect her breast health. And those who are expecting their second or third baby may be anxiously awaiting the start of feeding: will everything work out? Therefore, they often begin to prepare the breasts for feeding during pregnancy. But is it necessary to do this?

    Some care is actually needed, because from the moment the umbilical cord is cut, the breast will become the main organ connecting mother and baby. But everything should be within reasonable limits. Lactation is not a disease, but a normal state of a woman! Moreover, this condition - like pregnancy - gives each of us a special reason to lead a healthy lifestyle. A normal, average woman just needs to act as if she is simply taking good care of her health. There are, of course, special cases, but before birth the opportunity to influence them is not too great. What may require our special care?

    Breast shape and size

    What not to do: become despondent at the thought that breastfeeding will ruin the shape of your breasts - and even more so, figure out how to end lactation early. The reality differs from accepted ideas: in fact, the shape of the breast does not change during feeding, but during pregnancy!

    As the birth approaches, the breasts enlarge - glandular tissue develops in it, which, after the baby is born, will produce milk. Some of the adipose tissue is also replaced by glandular tissue. The peculiarities of breast tissue are such that adipose tissue holds its shape quite well, but glandular tissue does not hold its shape at all; nursing breasts become engorged only due to the fact that the glandular tissue contains milk.

    The reverse process should also occur gradually - after the introduction of complementary foods, with a decrease in the child’s need for milk, the glandular tissue begins to be replaced by adipose tissue again. If feeding ends before this time, breastfeeding until next feeding will remain in the same state as it was at the time of completion, that is, with a predominance of glandular tissue, which means, alas, saggy. And, oddly enough, thanks to this feature of the female body, after prolonged breastfeeding, breasts can retain their shape better than without breastfeeding!

    In addition, heredity plays a very large role in whether breasts lose their shape after feeding or maintain them. How elastic the breast skin is also contributes.

    What you can do, but not necessarily: if your heredity future mom is not able to influence, and the duration of feeding depends primarily on her own mood, then to increase the elasticity of the skin of the breast, you can do something in advance. A contrast shower has a positive effect on the elasticity of the skin of the breast; some mothers speak well of the use of special creams for pregnant women that preserve the elasticity of the bust. However, when using such creams, be careful: if you continue to use them after childbirth, there is a possibility that such cosmetics may repel the baby with their smell, or even cause irritation when they come into contact skin to skin.

    Things to take care of: What's really important for maintaining the firmness and overall health of your breasts is good supportive underwear. For mothers with large breasts, it is better to start using a supportive bra in the last trimester of pregnancy, and then use it throughout the feeding period. If the breasts are small, then a support bra is especially important in the first weeks of feeding, when breasts of size A or B after the arrival of milk can very sharply increase in size to C or even D. The optimal one is seamless (since pressure from the seams can contribute to stagnation of milk), elastic (eg microfiber) and distributed support. It is quite possible to buy such a bra during pregnancy, because it changes its size along with the growing breasts and continues to support them well, despite large fluctuations in size.

    You should also definitely think in advance about comfortable clothes for feeding in the maternity hospital and at home: either with special slits in the front, which can be ordered on many sites on the Internet by searching for “clothes for feeding,” or at least with buttons or a zipper. In practice, very often after childbirth, first-time mothers are surprised to discover that the clothes they prepared for comfortable stay in the maternity hospital, is not at all equipped to be able to easily and elegantly breastfeed your baby at any time and really feed him on demand.

    Nipple shape

    What not to do:"harden the nipples." Recommendations for rubbing nipples terry towel, wearing rags in your bra, “sucking your breasts” or using any other similar methods are not justified. During pregnancy and after childbirth, the skin of the nipples and areola itself secretes a special protective lubricant, which should protect it from injury from the baby’s mouth - but if you rub the nipples with a towel, the lubricant will, of course, be erased, and the breasts will remain defenseless, which can lead to irritation skin earn.

    The advice to “absorb the breasts” also does not give much results: Small child sucks the breast in a very special way, not the way his dad imagines. Effective sucking requires constant practice of just this kind of sucking: grown-up babies often forget how to suckle correctly after a week without breastfeeding, and mothers are often surprised that, for example, after a long break, feeding hurts at first. Yes, the child just forgot how to do it correctly! What can we say about his dad, who last practiced this a couple of decades ago - you can’t expect the desired effect on the chest from him.

