Every mother knows how important the period of breastfeeding is for her baby. This is not surprising, since breast milk contains all the necessary vitamins, minerals, antibodies and immune complexes that are responsible for the full growth and development of the baby.
However, before starting milk procedures, it is worthwhile to figure out how to prepare the breast for feeding the baby. If the glands are improperly maintained, this can lead to serious problems with lactation, which, in turn, will affect the baby and the mother herself. To avoid such difficulties, recommendations from experts will help. Let us consider in more detail how to properly prepare the breast for feeding the baby.
Shower
Even in the process of carrying a baby, the mother’s body undergoes global changes. First of all, its hormonal background changes, and the mammary glands begin the process of adaptation to future lactation processes. Therefore, a woman should know how to prepare her breasts for childbirth and feeding, long before the birth of a long-awaited baby.
First of all, great attention should be paid to the hygiene of the mammary glands. During pregnancy, the body of the expectant mother is susceptible to a wide variety of infections, so you should not even allow the minimum probability of her appearance.
To do this, you need to take a shower more often. In addition, do not forget that almost all pregnant women suffer from excessive sweating. This is a fertile ground for the growth of pathogenic bacteria on the skin of the expectant mother. During the shower, you should pay more attention to the armpits and intimate areas. Increased sweating can lead to the appearance of a fungus, which is unacceptable during the period of gestation.
Detergents and clothes
During the bearing of the child and after his birth, it is worth abandoning aggressive chemical gels. It is also not recommended to use products with flavorings and all kinds of fragrances. It is best to buy regular baby soap, which can be found in any store or pharmacy.
If, after all, it was decided to use gels, then you need to make sure that they contain 0% acids. This will help to avoid peeling and dryness of the skin not only on the chest, but also on other parts of the body.
Also, speaking about how to prepare the breast before feeding, it is worth paying attention to the clothes that the expectant mother wears. It is best to give preference to natural fabrics, especially when it comes to underwear. You also need to ensure that the bra does not squeeze, but only supports the woman's chest.
How to prepare your breasts for the first feeding
These procedures are performed before delivery. To prepare the mammary glands, you must begin to walk with open breasts for 15-20 minutes a day. However, you need to ensure that the room is not too cold, a woman should avoid drafts.
In the next step, you can begin to pour on the mammary glands, first a little cool, and then colder water. At the same time, you should not overdo it. It is enough to direct a shower with cool water for a few seconds on the chest during daily hygiene procedures.
Checking the shape of the nipples
Speaking about how to prepare the breast for breastfeeding, it is worth mentioning that each woman has her own physiological characteristics. First of all, this concerns the nipples. In some women they are too flat, in others they are not elastic enough. All this complicates the feeding process.
Owners of convex mammary glands have nothing to worry about, as the baby will easily navigate and find the source of food necessary for him. The same applies to those whom nature has endowed with elastic nipples. But for ladies with the so-called dented mammary glands, some difficulties may arise. The same applies to owners of flat nipples. To correct the situation and figure out how to prepare the breast for feeding in this case, it is worth paying attention to several manipulations that will help solve the problem.
Nipple shape correction
Of course, in this case there is no question of surgical intervention. To figure out how to prepare the breast for feeding, massage should be put in first place. Thanks to such manipulations, you can not only stimulate the mammary glands, but also slightly change the shape of the nipples. All manipulations can be made at home.
To perform the massage, you must gently pull the nipples forward with your thumb and forefinger. In this case, it is necessary to ensure that the skin on the areoles is not damaged. Also, with stretching movements, you need to move your fingers in all directions. In order to develop nipples, it is enough 2-4 minutes of such exercises 1 time per day.
Also, for those who want to get as much information as possible on how to prepare their breasts for feeding, it will be useful to find out that today there are specialized bras with special inserts on sale. Similar products work on the principle of vacuum pumps, pulling a woman's nipples. However, it should be borne in mind that such accessories are not harmless, so you should not use them for a long time. It is enough to start wearing such a bra about a month before giving birth. At the same time, 5 minutes of wearing the accessory is enough per day.
You can also use breast pumps for these purposes. They also slightly alter the shape of the nipples, further softening the skin. However, do not use these products before delivery. It is better to use them when a sufficient amount of milk will accumulate in the chest.
However, before preparing the breast for feeding the newborn in this way, it is worth visiting a gynecologist. The fact is that such stimulation of the nipples can provoke uterine contractions, which is not very good in some situations. Therefore, it is better to obtain the approval of a doctor beforehand.
Sensitive nipples
This is another common problem that many women suffer from. If we talk about how to prepare the nipples for breastfeeding, if they are too sensitive, then there are some useful recommendations.
First of all, during pregnancy, you should start wearing bras made from coarser fabric. It is better if the products do not contain seams. In this case, the tissue will act on the areola, decreasing its sensitivity threshold, but the nipples will not receive serious damage. If it is difficult to choose such a bra, then you can use familiar products by first placing wafer napkins in cups.
