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Social media influencer Amber Ray on Monday took to her social media that she was struggling with breastfeeding her one-month-old daughter.
Her being unable to produce enough breastmilk for her baby prompted her to think that maybe getting a child later in her life might have been the cause.
She could not figure out what the problem was, noting that the situation was better with her first child since she had enough milk.
What is breastfeeding?
Breastfeeding is the act of feeding breast milk to an infant and can be fed directly from the mother’s breast or breast milk can be pumped and fed to the baby from a bottle.
Breastfeeding is one of the most effective ways to ensure child’s health and survival.
Breast milk contains calories, vitamins, minerals and other important nutrients that help an infant grow and develop.
Breastmilk is the ideal food for infants.
What are the challenges associated with breastfeeding?
Some women face different problems while breastfeeding while others do not.
Other women might also experience certain problems with their baby that they never experienced with their other child.
Breastfeeding can be challenging, especially in the early days.
A nurse, Beth Githaiga told The Star that flat nipples may also cause the baby to struggle to feed.
She said some women have nipples that turn inward and they can also flatten because of engorgement.
“Some women have nipples that turn inward instead of pointing outward while some are flat. At the same time, nipples can sometimes flatten for a short time because of engorgement or swelling from breastfeeding,” she said.
Githaiga noted that the flat nipples sometimes make it hard for the infant to breastfeed.
She added that large nipples on the other hand can make it hard for the baby to get enough of the areola into its mouth.
When this happens, the baby finds it hard to compress the milk ducts and get enough milk.
“Very large nipples give the baby a hard time getting the areola into its mouth so that it can feed. This way, it cannot compress the milk ducts and get enough milk,” Githaiga said.
She said a nursing strike may also be a challenge when breastfeeding.
This is when your baby has been breastfeeding well and then suddenly begins to refuse to feed.
Githaiga advised that when this happens, the baby is usually trying to communicate that there is something wrong.
“A nursing strike can mean that your baby is trying to let you know that something is wrong. This usually does not mean that the baby is ready to wean,” she said.
However, not all babies will react the same way to the things that lead to a nursing strike.
One of the things said to be associated with a nursing strike is the baby being upset after a long separation from the mother.
The infant getting less milk from the mother after supplementing breastmilk with bottles can also lead to the situation.
Premature babies get tired quickly and it might take them a while to learn how to breastfeed.
“Premature babies get tired and it might take them a while to learn how to breastfeed and this is because they haven’t developed fully to breast suckling,” Githaiga said.
During this learning time, your baby might get only a very small amount of milk from your breast, with the rest fed by tube. BY THE STAR