After Childbirth

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After Childbirth

Now you get to hold and look at your baby for the first time. It is common to feel excited, tired and amazed all at once.

If you plan to breast feed, you may start to introduce the baby to the breast soon after birth. Don't be surprised if you have some trouble at first. Breast-feeding is something you and your baby have to learn together. If you need help getting started, ask a nurse or breast feeding specialist (lactation consultant) for breastfeeding tips .

In the hours after delivery, you may feel sore and need help going to the bathroom. If you have given birth before, you may have sharp, painful contractions called after pains for several days as your uterus shrink s in size.
During the first weeks after giving birth (called the postpartum period,) your body begins s to heal and adjust to not being pregnant. It’s easy to get overtired and overwhelmed. Take good care of yourself and make sure to get as much rest and help as you can.

• Try to sleep when the baby does

• Let family and friends bring you meal s or do chores

• Eat healthy meals to build up your strength

• Drink extra fluids if you are breast feeding

It is common to feel very emotional during the postpartum period. But if you have the “baby blues" that last more than a few days or you have thoughts of hurting yourself or the baby, call your doctor right away. Postpartum depression needs to be treated at once.

Your doctor will want to see you for a checkup 2 to 6 weeks after delivery. This is a good time to discuss any concerns, such as birth control. If you do not want to become pregnant right away, use birth control every time you have sex, even if you are breastfeeding. Talk to your doctor about what type is best for you.Depo provern (Birth control injection) can be given before discharge from the hospital if desired and laster 12-----

Breastfeeding vs. Formula Feeding

Choosing whether to breast feed or formula feed your baby is one of the first decisions expectant parents will make. Although there's no right or wrong choice, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) joins other organizations such as the American Medical Association (AMA), the American Dietetic Association (ADA), and the World Health Organization (WHO) in recommending breastfeeding as the best for babies. Specifically, the AAP says babies should he breastfed exclusively for the first 6 months and that breastfeeding should continue until 12 months (and beyond) if both the mother and baby are willing.

But breastfeeding (o r nursing) may not be possible or preferable for all women. The decision to breastfeed or formula feed you r baby should be based on your comfort level with breastfeeding as well as your lifestyle.
Breast milk is the ideal form of nutrition for newborns, but for mothers who are unable to breastfeed or who decide not to, infant formula is a good alternative. If you feed your baby with a commercially prepared formula, be assured that your baby’s nutritional needs will be met as well as bonding with your child. After all, whether with breast milk or formula, feeding is an important time of connection between mother and baby.

The decision to breastfeed or formula feed your baby is a very personal one. But here are some points you may want to consider as you decide which is best for you and you r new addition.

Breastfeeding: The Advantages

Nursing can be a wonderful experience for both mother and baby. It provides ideal nourishment and a special bonding experience that many nursing mothers cherish. Below are some of the many benefits of breastfeeding

Infection-fighting anti bodies passed from a nursing mother to he r baby can help lower the occurrence of many conditions, including:

• Ear infections

• Diarrhea

• Respiratory infections

• Meningitis

Other factors help to protect a breastfed baby from infection by contributing to the infant’s immune system by increasing the barriers to infect ion and decreasing the growth of organisms like bacteria and viruses.
• Allergies

• Asthma

• Diabetes

• Obesity

• Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)

As a group, formula-fed infants have more infect ions and more hospitalizations than do breastfed babies. Formula-fed infants may have more difficult y with digestion than do breastfed infants. Breast milk tends to be more easily digested so that babies have fewer incidences of diarrhea or constipation. Often called the " perfect food" for a human baby's digestive system. breast milk' s components lactose, protein and fat arc easily digested by a newborn ' s immature system. Breast milknaturally contains all the vitamins and minerals that a newborn requires. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulates formula companies to ensure that they produce all the known necessary ingredients in breast milk. They are close. but haven't matched their exact combination and composition.

