As when you were pregnant, being a nursing mother requires that you eat for the benefit of yourself and for your baby. So if you’re like I was, you’re probably wondering what a breastfeeding diet entails. In this blog, you will come away with a better idea of what diet is best for you and your baby.
I remember that when nursing a baby, it’s not always easy to recall which breast you last fed your baby on, or how long the baby nursed for. You already have enough things to remember, and you’re probably somewhat sleep deprived. That’s where a breastfeeding bracelet comes in handy.
In Part 1 of breastfeeding & bottle feeding, I discussed how many moms will breastfeed and provide their babies with bottles of pumped breast milk or formula regularly or from time to time. There can be varying reasons for this, from providing the father the opportunity to be involved in feeding the baby, or allowing the mom to get some extra shut-eye at night, or because mom needs to be away for a few hours to all day because of returning to work. In any case, there are ways to make breastfeeding and bottle feeding compatible, and I’ll give you some more ideas today. If you have not read Part 1, you may want to read that post first as it has some good ideas and recommendations there, and then you can return here. Read more »
As I have mentioned in the previous post (Part 1), there are a number of different breastpumps on the market. So many, in fact, that it can be very confusing. The type of breastpump you purchase depends on a few different factors such as how often you will be using it (ex. several times/day or just occasionally), whether you want to pump one or both breasts at the same time, whether you want it to be battery-operated, plug-in or manually-operated.
It is very rare that a woman cannot nurse her child due due to a low milk supply. However, there are times when your milk supply does indeed need to be increased, and there are ways to increase breast milk supply. However, the intent of this post is not on how to increase your supply, but on first understanding what does cause a low supply of breast milk. For ways on increasing your milk supply, please see the next post.
Extended breastfeeding beyond your child’s first year is something that you may be criticized for by family, friends, and even strangers. However, there are a lot of benefits of nursing your child beyond the first year, and as mother to your child, follow your instincts.
If you are looking for a way to increase your milk supply, you have no doubt come across the term, “fenugreek breastfeeding.” So what exactly is this? Fenugreek is an herb that is used in maple flavorings, but it can also be used to increase milk supply. It has been known to increase breast milk supply within about two days, and sometimes in as few as twenty-four hours! It can be consumed in capsule form or as tea. It is stronger and acts more quickly when used in the capsule form. You’ll find it growing in places like France, Argentina, and the Mediterranean, to name a few. No one knows exactly how it works, but it has a long history of aiding breastfeeding mothers who need to increase their milk supply. Because of this, it is known as a “galactogogue,” a substance that is used to increase milk supply in moms.
There is a book called The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding: Seventh Revised Edition (La Leche League International Book)