It is also worth 10-15 a day to take air baths. This will also help reduce the increased sensitivity of the nipples. In addition, it is recommended to massage the mammary glands. This will be useful not only for hypersensitivity, but also for prevention and preparation for feeding.
Proper massage
Any detail will be important in preparing for such an important event as the birth of a baby. Doctors recommend not disregarding the question of how to properly prepare the breast for feeding. To do this, you need to perform a number of simple tricks.
To do the massage correctly, you should start with a circular stroking of the chest. In this case, both hands are involved at once. At this stage, do not touch the nipples and areoles, as the mammary glands must first be “warmed up”.
At the next stage, it is necessary to start stroking the chest, first in the direction from the nipple up, then to the sides and down. Both mammary glands are massaged synchronously.
For the next exercise, you need to take the right breast from the bottom in the right hand and raise it a little. At the same time, with your left hand you need to click on the mammary gland from above. However, you can’t push too hard. After this, a similar manipulation is performed with the left breast.
It is enough 5 times to perform such exercises. This will be very useful for those mothers who will need to express milk in the future.
Gymnastics to strengthen
Many women care not only about how to prepare their breasts for feeding, but also about how not to lose the shape of the mammary glands after the baby is born. In order not to collide with sagging breasts in the future, it is recommended that you begin to perform special exercises during pregnancy that will help maintain elasticity. It is best to perform procedures during morning exercises.
The prayer exercise is best suited for these purposes. To do this, you need to sit directly on a stool or chair, fold your palms together and point them up at chest level. The elbows should be pulled apart at right angles. After this, you need to start to strongly press the lower parts of the palms towards each other. In this case, the muscles that are located directly under the mammary glands will tighten, which will help support the chest.
Psychological training
It is equally important to prepare for feeding the baby morally. Many women fear that after the birth of their baby, their breasts will cease to be a sexual object and will be perceived both by the baby and those around them solely as a vessel for milk. However, these problems usually fade into the background when the mother holds her baby in her arms. To realize this, it is recommended to communicate more often with those women who are already feeding babies. As a rule, almost all of them share exclusively positive impressions.
You need to prepare for the fact that breastfeeding is a completely normal process. This is useful not only for the baby, but also for the woman herself, since milk must not be allowed to accumulate. Do not worry that the husband will cease to love or desire his wife. For any man, having a baby is no less exciting.
What can not be done
Speaking about how to prepare the breast for feeding, it is worth saying a few words about the activities that are contraindicated for women. For example, in order to reduce the sensitivity of the nipples, in no case should you rub them with a coarse or terry cloth. Thus, it can damage the skin and cause infection. The same applies to the use of alcohol or colognes for rubbing. This will only cause damage.
It is also worth refraining from too intense massage. All movements should be smooth.
Some women begin to apply ice to their nipples to make them slightly rougher. Such manipulations should not be performed, since too much hypothermia will not lead to anything good.
It's important to know
A woman’s milk does not stand out right away, at first it’s the so-called colostrum. However, this fluid is very valuable and beneficial for the child in the first days of his life. Thanks to colostrum, the baby’s fragile body resists infectious diseases, and its intestines begin to function in a new environment for him.
Starting from the second day, milk begins to appear in the mother’s chest. If this did not happen on the 3rd or 4th day, then in this case, you should definitely consult a doctor. Additional feeding may be required. However, it is better not to rush to accustom the baby to artificial nutrition, it will be much more beneficial for him to eat colostrum.
To quickly establish the work of the mammary glands, it is worthwhile to start drinking clean water on the second day after the baby’s birth (preferably in the afternoon). At the same time, you need to drink often, but in very small sips. To stimulate lactation, women drink hot water, but this often leads to the formation of much more milk than the baby needs.
So that the baby and his mother do not feel discomfort during feeding, it is recommended to massage the breast with light movements 15-20 minutes before the procedure. If the mammary glands are too swollen and very sore, you can express a little milk. However, squeezing everything to the last drop is by no means impossible.
In addition to water, doctors recommend drinking teas, compotes, natural juices and fruit drinks. Also, while feeding the baby, it is worth consuming more boiled and baked food. Steamed dishes will be helpful. You can also eat those foods that the mother ate during pregnancy. The baby’s body is used to such a diet, so his digestive system will respond normally to it. This will help to avoid gas formation.
If you want to try something new, you should be careful. New products need to be introduced into your diet gradually and always watch the baby’s reaction. Perhaps he suffers from intolerance to certain components that will come to him through his mother’s milk.
Finally
How to prepare breasts for feeding? Massage, hygiene, proper nutrition, a healthy lifestyle - all this will help to prepare for the most responsible period in life. In addition, you must not forget to pamper yourself and avoid stressful situations. You should also consult your doctor if in doubt.