    In addition, there are a couple more difficult points: the microflora in the mouth of an adult is, to put it mildly, flawed and very different from the microflora in the mouth of a baby, with whom the mother’s breast is designed to interact. Caries in dad's mouth can cause problems with mom's nipples if future parents take the advice about the need to "absorb the breast" too seriously. What’s even worse, at the end of pregnancy, any manipulation of the nipple—whether “sucking” the breast or rubbing it with a towel—can trigger the release of the hormone oxytocin, which tone the uterus and can lead to premature contractions.

    What you can do, but it is not necessary: Not everyone needs to use special creams to soften their nipples. Indeed, such creams help if a pregnant woman experiences increased nipple sensitivity in the last trimester, or if cracks occur in the first days of feeding. The main cause of cracks is improper attachment to the breast, which we will talk about in more detail later - provided that the attachment is correct, no additional means may be needed. If, nevertheless, the need for them arises, creams made from pure lanolin are best suited for this purpose - they have neither taste nor smell and do not need to be washed off.

    Things to take care of: Be sure to pay attention to the shape of your nipples. If they are flat ( flat nipples- those that do not protrude above the areola) or even retracted ones (representing a kind of dimple in the areola), this can make it somewhat difficult for the baby to latch onto the breast. To make sure exactly what shape your nipples have, you can try the effect of cold, for example, touching an ice cube: a regular nipple will become convex and stretch forward, a flat nipple will not change its shape, and a retracted nipple will, accordingly, be drawn into the areola. It is difficult for a baby to hold a breast in his mouth with an inverted or flat nipple, so be prepared to show patience and perseverance in the first days after birth.

    As for various mechanical devices, their help is secondary, but can often be useful. So, just before feeding, you can pull out the nipples a little just with your fingers or with a breast pump. There are also special nipple shapers: shell-shaped, with a silicone cushion stimulating the areola, which are worn shortly before feeding, and they help the nipple rise. Sometimes it is recommended to use a syringe or syringe-like devices, but it is better not to do this: many mothers believe that this is less effective than the already mentioned means, and in the first days after childbirth it is usually also painful.

    When offering breasts with flat or inverted nipples, at first you will need to properly support the baby's head and form a fold on the chest parallel to the mouth to make it easier to latch on to. It is best if a lactation consultant or an experienced midwife immediately helps you with the correct attachment of your baby.

    Feeding in the underarm position also helps, and, most importantly, avoiding the use of artificial nipples and pacifiers. Usually, newborn babies have a very strong sucking reflex, and if the mother offers only the breast, the baby will make efforts to take and learn to suck the breast; If, in parallel with a breast that is not very convenient for sucking, the mother offers an artificial pacifier, quite often children choose an object that is more convenient for sucking... This situation can also be overcome, but the mother will need even more work.

    The main thing to remember is that babies whose mother tries to latch on well always suck on almost any breast during the first two to three weeks of feeding, and the nipples then remain more prominent than before!

    Let's get our heads ready!

    The main advice to young mothers is that you need to prepare your head for feeding first. Find out in advance at least the most basic things about caring for your baby, about possible difficulties in breastfeeding and ways to overcome them. If you are pregnant and reading this book, congratulations, you are already doing a lot for successful breastfeeding!

    What not to do: buy literature about children by unknown authors, especially those written in the last century. Very often it turns out that such books simply reprint information from the 50s and 60s, when it was believed that this was not only normal, but also hallmark“advanced” mother... The well-known Doctor Spock has not stood the test of time: his books once made a revolution; according to the then concepts of education, it was truly a huge step forward. But from the point of view of modern knowledge about breastfeeding and interaction with children, many of the tips presented in his book are simply harmful. In addition, few people know that Spock's son, raised according to his famous system, did not speak with his father until the end of his life...

    Instead of Spock, it is better to pay attention to the books of William and Martha Sears (in another edition - Sears): in the family of these famous pediatricians and nurses, who raised eight children, they adhered to the now quite relevant style of attachment parenting. This is most often translated into Russian as “style of rapprochement.” Their books “Your Child from Birth to Two Years”, “Night Parenting”, “25 Main Advice for a Young Mother” gently and at the same time professionally teach how to find interaction with your child.

