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Photo by Sami’For any new mum who has just had the joy of giving birth to their first child, will now undoubtedly be looking forward to feeding their new baby. A few days after the birth, new mums will find their breasts making a small amount of a super nutritious, antibody packed pre milk called colostrum.

On the second or even fifth day, the colostrum gives way to larger doses of ‘regular’ milk, and most mother’s will definitely know when this has kicked in. Your breasts will have swollen to the size of watermelons on steroids, and they may even throb or leak, and will certainly feel red hot and rock hard. The good news is that this stage only lasts for a few days; the not so good news is that, breastfeeding may become a bit of a pain when it comes to feeding your baby, but remember it’s only temporary. The swelling will go down.

For any newborn the main problem with breastfeeding can be:-

o Getting latched on and started: With your breasts being so hard and huge, they may have a bit of trouble latching on. You can begin by expressing a little bit of milk with your hands or by putting a warm flannel on your breast before a feed to soften things up. If this doesn’t work, the next option is feeding your baby (carefully) in the bath.

o Going with the milk flow: Your breasts are now so full, that the milk may well shoot out faster than your baby can cope with, so keep a towel handy, and if your baby starts gasping or gurgling or pulling away, take them off, and then wait a few seconds for the flow to slow.

Tips to help your exploding breast feeling:-

o Cooling your breasts down: You can use a frozen bag of peas wrapped in a tea towel and place it in your bra, or even a chilled cabbage leaf can work wonderfully in reducing swelling and redness.

o Take a painkiller: Make sure you take an ibuprofen based one and you can also check with your doctor or midwife on what medication is best suited for you.

o Learn to breathe deeply: With your nipples being more sensitive than usual. Take a deep breath just before your baby latches on and then slowly breathe out when it’s done.

o Don’t stop breastfeeding: Try not to skip feeds or you will find your breasts swelling up even more, causing you additional discomfort and pain, both for yourself and your baby.

Kelly loves writing articles relating to the health, fitness and diet industry as well as anything to do with parenting. You can also check out her latest website at http://www.electrictreadmill.net.au which offers ideas and information on electric treadmills, such as the Lifespan TR2000 twin tilting treadmill.

Author: Kelly Anne Harris
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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