Mother's breasts can be regarded as an important "asset" during lactation. That is why, breast care must be done for nursing mothers to launch breastfeeding for babies. Especially in the first 6 months of age, where exclusive breastfeeding is the only food for your child. So, how to maintain breast health during lactation?
Why breast care for nursing mothers is important?
Since the beginning of pregnancy, you may have noticed changes in the breast. Whether it's a pretty striking change, or fairly little alias doesn't change too much. These changes will usually continue to occur until breastfeeding. This is because the breast is tasked with producing milk. During pregnancy, the body will release hormones as a way to prepare breast milk when breastfeeding time comes. The hormone will then trigger the breast tissue to develop and begin to produce milk.
Furthermore, after you give birth, the breast will automatically begin to produce breast milk by itself.
Thus, you are ready to breastfeed your baby whenever he needs milk. Conscious or not, breast size during breastfeeding also looks bigger than before. It is also influenced by hormones that support milk production, thereby making breast size enlarge. One important key to breastfeeding is to apply breast care for nursing mothers. The reason is, not only the occasional breast can experience problems during breastfeeding. Starting from pain or pain in the nipple, breast swelling, fungal infections, and so forth. For this reason, it is important to understand how to maintain breast health and apply breast care for nursing mothers. This breast care can help prevent and overcome problems that may arise during breastfeeding.
As a result, you can breastfeed smoothly, and your baby can also enjoy the benefits of getting breast milk.
Various ways to maintain breast health for nursing mothers
When the breast is full of breast milk, you may feel swollen breasts, pain, tingling, until the milk comes out easily. But not to worry, because this condition is actually normal during the breastfeeding period. Well, the most important thing is to keep trying to enjoy every process of breastfeeding as comfortable as possible, so that the baby can suckle smoothly. Here are some breast care tips for nursing mothers that you can routinely do at home:
1. Maintain cleanliness of the breasts
The easiest way to maintain breast health during breastfeeding is to diligently wash your hands before and after handling the breast.
For example washing your hands first before breastfeeding and pumping breast milk, and afterwards. In addition, try to keep your breasts and nipples always clean by cleaning or washing them every day.
You can use warm water to clean all parts of the breast when bathing. If you have sensitive skin, you should avoid cleaning your breasts using soap.
Because, this can cause breast skin to become dry, chapped, to experience irritation. In fact, the use of soap also risks removing the natural oils produced by the montgomery glands in the areola or the dark areas surrounding the nipples.
In fact, the oil serves to keep the nipples and areola in a clean and moist state. As a solution, you only need to clean the breast area using only warm water. But if you do not experience problems with the use of soap, it is actually fine to clean the breasts with soap. With notes, you should choose a soap that is safe and does not risk causing problems or irritation to the breast during lactation. This is important as breast care for nursing mothers.
2. Gently pat the nipples to dry them
If the breasts have been cleaned and want to be dried, you should avoid rubbing the nipples and the entire area of the breast is too strong. Instead, breast care for nursing mothers that you can do is to dry the nipples and other parts of the breast by rubbing or patting slowly. Don't forget, make it a habit to use clean towels to dry the breasts. Avoid rubbing the breast too strong and tight, because it risks causing irritation and injury.
3. Routinely replace the breast milk bag inside the bra
The breast milk bag is usually placed in a bra. The goal is that the dripping breast milk does not immediately wet the bra and clothes you are using, but instead is contained in the breast pads. The breast milk bag has a round shape with the size resembling a breast. To make it easier to carry out their duties in collecting milk, breast pads are given a hole in the middle. That way, the areola and nipple can enter the hole to ensure breast milk is accommodated properly and does not spill. Although not seen directly from the outside, but try to replace breast pads regularly. Feel it when the breastmilk bag starts to feel full and wet. That is, this is the right time to replace and wash the breast milk bag. Besides aiming to ensure that it is always clean when used, regular breast pads are also useful to prevent the growth of bacteria and fungi that are at risk of causing problems while breastfeeding.
4. Use a comfortable bra
Wearing a bra that is proper and comfortable is one of several ways to maintain breast health during breastfeeding. For nursing mothers, choosing and using a bra in accordance with the size and shape of the breast can be appropriate breast care. You can use a special bra for breastfeeding, as well as a normal bra that is comfortable when worn. Try to choose the right size, aka not too tight or too big when used. Also choose a bra with a cotton or cloth base to support breasts "breathe" easily.