    It is also a good idea to visit and bookmark the following sites on the Internet:

    • http://akev.ru/content/blogcategory/23/52/ - articles and translations by members of the Association of Consultants natural feeding;
    • http://breastfeeding.narod.ru/ - site "Tips for nursing mothers" with beautiful animated articles and translations of foreign articles;
    • http://www.llli.org/Russian.html - Russian-language page of the International Dairy League, where you can find translations of articles on issues relevant to nursing mothers.

    That, in fact, is all that can be done before giving birth - the rest is ahead!

    Three questions about breastfeeding

    My mom and older sister During this time I had problems with my nipples - painful cracks. Mom says that as a preventive measure, you need to rub your nipples more diligently with a towel after a shower. How early should you start doing this? I am now in the second trimester of my first pregnancy. But my mother also did this kind of prevention, but there were still problems. What else can you do? To be honest, even rubbing with a towel is already unpleasant for me: it’s harsh... the skin is very delicate...

    It’s great that you’re planning to prepare for breastfeeding before giving birth! You are now doing a very important and necessary thing - find out how feeding went with your older relatives. But there is a peculiarity in adopting someone else’s experience: if you know for sure that someone else’s experience was negative, then they can only tell you exactly how they came to these negative results. Of course, following such advice, you will most likely get the same result... And if your mother rubbed her nipples with a towel as a preventive measure against cracks, and there were still cracks, then why would you repeat the same thing? In addition, with very delicate skin, rubbing with a towel can in itself become a prerequisite for the occurrence of cracks...

    I have very small breasts and am very worried about whether I will have enough milk?

    Don't worry - breast size has virtually no effect on milk production! The amount of milk is determined not by the size of the breast, but by its capacity, and the capacity in turn depends on the number of glandular cells. Glandular cells develop in the breast during pregnancy and are especially active in the first days after birth, in direct proportion to the frequency of feeding the baby. Your task is to feed your baby as often as possible, and then the supply will match the demand!

    My friend and I are expecting babies, the period is almost the same. But droplets are constantly coming out of her breasts, she has even started using special pads in her bra, but I can’t get a single drop! Does this mean that I will have problems with milk?

    No, don't worry, it's just individual feature breasts, which says absolutely nothing about the amount of milk! Your friend just needs to be prepared for the fact that after giving birth, milk will leak even more actively. Well, you’ll just have a little less difficulty with wet clothes! So wait for your baby without worry.

    Ryukhova Irina,
    book chapter

    Discussion

    The chapter is so-so, I thought I would find some real answers/recommendations, but... I myself fed 3, each up to 2 years old. No cracks or bleeding. With 1 child, even in the middle of pregnancy, there was quite a lot of colostrum leakage (but I didn’t know this at the time, and it was also quite painful). During pregnancy, I didn’t smear it with anything, I did a contrast shower and rubbed it with a towel.
    They attacked Spock somewhat in vain. He has quite sensible thoughts, you just need to have your head on your shoulders and approach things in moderation.

    08/19/2018 22:44:35, Edel

    so much valuable information. I haven’t even read such articles in books.
    I just had problems with breastfeeding in terms of cracked nipples.
    But I have already cured them. I smeared it with "Mama Comfort" oil with vitamins, especially to prepare the breasts for feeding.
    While there were cracks, I bottle-fed the baby - he didn’t like it.
    Okay, at least everything is fine now.
    thanks for the valuable recommendations.

    Comment on the article "Preparing for breastfeeding"

    Preparing your breasts for breastfeeding: truth or myth? Often mothers and grandmothers begin to advise how to prepare the breasts for feeding so that there are no nipple cracks later: rub the nipples with a wet towel, put a waffle towel in the bra, etc. However, all this advice is in vain, because there is no need for any special preparation of the breast. On the contrary, such preparation methods can be harmful: stimulation of the nipples leads to contraction of the uterus, which can provoke hypertonicity and the threat of miscarriage...

    Discussion

    I also didn’t prepare the breasts in advance and there were no cracks, the main thing here is that the baby attaches to the breast correctly

    I also encountered cracks. It’s good that knowledgeable people-friends told me about silicone pads))) about their existence.)) At least during feeding I got rid of the pain and my breasts healed faster.

    Do I need to prepare my breasts for feeding? How to prepare your breasts for feeding so that there are no cracks? There are a lot of tips and they are all different: rub your nipples with a wet towel, put a waffle towel in your bra, etc. No special preparation is required for the breasts. On the contrary, these preparation methods can be harmful: stimulation of the nipples leads to contractions of the uterus, and this can provoke the threat of miscarriage. To avoid cracks, you must follow the rules for attaching the child to...

