How to Heal Sore Breasts

Sore breasts can range from mild discomfort to disrupting your entire day. There are a variety of reasons for sore breasts such as a pulled muscle, hormone fluctuations, and cysts. Treatment options vary depending on the underlying cause, and include icing, medications, diet modifications, and massage. Incorporating one or all of these can relieve sore breasts.

Instructions

1

Talk with your doctor to determine if you need a mammogram or an ultrasound to find the cause of your sore breasts. These procedures will show if the pain is associated with cysts, stretched fibers or something else.

2

Take birth control pills for sore breasts associated with hormone fluctuations. Birth control pills contain a combination of estrogen and progesterone that help to balance out the body. There are a variety of choices such as pills or injections. Talk to you doctor about prescription options.

3

Avoid salt and caffeine to ease breast pain. Salt and caffeine can dilate vessels and stretch nerves, causing pain and discomfort. Consider eating more green leafy vegetables and fiber to aid in flushing out the body's estrogen.

4

Apply an ice pack to reduce swelling associated with sore breasts. Wrap the ice pack in a towel and put on sore area for 15 to 20 minutes. Avoid putting ice directly on skin; it can burn you like frostbite.

5

Take ibuprofen for pain and swelling. Ibuprofen works to reduce breat pain and inflammation. Follow the instructions on the bottle for dosing, and talk to your doctor before taking if you are on any other medications.

6

Give or get a massage to relieve painful breasts. Focus on the upper and outer areas of the breast, where the bra hits. Massage releases toxins via the lymphatic system, which can ease pain.

How to Use a U-Shaped Pillow While Breastfeeding

Research shows that a nursing pillow can help ease the strain of holding a nursing baby. It also makes it easier for the baby to latch on correctly. This day and age, a nursing pillow is considered essential for new moms who plan to breastfeed. And with their u-shaped design, they're very easy to use.

Instructions

Cradle Hold

1

Wrap the pillow around your waist. The pillow should fit around you so the ends of the pillow are at your sides. That way, your back can rest up against the back of the chair.

2

Bring your baby into your arms and place the back of his head in the crook of your arm. Allow the baby to lie naturally, with his back against your forearm.

3

Position your nipple using your opposite hand.

4

Bring the baby to your breast and relax while you nurse. Use the pillow as an armrest so you don't get tired.

Football Hold

5

Sit in a tall chair or on the sofa, and wrap your nursing pillow around your waist. Because the football hold is popular among women who had a c-section, take care to keep the pillow from rubbing up against your incision.

6

Lie the baby along the side of the pillow. The baby's head and back should be supported by the nursing pillow, and his legs will be behind you.

7

Use your opposite hand to position your nipple and bring your baby to your breast.

Side Lying Position

8

Lie down in a place that is comfortable. Use the nursing pillow to support your head and your neck.

9

Bring your baby next to you, placing his stomach next to your stomach. Your baby will likely be laying on the nursing pillow to help him reach your nipple.

10

Bring your baby to your breast.

Extended Breastfeeding & Weight Loss

Many women wonder about extended breastfeeding and weight loss. It is common for many nursing moms to lose weight from the extra calories burned by producing breast milk. Some mothers have trouble losing weight while breastfeeding and are curious about how to effectively achieve weight loss without affecting their milk supply.

Breastfeeding Burns Extra Calories

Breastfeeding burns 500 extra calories each day

Many expectant mothers are happy when they learn that breastfeeding burns an extra 200 to 500 calories each day. This makes it easy for some mothers to lose weight in the postpartum period. It only takes a deficit of 500 calories a day to lose one pound each week, so for some mothers all it takes is breastfeeding and eating well.

Dieting While Breastfeeding

Nursing mothers should never consume fewer than 1500 to 1800 calories a day, with most doctors recommending women stay at the higher end of this range. Fad diets, diet pills and fasts are never recommended during breastfeeding as they can cause a drop in milk supply and quality. The best bet for nursing mothers is to eat healthy, unprocessed foods, limit sugar intake, drink lots of water, take a multivitamin and exercise. This, along with breastfeeding, will ensure that mothers are healthy and will contribute to weight loss.

Exercise While Nursing

Exercise can be healthy for nursing moms

Some myths about exercise and breastfeeding may make mothers cautious. Many women are told that exercise will cause a buildup of lactic acid in breast milk and cause the baby to refuse the breast. Recent studies at the Department of Animal and Nutritional Sciences University of New Hampshire has shown that this is untrue, finding that even after intense exercise, lactic acid levels are only moderately increased and babies do not nurse any differently. Other times, mothers are told that exercising will cause their milk to dry up. There is no evidence to support this myth. As long as a mother is eating well and drinking enough water, milk supply should not change.