Why? Because some of breast milk's more complex substances arc too difficult to manufacture and some have not yet been identified Free, breast milk doesn't cost a cent. Also because of the immunities and antibodies passed through their mother' s breast milk, breastfed infant s are sick less than infant s who receive formula. For example, researchers have determined that infants who are exclusively breastfed for 4 or more months have 40% fewer episode s of ear infections. This means fewer trips to the doctor's office, which equates to fewer co -pays and less money doled out for prescriptions and over-the counter medications.
Likewise, women who are breastfed are less likely to have to take time off from work to care for

their sick babies. In a cost study published in the April 1999 issue of the Journal Pediatrics, researchers determined that infants who were never breast fed would incur additional medical costs of $33 1 10 $475 per year.

A nursing mother will need 500 extra calories per day to produce breast milk, which means that she should cat a wide variety of well balanced foods . This introduces breastfed babies to different tastes through the ir mother' s breast milk. Breast milk will change flavors depending on what their mothers have eaten. Breastfeeding also bums calories and helps shrink the uterus, so nursing moms may be able to return to their pre-pregnancy shape and weight quicker. In addition, studies show that breastfeeding helps lower the risk of premenopausal breast cancer and may also help decrease the risk of uterine and ovarian cancer.

With no bottles to mix and sterilize as well as no last minute runs to the store for more formula, breast milk is always fresh and available. Breast milk is always the right temperature and convenient when going out and about.

Breastfeeding might help prevent childhood and adult obesity . Accordi ng to the National Women' s Health Information Center, bab ies who are breastfed tend to gain less unnecessary weight, which may help them be less overweight later . Recent studies suggest children who were excl usively breastfed for 6 months have IQ' s 5 to 20 poi nts higher than children who were formula fed.

Many nursing mothers really enjoy the expe rience of bonding so closely with their babies. The skin-to -skin contact can enhance the emotional connection between mother and infant. The ability to nourish a baby can also help a new moth er feel confident in her ability to care for her baby.

Breastfeeding: The Challenges

Alt hough it is the best nutrit ional source for babies, breastfeeding does come with some concerns that many new moms share . Whereas it' s easy from the get-go for some it can be challenging. Somet imes, both the mot her and the baby need plent y of patience and persistence to get used to the rout ine of breas tfeeding. All the effort is often worth it in the long run for bot h the mother and her baby.

Common concerns of new moms, especially during the first few weeks and months, may include:

Personal comfort
Initially, as with any new skill, many moms feel uncomfortable with breastfeeding. With adequate educat ion, support and patience, most moms overcome thi s. The bottom line is that breestfeeding shouldn't hurt. Latch on pain is normal for the first week to 10 days, and should last less than a min ute with each feeding. If breastfeeding hurt s throughout feedings, or if the nipples and/or breasts are sore

it may be a good idea to seek the help of a lactation consultant, your doctor, and/or the , child's doctor. Many times, it's just a matter of using the proper technique.

Time and frequency of feedings
There is no question that breastfeeding does require a substantia l time commitment from mothers. Then again , many things in parenting do. Some women may be concerned that nursing will make it hard for them to work, run errands or travel because of a breastfeeding schedule or a need to pump breast milk during the day.

Breastfed babies do need to eat more often than babies who are form ula fed, because breast milk digests faster than formula. This means mom may find herself in demand every 2 or 3 hours in the first few weeks. This can be tiring, but once breastfeeding has been established, other fami ly members may be able to help out by giving the baby pumped breast milk ifmom needs a break or has to get back to wor k outs ide the home.

It's not long before babies feed less frequently and sleep throug h the night (usually around 3 months.) With a little organization and time management, it becomes eas ier to wor k out a schedule to breastfeed and/or pump .

Caffeine
Caffeine intake should be kept to no more than 300 milligrams per day or 1-3 cups of regular coffee for breastfeeding moms. Caffeine may cause problems such as restlessness and irritability in some babies . Women who enjoy caffeine, however, can sti ll have a little by combi ing caffei nated and no n-caffeinated drinks. Some woman may be satis fied just by trying similar tasting non-ca ffeinared beverages.