    Discussion

    I cooked because I have anatomically flat nipples (I did special exercises, and also bought chicco pads. That’s the only way I managed to breastfeed.

    And I read a lot about washing the breasts with soap before feeding, but since the baby is always hungry, I didn’t have time to wash with soap, but just with boiled water prepared in advance.)

    How can a nursing mother survive the “stormy rush” of milk? Immediately after birth and during the first 2-3 days, colostrum is produced in the breasts. It stands out in small quantities, and mom practically doesn’t feel it. Then, by the end of 3, beginning of 4 days after birth, the breasts begin to increase in size, become denser and more tense. These changes indicate the beginning of the milk arrival process. They are often accompanied painful sensations, a slight increase in local temperature...

    Discussion

    I had little milk after giving birth, as they did C-section. I needed some advice from the article when weaning my baby.

    During my first pregnancy, I suffered for a very long time and pumped myself. And when I gave birth to my son, I bought a breast pump, heaven and earth, much easier and very convenient!

    Weaning a child from the breast, as a rule, seems to be a very difficult and psychologically painful action for mothers. And it happened public opinion what than older child, the more difficult it is to wean him off the breast. Therefore, a nursing mother is recommended to stop breastfeeding for up to a year, because already at 1.5 years the child “will not let her go.” However, in reality, weaning that occurs within physiological periods is painless for both mother and child. Lactation is like any other...

    Hello! My baby is now 1 year 8 months. I want to finish GW in March. How to do this correctly? I’ve read a lot that it’s better to do this gradually, but my son hangs on the sissy around the clock, so “gradually” won’t work.

    Discussion

    Hello. My youngest is now three and a half years old, I myself am forty-eight. He sucks the breast very intensely, he is not going to refuse, the guy is persistent and stubborn - he achieves his goal by any means: yelling at the whole house, a tragedy with wringing of hands, pressing on pity "(well, once, well, three times please, I'm three years old..." )
    Even leaving and leaving it to someone else is also not an option - even after leaving for three to five days, I come back - and he sucks the breast again, the milk appears again (or maybe it didn’t go anywhere, I’m already so used to it that I don’t feel it) .
    How to finish?? I'm tired already, I don't get enough sleep. Please advise who also fed for a long time. Thank you in advance

    Hello Irina! I'm glad for your baby, who was fed long enough. Statistically, he was very lucky.
    What is the request, is the answer: if it doesn’t work out “gradually”, then it won’t work out “right” either, unfortunately.
    In a word, I can tell you how to curtail breastfeeding without problems for your mother’s breasts. But there are no ways to end breastfeeding painlessly for a baby at such short time, especially considering that the baby “hangs on the boobs all day and night.” This suggests that your baby is not yet ready to wean, no matter what his age is at the moment.
    So, if you decide that at any cost you want to stop breastfeeding your baby in March, you should stop latching on your baby, keep your breasts full, but not overfilled, pumping only until relief. Do not allow discomfort - after all, the breast does not know that the mother has already decided to wean the baby, and for some time it will produce milk according to the same pattern - approximately as often as the baby suckled. The mechanism of decreased lactation in this case is due to the fact that milk comes to a full breast more slowly. You will have to “keep your finger on the pulse” - monitor overflow and discomfort in order to avoid stagnation of milk. Some mothers use sage to reduce lactation - drink 1 glass of decoction during the day. For some it doesn't help. It is not recommended to drink hot drinks in large portions.
    It often happens that a mother loses much more freedom during weaning than she gains.
    I advise you to think in advance about HOW you will now put your son to sleep and whether you are ready to rock your big baby to sleep at night, instead of breastfeeding and continuing to sleep.
    This article very well describes typical situations in which a mother makes a decision to wean. Often, tiresome breastfeeding is not the cause, but the consequence of the relationship in a mother-baby pair, and weaning will not change anything in the relationship. Breastfeeding a child over one and a half years old. Psychological and behavioral characteristics
    [link-1]
    Every mother wants her baby to feel good. Unfortunately, our culture tends to view breastfeeding as an indulgence that should not be indulged. However, the need to suck is not a bad habit.
    about the need for sucking - how long does it last
    [link-2] The need to suck is not only needed to eat. It is also a way to calm down, relax and “digest and assimilate” the impressions of the day. If the baby is deprived of the opportunity to relax in his usual way, he will either have to urgently find a replacement for sucking (and what he will choose is unknown), or impressions and tensions may begin to accumulate, spilling out in the most unexpected way.
    To minimize the trauma of weaning for your baby - as much physical contact as possible, hugging - show your son that you still love him, it’s just that now it will manifest itself differently. Be sure to talk to him, trying to find decent explanations for weaning not only for him, but also for yourself. And let's hope that the baby will understand you and be satisfied with what he has.
    about learning to fall asleep alone. Research by neurophysiologists
    [link-3]
    It will still be better if there is a temporary resource to make the weaning smoother, gradually reducing the number of attachments, leaving sucking only for dreams and in the morning. Then it will be possible to limit the duration of sucking during sleep with some kind of agreement, for example: “let’s agree that you suck while I sing you a song.” Then sucking at bedtime can be replaced with some ritual pleasant for the baby, for example, a massage, reading a book, singing a song, or just lying next to him.