Extended Breastfeeding Helps Weight Loss and Health

Studies at the Centre for Health and Society, Institute of Preventive Medicine have shown that mothers that breastfeed longer than six months lose more weight than mothers who formula feed. On top of that, mothers who practice extended breastfeeding have a decreased risk of breast cancer, ovarian cancer and endometrial cancer. Mothers who breastfeed longer than eight months also benefit from bone re-mineralisation. A 2009 study at the University of Pittsburgh showed that breastfeeding at least two years lowers the risk of coronary heart disease by 23 percent.

Diet Suggestions for Nursing Moms

Along with the 1500 to 1800 calories required by nursing mothers, there are some other important diet guidelines to follow. It's recommended that breastfeeding mothers continue taking a prenatal vitamin after pregnancy. Nursing moms need 25 extra grams of protein per day and should drink more than eight glasses of water daily. Mothers should limit caffeine intake and avoid alcohol. Nursing mothers should educate themselves on which types of fish are safe or unsafe during breastfeeding. The following fish are low in mercury and can be eaten freely: salmon, shrimp, prawn, rainbow trout, Atlantic mackerel and sole. Other fish have moderate amounts of mercury and should be consumed only once or twice a month: canned tuna, Albacore tuna, cod, bass, halibut, lake trout and sablefish. Fish that should be avoided in nursing mothers are bigeye tuna, shark, marlin and swordfish.

Foods to Avoid Gas When Breastfeeding

Each and every baby is different, and for this reason what may cause gas in one breastfed baby may not cause it in another. In general, a mother need only concern herself with eating a healthy, balanced diet while she is breastfeeding. That being said, if you notice your baby is gassy there are some foods that are more likely than others to be causing the gas. Avoiding these foods may eliminate the problem.

Produce

Certain vegetables are known for causing gas in some individuals. Broccoli, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, corn, onions and red peppers can cause gas. Certain acidic fruits can also cause gas in breastfed infants such as tomatoes, oranges and lemons.

Dairy

Dairy products can also cause gas in some babies. This includes cheese, yogurt, milk, cream and ice cream. If you have a family history of lactose intolerance you may want to try lactose-free dairy products while you are breastfeeding. Many people are also allergic to eggs, so if your baby is having a problem with gas you may want to cut them out of your diet as well.

Beans and Nuts

Beans and nuts may cause gas in breastfed infants. They may also be a source of allergens which can also contribute to gas. Try avoiding soy, tofu, peanuts and other nuts, as well as beans such as kidney and pinto beans.

Spicy Foods

Spicy foods can cause gas in some breastfed infants. This would include foods cooked with garlic, pepper, red pepper and any spice that adds heat to a dish.

Iron Supplements

Breastfeeding moms often take vitamin and mineral supplements to ensure that their baby is getting a nutritionally complete diet. Iron supplements can cause constipation in breastfed babies, which contributes to gas.

How to Fix Infant Sleep Problems with Night Weaning

Nursing is a strong bonding experience for you and your baby. The time and effort you put in to breastfeeding your little one pays off in the long run because you are giving your baby important nutrients that are easily digestible. But there comes a point when you'll want to start night weaning to improve your baby's sleep patterns. Doctors generally recommend that mothers nurse their babies for at least 12 months. With frequent sleepless nights, it could be time to wean your little one from night feedings much earlier than that.

Instructions

1

Create a bedtime routine for your baby. Give him a bath, feed him until he is full, read him a story, then dim the lights in his room and keep the house quiet. Your little one needs to associate these rituals with bedtime. Once your baby is calm and tired, put him is his crib awake but sleepy. He may protest the first few nights, but eventually he will learn to fall asleep on his own. The key is patience. Once he learns how to fall asleep on his own, when he wakes up in the middle of the night, he will also learn how to fall asleep without being nursed.

2

Get Daddy (or your partner) involved. Bedtime for a nursing mother is usually all about you and the baby. Your breastfed baby tends to fall asleep while nursing and then you lay her in her crib, only to have her wake up a few hours later wanting comfort. After going through your nighttime routine, let Daddy put the baby to bed. Babies smell the milk on their mothers and think they are hungry. Fathers bring something new to the equation, while eliminating the smell of milk. When your baby wakes up in the middle of the night, let Daddy check on her. Eventually, your baby's sleep problems will resolve on their own.

