Pregnancy & Childbirth

Being pregnant doesn’t mean you have to stop breastfeeding your child. Long ago doctors believed it actually took nutrients away from the baby inside you, however that is not the case. Even today we have people that believe this and they will argue with you the entire time. Only you can decide if you should stop breastfeeding your toddler or not. Don’t let someone else make that decision for you.

Reasons to Stop
A few reasons you might want to stop breastfeeding may be if you are feeling constantly drained of energy. Or maybe your child has started to bite. Sometimes your milk will just dry up, this is your body’s way of telling you that it has had enough and to take a break. Mastitis could play a big role in making you stop immediately as well. Mastitis is an infection in the breast when it isn’t expressed enough and gets engorged.

Stopping or Weaning
If you do plan on stopping because you are pregnant, make sure it is for the right reasons. If your child has reached a certain age, it might be best. But never just yank it away from them. Your child could wonder why it is being taken away. Wonder if they had done something or become discouraged about the new baby coming. Some children decide to wean themselves, which is a big help to you and you won’t feel so guilty about it. You can choose to do it cold turkey, or slowly wean him/her off. Cold turkey can have some bad results. Try limiting his/her feeding times to certain hours and gradually as time passes take away more. Your child will quickly stop on his/her own and it won’t be a traumatic event.

Continuing to Feed
If you do plan on continuing to breastfeed while you are pregnant, talk with your doctor about it. Not all the time will the doctor agree with your decision. Sometimes he/she may see something in your health that you don’t. Listen carefully and find out if it is a health reason or simply his/her own belief. If it is the doctors belief, you can always seek out one that agrees with you. Being pregnant is hard enough at times, knowing you have someone in your corner will only relieve the stress. Don’t be surprised if your family and friends want to say something about it and they will probably give you all kind of advice on how to stop and what they’ve read. Nicely explain to them it is your decision and you’ll do what you think is best for your children. Try finding a support group in your area so you have someone to vent to or talk about these issues. Check out if there is a La Leche League near you or online that you can join.

Remember that as long as you take proper care of yourself and your body, you’ll be able to safely breastfeed while pregnant.

No single source of food gives you all the vitamins you need except for breastmilk. Because a breastfeed baby gets all the nutrients it requires from its mother breastmilk it’s vital that a nursing mother is getting all the vitamins she needs.

Breastfeeding is the best way to give your baby all the nutrients it needs to grow and thrive. And, as a breastfed baby gets all its vitamins for her mother’s milk, it’s important that a breastfeeding mother is getting her daily quota of vitamins; you get out what you put in.

Amongst other nutrients, such as minerals and protein, vitamins play an important role in your baby’s development. A nursing mother should be aware of what vitamins are important and what part of her diet provides these vitamins.

Vitamin A and C, and the B group

Vitamin C is needed every day for a baby to develop well. Vitamin C helps our bodies to fight off infection and disease as well as helping to heal wounds. Vitamin C also plays a role in preventing anaemia (lack of iron in the blood). Vitamin C can’t be stored in the body, so we must eat food that gives us the vitamin C we require. Eating fruit and vegetables is the best way to get vitamin C. Citrus fruits especially are a great source as is papaya, broccoli, strawberries, cauliflower and kale. Some breastfeeding mothers may need more vitamin C than others, especially when overcoming a cold, surgery or some form of injury. In these circumstances, it is a good idea to increase your intake of foods rich in vitamin C.

Vitamin A (also known as retinol) helps in the formation and maintenance of healthy skin, hair, and mucous membranes. It is also necessary for proper bone growth and tooth development. Unlike vitamin C, which is water-soluble, vitamin A is a fat-soluble vitamin. Good sources of vitamin A include cheese, eggs, oily fish (such as mackerel), milk, fortified margarine and yogurt. Liver is also a rich source of vitamin A but is to be avoided during pregnancy. However, after birth a breastfeeding mother can eat liver but, because it’s such a rich source, if you already eat it every week, you might want to choose not to have it more often.

There are many B group vitamins. Vitamin B12 (also known as cobalamin) is needed for the production of new cells. It also contributes to a healthy nervous system and is involved in the making of fatty acids. Vitamin B12 is only naturally found in foods that come from animals such as meat, fish, eggs and milk. It is very rare for a woman who eats animal foods to be deficient in B12. If you are a vegan breastfeeding mother then you may need to eat foods that have been fortified with vitamin B12. You might also consider a B12 supplement.

Vitamin D

Vitamin D is important as it helps our bodies to absorb calcium, which is important for bone development and strong teeth. Babies who don’t get enough vitamin D are at risk of developing rickets - a softening of the bone that causes curvature. Vitamin D can be manufactured by the body when our skin is exposed to natural sunlight. However, many mothers - especially during winter - don’t get enough sunlight for their bodies to make enough vitamin D. Foods like salmon, tuna, liver and kidney are good sources of vitamin D. Also, many foods are now fortified with vitamin D such as breakfast cereals and margarine.

If in doubt about your recommended daily amount of vitamins needed while breastfeeding, you should first consult your doctor. But, if you have a well-balanced diet, and eating the 5 portions of fruit and vegetables each day as recommended, the chances are that your baby is getting all the vitamins it needs.

Follow the links to find out more about a healthy breastfeeding diet. Also learn more about the benefits of breastfeeding and get advice on what is the best nursing bra for you.

You may have been told by a friend or medical professional that breastfeeding is better than bottle feeding and just accepted the statement at face value. You should understand just how much better it is for both you and your baby as initially breastfeeding is hard work and can be very tiring. Without proper understanding of the real benefits you may be tempted to give up nursing your child quite quickly when your baby could receive a real helping hand by you continuing.

Research has shown that babies fed on HMR (Human Milk Replacement) formula are generally sicker more often and more seriously than those children that are breast fed. They have also been found to suffer more from ear and respiratory infections. This can be especially true if your family has a history of allergies as when you breastfeed your baby antibodies are passed on through your breast milk which help to protect against illness and allergies. Initially your newborn child is incapable of producing his or her own antibodies which is one of the reasons that breastfeeding early on is absolutely crucial.

An added bonus of breastfeeding is that this will help keep your bills down. To start with you won’t need to buy formula and due to the increased health of your child you should be able to avoid expensive medical bills.

When your baby sucks on your breast this helps with the development their jaw alignment and the development of their cheekbone. Obviously this means that there is likely to be a requirement for orthodontic work for your child when he or she is older.

Breast milk is really an amazing substance. It contains exactly the right amounts of vitamins and minerals that your growing baby needs and unlike formula, breast milk is always ready, always available, convenient, and always the right temperature for feeding.

You’ll be glad to know that choosing to breastfeed your baby will also offer a number of benefits to you as well. Your baby sucking at your breast will cause contractions right after birth which should mean less bleeding for you and this will also help your uterus regain its shape more quickly.

Most moms are anxious to lose the extra weight gained during pregnancy as quickly as possible. Breastfeeding actually burns calories so you’ll be delighted to hear that you should lose weight much faster than if you feed your baby with formula.

Breast feeding will also create a special bond between you and your baby - which is one
thing formula simply cannot do.
Author Resource:- Breastfeeding is the recommended way to feed your newborn child. Get your free guide now - Complete Breastfeeding Guide at http://www.notjustbasics.com/breastfeed/guide