    Imagine a couple in love. Both love each other very much and love to kiss. She is sure that such an idyll will last forever. But one day, upon meeting, the beloved suddenly begins to dodge her lips, limiting himself to shaking hands and patting her on the shoulder. At the same time, he assures that he still loves her, he just decided that they had already grown out of “calf tenderness” and “that’s enough.” Will the girl believe her lover that nothing has changed in their relationship?

    In a word, for abrupt excommunication there must be very good reasons from the chest.
    I wish you to weigh all the arguments and make the most correct decision for yourself about the timing and methods of weaning.

    I always wanted children, starting from the fifth grade for sure. And then I chose a profession related to children - teacher. I graduated from the institute, which during my studies became a university, but then life took me aside and I was doing something completely different. When my daughter was born, and then my son, I realized that I would not return to my previous job - the children turned the world upside down. It took me about a year to figure out what I wanted to do next. Until one day a friend who had disappeared from the horizon for about six months made her happy...

    When some of my friends found out that I work as a lactation consultant, they were at first very surprised, and then had fun for a long time. The faces of the male half of humanity laughed the most: “Isn’t there a consultant for the fulfillment of marital responsibilities yet? I’m ready!”, “What, do you come and feed yourself if your mother doesn’t have enough milk?”, “What’s the point of consulting - you stuck your boob in and that’s all, people have nowhere to put their money.” Their ladies hardly laughed at this, but often talked...

    Time flies unnoticed, and yesterday’s helpless baby is today a completely independent toddler. And sad as it is to realize, his need for his mother is becoming a little less. This primarily concerns, of course, breastfeeding. When the child is about one and a half to two years old, the mother is faced with the question of how to wean the baby from the breast. In order for this process to be as painless as possible, the mother needs to know several physical and psychological...

    The importance of breastfeeding is invaluable to any baby. Mother's milk is a natural food that contains all the necessary vitamins, microelements, nutrients, and moisture vital for the baby up to the age of six months.

    Now let's look at this in more detail.

    In order for the newborn to begin to receive the optimal balance of proteins, fats and carbohydrates from food, it is not enough for a young mother to simply eat right.

    There are certain rules that help prepare the mammary glands for feeding. Only then will the milk arrive on time and be produced fully, in the required quantities.

    How to prepare your breasts for feeding

    The mammary glands are designed by nature to enable a woman to feed her offspring. No special manipulations are required when preparing the breast. However, medical recommendations apply to the following range of actions:

    • preparing the breasts for lactation while expecting a baby;
    • preparatory activities after childbirth;
    • hygiene procedures;
    • massage;
    • exercises.

    Breast work during pregnancy

    There is a widely justified opinion among obstetricians that during pregnancy it is impossible to prepare the mammary glands for lactation. If a woman is in a state of readiness for childbirth, any manipulation of the nipples can provoke the premature birth of a child.

    During pregnancy, it is impossible to prepare the mammary glands for lactation.

    This is due to the production of a hormone, which is released in response to stimulation of the nipples. In the absence of readiness for childbirth and a mature cervix, this is not a problem, however, the uterus may become toned, which is also dangerous if there is a risk of miscarriage.

    Preparing nipples for feeding is recommended only for those women who have irregular shape pacifier. Flat or elongated nipples can cause problems in full lactation.

    If the extreme shape of an elongated nipple is formed by very short connective fibers that lie at its base, massage and exercises are pointless, but this feature is rare.

