Breastfeeding (Part 2)

Continuation to the topic of Breastfeeding. In Breastfeeding (Part 1) I shared about the benefits of Breastfeeding for both infant and the mother. This morning, I'd like to share about breastfeeding on demand, positioning of breastfeeding and keys to successful breastfeeding.

What is breastfeeding on demand?

1. Breastfeeding on demand literally means breastfeed the baby when the infant is hungry. Some infants shows signs of being hungry or in hunger such as mouthing1 or rooting2. Baby feeds about between 10 to 12 times in 24 hours. Each feeding may last between a time of 20 to 40 minutes. However, there is NO TIME LIMIT on duration or frequency of each feeds.


2. Do not miss on night feed. Sleep in the same bed with the baby [To the mummy's out there, THANK YOU for sacrificing your sleep for us little brats when we are young as an infant]


3. Allow sucking till baby sleeps and releases the nipple voluntarily


4. Do not pull baby off the nipple. If the baby cries, put the baby back on the same breast


5. Allow the baby to complete ONE FEED on ONE BREAST


6. Offer the other breast for the next feeding


7. Colostrum is more than enough for the baby until mature milk3 comes in


8. No need of giving water, glucose or formula milk


9. Avoid bottles, pacifiers or artificial nipples as this may cause nipple confusion

mouthing1:- putting hand or fists to mouth and making suckling motion with mouth

rooting2:-turning head in search of breast

mature milk3:- This is the final and longest-lasting stage of breast milk maturity. Water is the largest component of mature milk. All other components are diluted or diffused in the water. Fat is the second largest factor. Protein is about .8 to .9% of breast milk. Lactose is the primary carbohydrate. Enzymes, vitamins, minerals, hormones, growth factors and protective agents are also present

Breastfeeding Positions

Cradle hold :- commonly used position that is comfortable for most mothers.

Football hold:- Good for Twin delivery or Cesarean (C-section) birth

10 keys to successful Breastfeeding

1. Sit upright with your back well supported. Use a pillow.


2. Hold baby's head behind the shoulders


3. Baby's head on your forearm


4. Position baby underneath your breasts


5. Baby's chest and your breast are touching


6. Baby's whole body is facing you


7. Position your nipple above baby's top lip


8. See baby's respond with wide open mouth, tongue down


9. Bring baby onto the breast


10. Slightly push baby's back and shoulders

To observe:

(a) baby's bottom lip curls out

(b) baby's chin sink into your breast

(c) nipple fold under baby's top lip

Good/Optimal attachment Breastfeeding

1. baby's mouth wide open
2. most of the areola in the baby's mouth
3. chin touching breast
4. lower lips curled out like a fish mouth
5. baby suckles, pauses and suckles again in slow deep sucks

Poor attachment Breastfeeding

1. chin far away from the breast
2. not much of areola in the baby's mouth
3. mother feels pain when baby suckles

Breastfeeding (Part 1)

Today, I had an opportunity to work in the Maternity Ward. First thing that comes in mind when one says maternity, people will think of woman who give birth. Since this opportunity arises, I would like to share about Breastfeeding.

What is Breastfeeding?

Breastfeeding is the feeding of an infant or young child with breast milk directly from human breasts (i.e., via lactation) rather than from a baby bottle or other container. Babies have a sucking reflex that enables them to suck and swallow milk. Most mothers can breastfeed for six months or more, without the addition of infant formula or solid food.

1. Recommended by The World Health Organisation (WHO) and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) to all mothers
2. Exclusively for babies from birth to 6 months and to continue breastfeeding with complementary food up to 2 years or longer.