5. Make sure the baby is breastfeeding properly
Since first breastfeeding, make it a habit for babies to feed regularly at least once every 2-3 hours. Aside from being a breast care for breastfeeding mothers, applying the frequency and schedule of breastfeeding can help prevent breast problems. Take for example pain in the nipple, breast swelling, until the blockage in the milk ducts. If you do not apply how to maintain breast health, of course various conditions can interfere with the process of breastfeeding.
6. Remove the baby's mouth properly after breastfeeding
After the baby has finished breastfeeding, do not immediately pull your nipples from the baby's mouth. This method can actually make the nipples hurt, pain, thus hampering the process of breastfeeding. It's good to put your fingers on the breast closest to the baby's mouth. Then press on the area of the breast to gently suck the baby's mouth and breast. Furthermore, you can pull the breast and the nipple little by little from the baby's mouth.
1. Maintain cleanliness of the breasts
The easiest way to maintain breast health during breastfeeding is to diligently wash your hands before and after handling the breast.
For example washing your hands first before breastfeeding and pumping breast milk, and afterwards. In addition, try to keep your breasts and nipples always clean by cleaning or washing them every day.
You can use warm water to clean all parts of the breast when bathing. If you have sensitive skin, you should avoid cleaning your breasts using soap.
Because, this can cause breast skin to become dry, chapped, to experience irritation. In fact, the use of soap also risks removing the natural oils produced by the montgomery glands in the areola or the dark areas surrounding the nipples.
In fact, the oil serves to keep the nipples and areola in a clean and moist state. As a solution, you only need to clean the breast area using only warm water. But if you do not experience problems with the use of soap, it is actually fine to clean the breasts with soap. With notes, you should choose a soap that is safe and does not risk causing problems or irritation to the breast during lactation. This is important as breast care for nursing mothers.
2. Gently pat the nipples to dry them
If the breasts have been cleaned and want to be dried, you should avoid rubbing the nipples and the entire area of the breast is too strong. Instead, breast care for nursing mothers that you can do is to dry the nipples and other parts of the breast by rubbing or patting slowly. Don't forget, make it a habit to use clean towels to dry the breasts. Avoid rubbing the breast too strong and tight, because it risks causing irritation and injury.
3. Routinely replace the breast milk bag inside the bra
The breast milk bag is usually placed in a bra. The goal is that the dripping breast milk does not immediately wet the bra and clothes you are using, but instead is contained in the breast pads. The breast milk bag has a round shape with the size resembling a breast. To make it easier to carry out their duties in collecting milk, breast pads are given a hole in the middle. That way, the areola and nipple can enter the hole to ensure breast milk is accommodated properly and does not spill. Although not seen directly from the outside, but try to replace breast pads regularly. Feel it when the breastmilk bag starts to feel full and wet. That is, this is the right time to replace and wash the breast milk bag. Besides aiming to ensure that it is always clean when used, regular breast pads are also useful to prevent the growth of bacteria and fungi that are at risk of causing problems while breastfeeding.
4. Use a comfortable bra
Wearing a bra that is proper and comfortable is one of several ways to maintain breast health during breastfeeding. For nursing mothers, choosing and using a bra in accordance with the size and shape of the breast can be appropriate breast care. You can use a special bra for breastfeeding, as well as a normal bra that is comfortable when worn. Try to choose the right size, aka not too tight or too big when used. Also choose a bra with a cotton or cloth base to support breasts "breathe" easily.
5. Make sure the baby is breastfeeding properly
Since first breastfeeding, make it a habit for babies to feed regularly at least once every 2-3 hours. Aside from being a breast care for breastfeeding mothers, applying the frequency and schedule of breastfeeding can help prevent breast problems. Take for example pain in the nipple, breast swelling, until the blockage in the milk ducts. If you do not apply how to maintain breast health, of course various conditions can interfere with the process of breastfeeding.
6. Remove the baby's mouth properly after breastfeeding
After the baby has finished breastfeeding, do not immediately pull your nipples from the baby's mouth. This method can actually make the nipples hurt, pain, thus hampering the process of breastfeeding. It's good to put your fingers on the breast closest to the baby's mouth. Then press on the area of the breast to gently suck the baby's mouth and breast. Furthermore, you can pull the breast and the nipple little by little from the baby's mouth.
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