    A more common problem is the paradoxical reaction of the nipple in response to irritation. If it retracts when exposed, you can perform special exercises that will remove such manifestations. In other cases, during pregnancy you will only need good underwear and recommended care for the mammary glands.

    Exercises for flat nipples

    1. Light stretches. The nipple is grabbed between the fingers and gently pulled out.
    2. Rolling between your fingers. The nipples roll lightly between the fingers without effort or compression
    3. Pinch massage. With simple pinching movements, all mammary glands are massaged, with the exception of the areola and nipple, to prevent stimulation of the cervix.

    All manipulations should not last more than a minute. You should not perform exercises if you are ready for childbirth and there is a threat of miscarriage.

    Psychologist's advice - be confident in yourself!
    Preparing the breasts for feeding is not difficult; breastfeeding experts believe that it is not the breasts that need to be prepared, but the head. Because the breast is ready from the very beginning - it is created for breastfeeding, and all problems arise due to fear, reluctance to feed, or simply lack of confidence in one’s abilities.

    1. In the second trimester, it is recommended to perform a contrast shower, massaging the breast with a terry towel, without touching the nipple for 2-3 minutes. All movements are extremely light, stroking, in the direction from the areola to the base of the gland. After this, you can do circular movements.
    2. When manipulations with the towel are completed, you can press your chest against the chest wall with moderate force pressure 2-3 times.

    This breast massage for a nursing mother will help stabilize blood circulation and improve the outflow of tissue fluid and lymph. Skillful manipulations create favorable conditions for milk production and the breastfeeding stage itself. It also lays the foundation for maintaining a beautiful shape after breastfeeding.

    Massage will save beautiful shape breasts!

    To make the nipple more resistant to mechanical damage from the baby’s mouth, you can put rough canvas inserts into the bra, but this remains at the discretion of the woman. Doctors recommend short ultraviolet irradiation to increase the breast's resistance to possible infection and pustular lesions, however, under strict medical supervision.

    Hygiene rules

    Hygiene rules for pregnant and lactating women must be strictly followed:

    1. Daily hygienic shower.
    2. Gently rubbing the chest with a towel.
    3. Treatment with moisturizers and nourishing creams nipple and areola with their excessive dryness.

    Video “Proper breast care”

    Watch the video for tips from breastfeeding experts on how to properly care for and prepare your breasts for feeding during pregnancy:

    Hygiene for a nursing mother in questions and answers

    Is it necessary to wash your breasts every time before feeding?

    Neonatologists and obstetricians-gynecologists urge not to wash the mammary glands with detergent before each feeding of the child.

    To ensure complete safety, it is enough to take a daily hygienic shower using a ph-neutral detergent. This will prevent the formation of crusts.

    After the procedure, just dip your breasts with a clean, soft cloth. Do not use a terry towel. This can injure your nipples.

    If mommy washes her mammary glands before any feeding, she will cause excessive dryness of the skin, which will lead to the formation of cracks. It is much healthier to simply wash your hands.

    Is breast treatment necessary with special compounds?

    Additional treatment is not advisable if the nipples are healthy and there are no cracks or abrasions. Disinfection solutions also lead to dryness, change natural smell breasts and the taste of the first drops of milk, which is very important for the baby’s comfort.

    Do your breasts require washing after feeding?

    Milk always remains on the nipples; there is no need to wash it off.

    It will quickly absorb and create additional protection for the skin from possible cracks.

    Take a look. Make it safe and painless.

    Read what is the dosage for breastfeeding. Instructions for using the drug for hepatitis B.

    What exercises and massage can you do?

    Breast massage for nursing mothers

    A gentle manual massage perfectly prepares the breasts for feeding the baby and performs a number of other useful functions:

    1. Prevention of lactostasis. Even if there are areas with stagnant milk in the mammary glands, they are activated.
    2. Improves blood circulation, which strengthens the breasts and increases lactation.
    3. Oils that are recommended for massage during feeding tone the skin and help get rid of stretch marks.

    Technique of massage manipulations

    • palms are lubricated with natural oil;
    • the left hand is placed under the mammary gland, the right hand above it;
    • The breasts are massaged in a circular motion;
    • then the massage turns into stroking movements towards the nipple, gradually covering the entire surface of the mammary gland.

