Breastfeeding is an important stage in a woman’s life. Preparation for it begins during pregnancy. The breast is enlarged, and the nipples become stiff. The production of milk in a woman’s body is called lactation.
How does breastfeeding begin?
It is believed that this process starts at the time of separation of the placenta. For proper lactation, the first hours after birth are very important. The baby must be attached to the breast as early as possible. A healthy child from the moment of birth has a so-called sucking reflex. In the event that the crumbs for some reason can not immediately begin to eat, this process must be imitated. Mom must learn to express milk, which can feed the baby from the bottle.
Immediately after birth, the baby does not need food. Mom and baby have time to establish lactation. This is teamwork. The baby should suck as often and as long as possible. And mother’s duty is to constantly put it on her chest.
Stages of lactation
At this stage, a woman may experience problems such as cracks in the nipples, their redness and soreness. It is necessary to quickly take measures for treatment, otherwise there is a risk of violation of the correct formation of lactation.
Early milk has a special composition. It is rich in vitamins and minerals that are necessary for the child in the first day of life. Colostrum is transparent and has a yellowish color. Often, this shade worries women, they think that lactation is going wrong. However, this is a completely normal process. Colostrum is produced in small quantities - from two to ten milligrams per day. This volume is enough for the baby to complete nutrition and run the intestines.
About the fifth day after giving birth, a woman develops mature milk. For some mothers, this happens sooner or later. Such milk has a sufficient percentage of fat content and is colored white.
How much should the baby eat?
During this period, the child's need for food increases. He begins to suck much more intensively. The mother's body responds to the needs of the baby, milk is produced in large quantities. After this, the lactation process can be considered established.
It is important to remember that the amount of milk produced by the mother’s mammary glands depends on the baby’s nutritional needs. The woman’s body responds to a request “encoded” in the duration and intensity of sucking. Therefore, milk is produced exactly as much as needed.
Need to drink more
The process is violated in case of improper nutrition of the mother, and especially with insufficient fluid intake. In the first days and even months of a child’s life, restrictions may be present in a woman’s diet. They are associated with allergic reactions in infants called diathesis. Often juices and even fruit drinks are contraindicated for mothers. However, fluid intake should be at least two liters per day!
Special herbal teas come to the rescue. They are very popular among young mothers. Good lactation tea can be bought at the store or prepared on your own. Herbal preparations have many useful properties. Plain tea (black or green) should not be drunk often. It contains caffeine analogues that lead to arousal in the baby’s nervous system and poor sleep. Therefore, specialists in baby food make special herbal preparations. Such mixes are not only safe for the baby, but also contribute to enhanced milk production.
Buy or cook yourself?
Pediatricians recommend tea to increase lactation for almost all women who breastfeed. If you want to brew such a drink yourself, you should carefully select the ingredients. For example, tasty and healthy berries like strawberries or raspberries can cause an allergy in a child. During breastfeeding, citrus fruits are usually contraindicated.
The simplest tea to increase lactation contains dill water. It can be purchased at the pharmacy. A decoction of dill seeds has a positive effect on the intestines of the baby. Fennel acts similarly. Therefore, it is part of almost all known herbs. For mom and baby, chamomile and ginger will be useful. These plants have a moderate anti-inflammatory effect. In addition, they stimulate digestion.
Getting started with herbal preparations
It is advisable to buy tea to improve lactation in a pharmacy or children's goods store. There you can find the products of the company you trust. It is better to start acquaintance with herbal preparations with formulations where there is a minimum amount of ingredients. If tea caused an allergic reaction, it should be avoided in the future. Mom and baby caught a cold? Try linden tea. And be sure to see if the baby has a rash.
The composition of tea for lactation may be different. As a rule, in addition to fennel or dill, it includes lemon balm. This plant has a calming effect and normalizes sleep. Anise and cumin also stimulate lactation. But lemon verbena has not only healing, but also cosmetic effect. It makes the skin smooth and supple, smoothes wrinkles. Nettle contains a large amount of vitamins, and also strengthens the nervous system and normalizes metabolism. The beneficial properties of hibiscus are antiviral effects. In addition, the plant extract normalizes the intestines. Many teas include milk sugar - lactose. It gives the drink a pleasant taste and is safe for the baby. Much less commonly, fructose is included in the herbal mix.
Consider the needs of the baby
What is the best lactation tea? This question worries many young mothers and their relatives. Today, baby food companies provide various options for herbal mixes. Pediatricians recommend choosing tea based on the needs and health status of the child and mother. If the baby suffers from allergies, it is advisable to exclude raspberry mixes. With a bad dream, it is better to buy tea with lemon balm. And the herbal mix with milk sugar is more suitable for the baby than a similar collection with fructose.
We give preference to well-known manufacturers
One of the best options for mom is Hipp tea for lactation. Reviews about him are extremely positive. Parents note that this product is very convenient to use. Small granules dissolve quickly. And the absence of dyes and food additives ensures the baby's health.
This tea is recommended to drink about half an hour before feeding. And this must be done at least three times a day. Users note the pleasant taste of the drink. Each jar contains a large number of granules. Hipp tea for lactation, reviews of which young mothers often leave positive, can be drunk for prevention. In this case, it is enough to brew the herbal harvest twice a day. The world famous company guarantees that the baby will be satisfied. And his mother will be happy too.
No less popular products are brands "Humana" and "Nestle".
Recommendations for choosing a tea for lactation
Each nursing mother periodically seeks to increase the amount of breast milk. And she wonders which lactation tea is the best. In addition to the granular product, pharmacies and children's goods stores offer drinks, packaged in paper bags. Such mixes often contain a standard set of herbs: fennel, caraway seeds, anise, nettle, lemon verbena, lemon balm.
However, not all mothers want the smallest particles of paper to get into the milk. Therefore, packaged teas are less popular. Granular drinks, despite the much higher cost, firmly hold the palm. Teas, including raspberries and rose hips, are best used by women whose babies are already six months old. The grown-up crumbs have stronger immunity, it is less prone to allergic reactions.
Choose responsibly: product testing rules
What is the best lactation tea? The answer to this question is ambiguous. Each mother chooses the best option for her child. When buying lactational tea, consider not only the needs and health of the crumbs, but also your financial capabilities. Herbal preparations need to be drunk for a long time, only then they will give a full effect. One pack of tea is enough for a while. And you need to take it regularly.
Some women prefer to brew herbal preparations on their own. Most often, they are limited to the simplest ingredients. There are mothers whose genetics allows them not to worry about increasing the amount of milk. The breasts of such women are always full, the problems of the lactational crisis bypass them. They do not need special herbal preparations. Which tea is best for increasing lactation? This question can be answered only by the nursing mother herself.
Lactation teas should be approached responsibly. It must be remembered that each herb included in the composition of the drink can become an allergen. Therefore, before you start the full use of the product, you should conduct a little testing. Brew the drink according to the recipe on the package. Take a few sips. After half an hour, feed the baby. After some time, carefully examine the baby. If there is no allergic reaction, the product can be consumed calmly.
How to drink tea for lactation? Before or after a meal? Can I take it at night? Many mothers have many questions. Pediatricians recommend drinking lactation teas in the morning and afternoon. If the child sleeps at night long and calmly, it is better to limit fluid intake in the evening. Otherwise, hard and painful breasts will not allow you to truly relax. By morning, milk will be enough.
Good mood, good sleep and good nutrition - this is the secret of the health of mother and baby. And only the recommendations of a practicing pediatrician and your own experience will allow you to answer the question of which tea is best for lactation.