3

Increase the distance between you and the baby. If your little one sleeps in your bed, or even shares the same room, it is time to switch him to his own room. Being close to you at night encourages the baby to wake up and want to nurse. Whether he is awakened by your snores or just smells your milk, he will continue to nurse at night if you share the same room. The distance between you will stop your little one's dependence on nursing, which in turn eliminates the sleep problems.

How to Help a Newborn With Gas

Almost half of newborn babies will experience gas pains during the first few months of life. Some babies will continue to experience gas for the entire first year of life. You may feel helpless and frustrated when your newborn is crying in pain from gas cramps. There are, however, steps you can take to reduce or eliminate your newborn's gas pains.

Instructions

1

Apply gentle pressure to your newborn's abdominal area. Hold your baby face down across your lap, placing her head on one knee and her belly on the other. Gently rub your newborn's back while using soothing, comforting words.

2

Lie your newborn on the floor and massage his belly. Take his legs in both hands and gently push his legs up until his knees touch his abdomen. Hold his legs there for a few seconds, and then gently bring them back down. Repeat this step several times to help expel any excess gas from his system.

3

Burp your newborn frequently during feedings to expel excess air. Control the amount of air your baby takes in by minimizing air intake during feedings. Be sure your baby has latched on properly during breastfeeding or use the right size nipple for a bottle-fed newborn. Change your position or the size of the nipple if you notice your newborn gulping air during a feeding, which can lead to gas and crying.

4

Change your diet if you are breastfeeding your newborn. Foods that will cause gas in an adult will also cause gas in a newborn. Avoid beans, broccoli, onions and other gas-inducing foods while you are breastfeeding to eliminate or decrease gas in your newborn.

5

Talk to your doctor about food allergies or intolerance, which could be causing gas for your newborn. Your doctor may recommend switching to a lactose-free or soy-based formula.

6

Use over-the-counter infant gas drops to relieve the pain your newborn is experiencing if nothing else seems to work. You can give these drops directly to your newborn or added to her bottle at each feeding.

Breastfeeding a Baby With Disabilities

If your baby is born with a disability, whether it's a developmental or physical issue, he still will benefit from breast milk. Breastfeeding a baby with disabilities requires patience, extra time and sometimes modifications in positioning, but you can, in most cases, still nurse your baby. A lactation consultant can help you work through problems and can also put you in touch with support groups of other parents dealing with the same issues.

Oral Malformations

If your baby has a cleft lip, palate or other oral malformation, breastfeeding can present a challenge. It's usually possible to breastfeed with just a cleft lip, although you might have to adjust your baby's position, depending on how extensive the cleft is. Nursing with a cleft palate poses more problems. The cleft makes it difficult to create the suction needed for breastfeeding. If the cleft is located at the back of the palate and isn't too large, breastfeeding might be possible, but you may need to supplement with bottles for your baby to get the nutrition he needs. Limit nursing sessions to no more than 10 minutes to avoid tiring your baby, Children's Hospital St. Louis advises. A good-quality pump can help you keep your milk supply up until after your baby's surgery, when the odds of successful breastfeeding increase.

Cardiac Defects

Breastfeeding makes feeding simpler for your baby than bottle feeding, which requires more effort to coordinate sucking, swallowing and breathing, according to The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. Babies with congenital heart defects who breastfeed gain weight better than bottle-fed babies and have the added benefit of antibodies that help them fight infection. If your baby has a severe defect that needs immediate surgery, pumping will help keep your supply going and also provide milk for tube feeding until your baby is strong enough to nurse.

Developmental Disabilities

Developmental problems such as Down syndrome can cause your baby to breastfeed slowly and inefficiently. Many infants with developmental disabilities have low muscle tone and are often lethargic and also have trouble coordinating the suck-swallow-breathe reflex. Your baby might choke easily when feeding or not suck hard enough to get enough calories. Holding your baby in the dancer hold position can support his jaw and help him feed more efficiently. If feeding from the left breast, support his body with your right arm and cup his head in your right hand. Use the left hand to support your breast with three fingers, and use the index finger and thumb to support his lower jaw.

Preemies

A baby born five weeks or more before his due date often doesn't feed well, or at all, by mouth for several weeks. Getting your baby to nurse after a prolonged hospitalization will require frequent pumping to keep your milk supply up until he's able to coordinate his suck-swallow-breathe reflex. Many preemies also have low muscle tone and can benefit from positioning techniques such as the dancer hold position. Because your baby may tire easily, you may have to supplement breastfeeding with tube feedings until he's strong enough to suck well.