    The nature of the touch is delicate and light, without causing discomfort. The oil should not touch the nipple and areola. This care is recommended after each feeding for 3-4 minutes.

    Exercises for nursing

    Exercises for pregnant women were listed above, now you can turn to those that are intended for nursing mothers.

    Exercise will help improve the quality of feeding, since movement increases blood flow, which contributes to better milk production.

    It is necessary to exercise in doses so that lactic acid is not produced in the muscles, which will make the baby’s food taste bitter.

    Exercise No. 1

    • palms folded in front of you, elbows placed at chest level;
    • pressure is created between the palms for 10 seconds;
    • repeat – 5 times.

    Exercise No. 2

    • straight arms rotate around the shoulder joint in a circular motion;
    • manipulations are performed first with one hand, then with the other.

    Excessive exercise can spoil your milk!

    Exercise No. 3

    • The hands imitate movements as in breaststroke swimming.

    Exercise No. 4

    • palms are placed in the armpits;
    • Elbows make circular movements forward/backward.

    Exercise No. 5

    • in a tilt parallel to the floor, swing your arms to the sides.

    Nursing bra
    A special bra is an integral part of preparing the mammary glands for feeding. Under no circumstances should it squeeze the chest, but at the same time, you should not take a size “for growth.” The straps of the product should be wide and well adjustable and secure the mammary glands.
    It is advisable to choose a model made from natural fabrics that will provide access to oxygen. A properly selected bra is also necessary to maintain the shape and firmness of the bust.

    Additional physiotherapeutic procedures to improve lactation

    • breast baths with warm water;
    • shared bath with only warm water for relaxation;
    • warming hands and feet in hot water before feeding;
    • acupuncture or special applicators on the back;
    • massage of the collar area, the area of ​​the back between the shoulder blades.

    How to restore breasts after feeding

    The right diet

    For more productive restoration of the mammary glands after lactation, the following products will help to enrich your diet:

    • any lean meat;
    • milk, at least two glasses a day;

    Physical exercise

    Exercises to restore breast elasticity and height are as follows:

    1. Push-ups with arms wide apart – 10 times, 3-4 sets.
    2. The starting position is lying on your back with your knees bent. Hands with dumbbells are spread to the sides and lowered to the body. The exercises are repeated alternately 10-15 times.

    People's advice - black tea.
    Place napkins soaked in tea leaves on your nipples several times a day. It's even better if you have oak bark.
    Brew it as directed on the package, let it cool, and bathe your papillae or make compresses in the same way as tea compresses.

    Massage

    Massage helps restore skin tone and elasticity. The technique consists of the following manipulations:

    • stroking circular movements on the mammary glands;
    • intense chest kneading;
    • massage with fingertips;
    • patting the chest with the ribs of the palms.

    Cold and hot shower

    Procedures with alternating hot and cold effects strengthen the walls of blood vessels, increase tissue elasticity, and improve blood circulation. It is enough to apply a shower jet to your chest alternately with hot and cold water for 10 seconds.

    The success of lactation largely depends on how well a woman prepares her mammary glands for future feeding. We should not treat this issue with disdain, despite the fact that nature has thought through a lot for us. Simple manipulations will help maintain not only the health, but also the beauty of your breasts.

    Hello, expectant mothers! Breasts are on the agenda today. And three main questions regarding maintaining its shape, improving lactation functions and reducing nipple sensitivity during the period when the baby hangs on the chest and begins to actively “chew” it with his gums.

    Wise nature conceived the birth of a baby without teeth in order to preserve your nipples, but “soft” gums can cause severe damage to the nipple-areolar complex (NAC). A child can injure it, cut through the gums and even bite off a piece of the nipple.

    It is necessary to prepare the breasts for feeding in order to:

    • avoid injury tender zone SAH, or at least reduce it to a minimum;
    • prevent ;
    • facilitate lactation (especially important for firstborns);
    • and carry out prevention of stretching of breast tissue to severe extent.

    You need to start preparing before the baby is born.

    Prenatal breast exercises

    The ability to fully feed a baby with breast milk depends on:

    • on the amount of milk;
    • correct attachment of the baby to the breast.

    Open sources recommend starting to prepare nipples and glands from 25-30 weeks. Believe me, there is no need to wait so long. If you were happy with the shape of your bust before conception and did not take care of it, as soon as an intuitive push or someone’s advice tells you that the girl’s breast shape is not eternal and the child should be fed fully, correctly and with minimal losses for yourself, start caring for yourself. It's better if you start before giving birth.

