Breastfeeding Isn’t Always Straightforward
Breastfeeding is one of the most natural expressions of motherhood. There is a psychological, physical, and nutritional element to the act which binds mother and child together in a way that’s extraordinary and unique.
However, as with anything in life, there’s going to be some complication involved. For some mothers, breastfeeding comes easy. But others have trouble. A number of things can make this simple physical act of motherhood an unexpected challenge.
Common Breastfeeding Challenges
For one thing, some infants are actually born with teeth. This is rare, but it happens, and it can make the act of breastfeeding very painful. Infants don’t know language right away, and have no way of understanding they’re imparting real pain to their mothers. Another issue is “latching”. Some infants have difficulty “latching” onto the nipple. Suction doesn’t seem to be possible.
For other women, there can be milk production issues. Sometimes a particularly difficult pregnancy may wear a mother out. There are situations where a woman is very skinny to begin with. An anorexic mother may not be capable of producing milk without changing nutritional habits.
Also, it’s worth noting that even when there’s healthy breast milk production, the act of feeding depletes calories from the body of a mother. That’s going to tire her out. If you’ve just had twins or triplets, every feeding will be extremely tiring. There are supplements which can help. Sometimes a solution may be using breast pumps.
While it’s not ideal to pump your breastmilk and store it in the fridge for your children later, this can be a realistic alternative when you’re dealing with multiple infants, having latching problems, or contending with exceptional fatigue.
Securing Assistance For Breastfeeding Issues
Every mother is unique, just as every child is unique, and sometimes even mothers who have had several children will suddenly have breastfeeding issues for varying reasons. This is one of many reasons it’s a good idea to secure the services of a certified lactation consultant. Such consultants can do many things worth considering.
Consultants can help you overcome latching issues, they can help you more efficiently “refuel”, as it were, after feedings, determine what sort of breast pumps may work best for you, and a variety of other things which you may not even have considered.
The truth is, breastfeeding is beneficial for mothers and their infants in a variety of ways. Common health conditions become less problematic, there tends to be a greater bond between mother and child, and the list goes on.
Many mothers don’t realize there are breastfeeding consultation options out there, and that’s understandable. Until recent times, such options weren’t as widely available as they are now.
Finding A Support Network Early On
The bottom line is, if you can breastfeed, you should. But lastly, it’s worth noting there are situations when a mother can’t; either from poor nutrition, congenital issues, or some unique set of circumstances.
What makes sense is at least determining where you can find a breastfeeding consultant before you give birth. That way if you need help, you’ve got it with just a phone call or an email, and if you don’t, then at least the option was available should things not have gone as expected.
Breastfeeding is perfectly natural, and many mothers have no trouble getting “the hang of it” right away. However, many mothers do have trouble in this area. Everyone is different. In life, circumstances that are unexpected end up challenging expectations all the time; so to be safe, assure you’ve got a strong support network available before the baby comes.
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