Maternal medical conditions, medicines and breast surgery
Medical condit ions such as HIV or AIDS or those that involve chemotherapy or treatment with certain medications may make brcastfeeding inadvisable. In these cases, a woman should check

with her doctor or a lactation consultant if she's unsure if she should breastfeed with a specific condition or while taking medic ations. Most moms are ab le to breastfeed even while on medications.

Mothers who have had breast surgery, such as reduct ion, may have difficulty with supply if their milk ducts have been severed. In th is situation, it' s a good idea for a woman to ta lk to her doctor about her conce rns and work with a lactation specialist

Formula Feeding: The Advantages

Breastfecding is conside red the best nutritional option for bab ies by the major medical organizations. Not every mother chooses-or is able to breastfeed. Commercially prepared infant formulas are a nutritious alternative to breast milk and even contain iron.

Manu factured under sterile conditions, commercial form ulas attempt to duplicate mother' s milk using a complex combination of proteins, sugars. fats and vitamins that would be virtually impossible to create at home . If you don't brcastfced your baby, it's important that you use only a commercial prepared formula and that you do not create your own.

In addit ion to med ical conc erns that may prevent breastfecding, here are a few other reasons women may choose to formula feed:

Convenience
Either parent or caregive r can feed the baby a bott le at any time. This allows the mother to share the feeding duties and help her partner feel more involved in the cruc ial feeding process and the bondin g that often comes with it.

Flexibilty
Once the bottles are made, a formula-feeding mother can leave her baby with a partner or care giver and know that her little one's feedings are taken care of. There is no need to pump or to schedule work or other obligations and activit ies around the baby' s feeding schedule. Fonnuia feeding moms don't need to find a private place to nurse in public.However, if mom is out and abo ut with baby, she will need to bring supplies for making bottles.
• Time and frequency of feedings
Because formul a digests slower than breas t mi lk , fonn ula fed babies usually need to eat less often than do breastfcd babies.

Diet
Women who opt to formula feed don' t have to worry about the th ings they eat or drink affecting their babies.

Formula Feeding: The Challenges

As with breastfeeding there are some challenge s to consider when deciding whether to formula feed:

Organization and Preparation
Enough formula must be on hand at all times and bottles must be made. The powdered and condensed formulas must be prepared with sterile water. Either boiled and cooled water or bottled sterilized baby water until the baby is at least 6 months old. Ready to feed formu las can be poured directly into a bott le without any mixing or water, but tend to be more expensive. Bottles and nipples need to be sterilized before the first use and then washed before every use after that. Bottles and nipples can transmit bacteria if they aren' t cleaned properly, as can form ula if it isn' t stored in sterile containers.

Bottles left out of the refrigerator longer than 1 hour and any fonnula that a baby doesn' t finish must be thrown out. Prepared bottles of formula should be stored in the refrigerator for no longer than 24 to 48 hours. Bottles may need to be warmed up before feeding the baby, although some bab ies act ually prefer cold bottles to war .

Some parents will heat bottl es in the microwave for a few seconds; however the microwave should never be used to warm a baby' s bott le because it can create dangerous "hot spots." Run refrigerated bottle s under warm wate r for a few minutes if the baby prefers a warm bott le to a cold one. Or the baby' s bott le can be put in a pan of hot water (not on the stove) with the temperature tested by squirting a few drops of fonnula on the inside of the wrist.

Lack of antibodies
None of the important antibodies found in breast mi lk is found in manufactured formulas. This means formula doesn't provide the baby with the added protection against infection and illness that breast milk does.

Gas and constipation
Formula fed babies may have more gas and firmer bowel movements than breastfed babies.

A Very Personal Decision
Whatever nutritional opt ion you choose, be sure to talk your child's doctor about the choices available to help you make the deci sion that is best for both you and your baby.