    For example, according to this scheme:

    1. Buy comfortable and natural underwear.
    2. Sign up for a course for young mothers or watch a video about the rules for attaching your baby to the breast.
    3. Do it.
    4. When taking a shower, massage the skin of the mammary glands with warm streams of warm water in a clockwise direction. Apply after shower nourishing oils. We'll talk about them later.

    From 25-30 weeks, when your breasts are full enough, consider purchasing a nursing bra. This convenient invention is made from natural fabrics, supports the bust well and does not injure the shoulders thanks to the wide straps.

    Before using the regimen, consult your doctor. Myometrial hypertonicity and other complications of pregnancy are a contraindication to shower and massage.

    Massaging the mammary glands will help the ducts “open up”. This will make it easier for your child to suck out deep milk.

    Nipples and more nipples...

    SAH in women has an individual form. The nipple itself may be:

    • elongated and thick;
    • very small and neat, but when the breast is stimulated, it “gathers” into a “bump” of sufficient size for the convenience of feeding the baby;
    • flat;
    • pulled in.

    In the last two cases, breastfeeding (BF) may be difficult or even impossible. Consult your doctor about what to do.

    Exercise your nipples

    You can use it yourself:

    • underwear with a nipple corrector;
    • breast pump (after the start of feeding and in the absence of contraindications).

    The massage is performed:

    1. Pulling and twisting movements. Do not get carried away with such stimulation so as not to cause uterine hypertonicity. Hands should be washed clean when performing a massage.
    2. Using the Hoffman technique. We grab the nipple with our thumb and forefinger and move one finger up, the other down, as if we were twisting the cap on a bottle back and forth. The procedure combats adhesions at the base of a flat or inverted nipple.

    P consult your doctor. Hoffman's method is controversial. Some doctors are categorically against its use.

    Correctors cannot be worn for a long time. Before giving birth, shapewear is worn once a day, starting from 5 minutes and continuing to wear for up to half an hour. After the baby is born, the corrector is put on a quarter of an hour before feeding.

    Tempering the SAC

    These are not all recommendations on the topic: “how to prepare nipples for feeding?” The skin of the areola can also vary in sensitivity and “subtlety”. Those with a hypersensitive SAH zone will help prepare for breastfeeding:

    • still the same massage;
    • rough fabrics in contact with the nipple;
    • air baths;
    • massage with simulated feeding.

    But air baths are useful and necessary for every expectant mother. Start taking them by strengthening your chest. After all, you will have to bare your chest long time when feeding the baby. Unusual and full of milk breasts may react with inflammation to prolonged cooling.

    It’s easy to imitate feeding; lightly pinch the nipple between your index and thumb and periodically pull it forward.

    You can also practice shaping the nipple with the expectant father from 37 weeks. Before the procedure future dad Thoroughly brushes teeth and rinses the mouth with any alcohol solution. Then he grabs the nipple with his lips and gently sucks on it. The duration of the procedure is 7 minutes, done once a day. Resorption improves the shape of the nipple and stimulates labor without chemicals.

    Preventing the development of cracks

    To avoid “cracking” of the SAC during breastfeeding, if you have not started nipple care earlier, starting from the 30th week of gestation:

    • do not use aggressive modern detergents to cleanse the skin of the bust and areolar area;
    • do not use lotions containing alcohol;
    • make lotions from black tea or oak bark;
    • treat nipples with any sterilized vegetable oil(olive, flaxseed, sea buckthorn, sunflower).

    This way you nourish the tissues, saturate them with nutrients, stimulate the formation of collagen, and prevent the skin from drying out.

    You can enhance the effectiveness of the oil by preparing an oil infusion. For example, by infusing marigold flowers (calendula) or chamomile in oil. To do this, fill the bottom of the jar with flowers, pour the raw materials on top with oil. Place the jar in a water bath for 40 minutes, remove the jar and leave the composition for a week. Then strain and use. The composition is stored for up to six months in the refrigerator.

    This composition can be used to wrap the breasts, not just the areolar zone. The use of sea buckthorn, flax or olive is an excellent prevention of stretch marks during the period when the breasts are full and after the cessation of lactation.

    With this we say goodbye to you, with the hope that we have helped you choose your path of breast preparation. Visit our website again and invite your friends via social media.

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