In addition, breastfeeding provides psycho-emotional comfort to the baby and a reliable protection against many diseases for his mother.
As a rule, if the delivery was without complications, milk appears on the second day after birth. If there was a cesarean section, then the food for the baby will appear only on the 5th-6th day. However, there are cases of complete absence of lactation. About 3% of women face this problem. Of course, in practice, such situations are much more common. More than 70% of cases in moms in the first months after discharge from the maternity home there are problems with a decrease or cessation of lactation.
The reasons for the absence of lactation
Why is there no milk? The answers to this question are, as a rule, in the way of life of the most nursing woman. The following points may provoke the problem in the period of HW:
- Taking medications. Of course, not all, but there are certain groups of drugs that adversely affect lactation, for example: diuretics, antihistamines and vasoconstrictors, weight loss drugs, pyridoxine in large doses.
- The use of contraceptives, which contain a synthetic hormone estrogen. That is why doctors recommend during the period of breastfeeding to give preference to contraceptives based on progesterone.
- Abuse of tobacco products. It's no secret that smoking harms the health of not only the smoking mummy, but also her baby. However, very few people know, that a bad habit often causes a decrease in or disappearance of breast milk.
- Rapid weight loss. Every woman after the birth of a crumb tries to return the old forms as soon as possible, and not many think about the consequences of their desire. After a sharp decrease in weight is dangerous for breastfeeding. In addition, rigid diets adversely affect the quality and nutritional value of mother's milk.
Causes of lack of breast milk
Prolactin and oxytocin are the main hormones of lactation. If they are not enough, a breastfeeding mother may have problems with the production of breast milk. The level of the first hormone directly depends on the infant's sucking activity. The main reason for its insufficient number may be the incorrect organization of breastfeeding, that is:
- Significant intervals between feedings. When breastfeeding, every woman should feed her child on demand, and not on schedule. First, such a regime helps the female body to adapt to the needs of the crumbs. Secondly, milk begins to be produced in the right volume for the baby.
- Incorrect nipple capture during feeding. As a rule, the illiterate application of the baby to the mammary glands leads to the formation of cracks and the appearance of severe pain in the nursing woman. For an infant, the wrong grip of the nipple ends with a violation of the sucking activity, as a result of which it can not fully suck the milk from the maternal breast, which, in turn, leads to a decrease, and sometimes to the cessation of lactation.
- Refusal of night "meals". At night, milk is produced more intensively. Therefore, for successful lactation baby should be fed at least 2-3 times per night.
- Using the nipple pads. The fact is that such adaptations adversely affect the stimulation of the mammary glands and, accordingly, the volume of the sucked dairy product. If the nipple is severely damaged, it is necessary to consult with the doctor about the possible causes and the need for their treatment.
- Accustoming the crumbs to the dummy. Of course, for many parents the nipple (or pacifier) ??is an excellent way to calm the baby, but at the same time its use leads to an increase in the intervals between the feedings. And, as is known, the less often the baby is put to the chest, the less milk begins to be produced in the mammary glands.
- Too early introduction of complementary foods. According to pediatricians, children under six months of age do not require any other food, in addition to breast milk. Expansion of the diet to this age and the introduction of solid foods, as well as juices, significantly reduces the number of attachments to the maternal breast, which subsequently results in a decrease in stimulation of the mammary glands and a gradual cessation of milk production.
As noted earlier, lactation depends on the level in the body of such hormones as prolactin and oxytocin. If the amount of the first depends on the suckling activity of the crumbs, the second one is produced directly at the time of breastfeeding. The hormone provides a contraction of the muscles of the mammary glands, which, in turn, provides a normal inflow of milk. Its deficiency can also cause a decrease or absence of lactation. Anxiety, fear, stressful situations, problems in the family - all these factors lower his blood level. That is why it is so important that relatives and relatives create the most comfortable conditions for a nursing mother, provide her with support and understanding, give her the opportunity to relax, relax and get a charge of positive emotions.
How can I tell if there is not enough breast milk?
Observing the well-being and behavior of the child, each mother will be able to determine whether he gets enough breast milk. The signs of lactation reduction are:
- Behavioral changes: anxiety, irritation, sleep disturbance, long stay at the breast.
- The number of wet diapers. When you get enough food, the baby commits 10 to 12 urination a day. If he does not eat, then this figure will decrease to 5-6 times.
- Underweight in a crumb. On average, every newborn child becomes "heavier" by 500-1000 g per month. If during weighing the indicator is much lower or if the baby loses weight, then it lacks mother's milk.