Benefits to infant/baby

1. Perfect nutrition for baby
2. Colostrum, mother's first milk contains antibodies and is the body's first immunization against bacteria and viruses. (Colostrum:- First secretion from the breast, occurring shortly after or sometimes before, birth, prior to the secretion of true milk. It is relatively clear fluid containing serum, white blood cells and protective antibodies.)
3. Reduces incidences such as cough, cold, ear infection, bronchitis, pneumonia and meningitis.
4. Prevents baby colic and lowers the risk of gastrointestinal infection and diarrhea. (Baby colic:- [also known as infant colic, three-month colic, infantile colic and colic] is a condition in which an otherwise healthy baby cries or screams frequently and for extended periods without any discernible reason.)
5. Protects baby from asthma, eczema, colds and food allergies (atopy).
6. Lowers the risk of baby developing juvenile diabetes and heart disease
7. Enhances IQ level

Benefits to mother

1. Promotes mother and child bonding.
2. Helps to contract uterus and prevent uterine bleeding in the mother after delivery
3. Reduces the risk of breast and ovarian cancer in mother
4. Convenient anywhere at anytime

Benefits of early feeding

1. Initiate breastfeeding as soon as possible after delivery or within 60-90minutes after birth
2. Helps mother to have skin to skin contact with her baby to help stimulate milk flow

Importance of rooming-in

• promotes bonding between mother and baby
• rooming in encourades breastfeeding on demand
• mother will learn to recognise the baby's needs and respond immediately
• maternal closeness will keep baby warm and cozy

Sources:

a) Penang Adventist Hospital booklet of Breastfeeding

b) www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Breastfeeding

c) Oxford Fajar Dictionary of Nursing (Malaysian Edition)

An experience to learn

It is Sunday again, supposedly my favourite day. 6th of December 2009, it now marks a day that I shall not forget.

First and foremost, it was the birthday of Arahant Upagutta's in Dhammikarama Burmese Buddhist Temple (DBBT), Penang. Every year, during His birthday, we'll prepare a maximum of 300 buckets. In each bucket contains a coconut, sugar cane, a box of white candles, a small packet of joss sticks, an apple, an orange with bananas at the base of it.

At 5.30am, the DBBT Sunday School members will be there to help out to carry the buckets and place it around the place where the Arahant Upagutta is located. It is a mark of respect to the Arahant.

I was there to help out as well with Auntie Ju fetching Grandma, Auntie JE and me to the temple. We were first in the kitchen to prepare the breakfast for the monks and Samaneras' before we place the buckets around the Arahant.

At approximately 6.20am, I asked Auntie Ju to fetch me to work. During work, it was pretty bored to me at first as I was sleepy. Somehow, at 2.45pm something happen! There was a lady patient whom was transferred to our hospital. She was a cancer patient. When she arrives in our ward with a stretcher on, we transferred her from it to the ward bed. She was then very tired and was already on oxygen.

In just a few minutes, when a doctor came to review her, she was already gasping. And he came out to the nursing station and asked the nurses to call for the primary doctor of this patient. Unfortunately, at the same time the internal telephone service was down and I ran to the primary doctor's clinic to inform her whereby our ward in-charge nurse was already there. When I arrived in the clinic, the in-charge nurse ordered me to go to the operator to activate for a Code Blue (cardiac arrest emergency).

Somehow, the lady didn't manage to go on. I almost cried but I knew I should not. As I'm studying nursing, although the emotional symptom is there, we must be strong and instead we are the ones who should calm the patient's relatives.

Death seems to be a very common thing to us when it is not our loved ones. But when it comes to ourself losing the one we love, we feel it. I see that some people could still laugh despite looking at those in sorrow. Do they not have feelings and why don't they try and understand of how others feel.

The lesson I learn from it, is to appreciate those around us when they are still alive. Why wanna be crying of spilt milk when they have to go back to the Lord.


May you RIP.

David Harkin quotes,

“You can shed tears that she is gone, or you can smile because she has lived.You can close your eyes and pray that she'll come back,or you can open your eyes and see all she's left.Your heart can be empty because you can't see her,or you can be full of the love you shared.You can turn your back on tomorrow and live yesterday, or you can be happy for tomorrow because of yesterday.You can remember her only that she is gone,or you can cherish her memory and let it live on.You can cry and close your mind, be empty and turn your back.Or you can do what she'd want:smile, open your eyes, love and go on.”