Breast Milk Production and What You Should Know About It
Breast milk is the most important food for newborns, enough reason why nature, itself has made sure that the baby will get it by having their mothers produce a bountiful amount on most circumstances. This is also why breastfeeding is a necessary task for mothers to accomplish, as their milk is the most ideal and the healthiest food their child will need during their early months. However, breast milk production is no easy matter. It is quite a complicated process and there are quite a lot of things that can cause issues and problems that might prevent the mother from making enough to satisfy her child’s needs.
Now, albeit there are quite a lot of techniques that you can take to deal with such problems, it would still be best to know the very basics before you go and try any of the tips you find online on how to deal with breast engorgement or prevent low milk supply. By learning about the very fundamentals of breast milk production, you can have a better understanding of your body and its processes related to the making of milk. This can also help you better assess whether you think a technique can help you solve your issues or will it just do a bigger headache on top of what you’re already dealing with. You must be thinking, just what are these important facts do you need to know about producing breast milk? Here’s a quick lowdown of the vital breast milk info that will prove useful for you in the long run:
1. Milk starts coming in during the first trimester of pregnancy. Although, at first, it wouldn’t be exactly “milk” per se, but colostrum or the yellowish fluid that contains all the nutrients your child will need to develop during his first couple of months. In time, the colostrum will mature, and that’s when the milk will really come in.
2. Milk let down is a normal occurrence. The letdown is designed to easily give access to your child especially when he can’t latch on properly just yet. However, especially immediately after giving birth, your body will be hypersensitive and the smallest triggers can set off the release of milk even if your baby is not nursing or even with you at the moment. This can happen at almost anytime, and you might not even feel the milk coming out, so you have to be very alert, especially while in public to avoid any hassles or embarrassment.
3. Breastfeeding helps in weight loss, but you will still need to put on some weight to ensure continuous milk production. Yes, nursing can help you get rid of the pregnancy weight you’ve put on, but you might still want to consider eating more in terms of volume and even in nutrients as what you put in your body will easily translate to your little one. So, the healthier you are, the better type of breast milk you’ll produce, ensuring your baby’s good health.
4. Having twins means higher milk demand but not milk supply. However, feeding the two frequently and pumping regularly can help in boosting your breast milk production. So don’t hesitate, and don’t worry about the task taking toll on your body, because even though breastfeeding takes a lot from you, it also benefits you a lot in return.
With these basic things to remember, you can now have a good idea how your body and the breast milk production process works. Just keep yourself better informed, though, so you can have a better edge in taking on any obstacle that might arise during your breastfeeding phase.