Adventures in Breastfeeding

It has been some time since I posted on the topic of breastfeeding. In my last breastfeeding post, I focused on the period of time during which your milk comes in and the pain that can come along with that in the form of engorgement. In this post, I would like to discuss some of the other breastfeeding issues that I have had over the last several months.

Luckily, breastfeeding has come very easy for me and, therefore, I have not experienced many of the problems facing other nursing mothers out there. However, I do want to share a couple of experiences I have had in the hopes that it may help other mothers out there that may be experiencing the same or similar things.

Raynauld's Phenomenon

After several months of successful nursing, I started to experience a burning sensation in my nipples after nursing and they became very sore and blanched. After a few days, I started to wonder if I possibly had some kind of an infection or some other serious problem and debated going to the doctor. I pulled out my The Nursing Mother's Companion book to see if I could find some answers and low and behold I discovered Raynauld's Phenomenon.

Raynauld's Phenomenon occurs when a vasospasm in the nipple prevents blood from getting to that area of the body. It is often brought on by the drop in temperature when the baby's mouth leaves the nipple (the ambient air is cooler than the baby's mouth). Coincidentally, I was experiencing this during the coldest winter months when the air inside my home was fairly cool. Once I stared to wrap myself in a blanket and take more care to keep myself warm during our nursing sessions, the pain and blanching went away.

Biting

This is a new one and luckily, it has only happened once. My daughter now has two bottom teeth and the other day, she bit me during a nursing session. It is actually my fault because I was trying to nurse her when she wasn't really hungry. Anyway, I yelped because it really hurt! Her tooth actually broke through the skin on my nipple and drew blood! It has been a few days and the wound is healing, but nursing has been somewhat painful since (it almost reminds me of the early days...although the pain is less intense).

Generally speaking, babies are more likely to bite at the end of a nursing session or when they are allowed to snack or play at the breast and it usually occurs when their first teeth are coming in. There are a few steps that you can take to prevent biting and/or put an end to it:

1) Don't let baby snack or play at the end of the nursing session. End the session as soon as baby has stopped actively sucking and swallowing.
2) Soothe baby's gums before nursing with a cold teething ring or washcloth.
3) Have your finger ready during the nursing session to end the feeding if necessary.
4) If baby does get your nipple between his or her teeth pull him or her closer to the breast such that the nose is partially blocked which will usually cause baby to release in order to breathe.

Slow Let-Down and Diminished Milk Supply

At around the 7 month mark, I started to notice that my milk was taking longer and longer to let-down and my daughter was getting increasingly frustrated by the situation. A slow let-down can often be a sign of a low milk supply. I was also noticing that I was unable to pump very much milk while I was at work.

It is not uncommon for a nursing mother to notice a decrease in her milk supply after about 6 months post-partum. It is critically important to take steps to build up your milk supply if this occurs if you plan to continue nursing. Getting plenty of rest, drinking plenty of fluids and eating right are key. It may also be necessary to pump after or between feedings for a few days to build up the supply. After a few days, you should notice that your breasts feel fuller and that baby is drinking for a longer period of time.

I am currently in the process of trying to increase my supply. My daughter currently nurses 4 times during the day (and 2 times at night) so I have been pumping one additional time during the day to stimulate milk production. I have started to notice a fuller feeling and I am hoping my milk will start letting down a little more quickly over the next few days.

The breastfeeding relationship continues to change as your baby grows and your body adjusts to his or her current needs. Some of these changes are welcome (like when your baby begins to nurse less frequently and you begin to feel like you can devote more time to other endeavours) and some of the changes can be scary (like when you think there may be a problem). Have a good book on hand that you can refer to even during the second half of your baby's first year. I highly recommend The Nursing Mother's Companion as it takes you through the 6-12 month period and beyond into toddler hood. It has eased my mind more times than I can count!