Introduction of Dr. Wiseman
Dr. Wiseman is a doctor who mainly practices emergency medicine. She is also a lactation consultant and helps new moms out because breastfeeding can sometimes be a little tricky. What's more, she does a lot of prenatal counseling too. Meanwhile, she is a working mom of 3 kids 12, 10, and 3 years old. That means she understands what it's like to be a mom and go through it. Like she had to deal with pumping and figuring all of that out. In a word, she stands with moms to help them out.
All information is based on evidence from research, or expert opinion from leading clinical practitioners. Reference for all statements available on request.
What's the benefits of breastfeeding
On one hand, it's good for the baby's immune system. It's very soothing and pain relief for the baby, so if the baby's getting like a vaccination and you breastfeed them, they feel less pain. We can tell that from the signs that they give us that they're not feeling the short as much when breastfeeding. Over the longer term, they're gonna have fewer IR infections stomach issues, lung issues, eczema, and even longer-term less obesity and diabetes and a baby who's restored. So you're really doing an amazing thing for your baby!
On the other hand, did you know there are actually some benefits for you, too? You're going to feel good about breastfeeding because you're bonding with your baby. When you breastfeed oxytocin is released, that's a hormone that helps the milk to be released, which is the same hormone as with an orgasm, it doesn't feel quite the same but it feels good. In the long term, you are going to reduce your own risk of breast cancer or ovarian cancer, diabetes, and depression, so it has benefits for both of you.
How your body works during breastfeeding
Here is the basic anatomy of breastfeeding. The left side is your breasts and in the breasts, there are these little milk ducts. they start out really tiny high up in the breast, and they're kind of irregular and wiggly, they come together to form larger and larger ducts, and eventually, they form between 5 and 7 larger passages of milk that come out through the tip of the nipple.
This whole structure is going to go into the baby's mouth and what's important in this picture is that see how the baby's gums are actually on the areola. New moms might think that baby just gets a little bit of the nipple on in the mouth and bites it, but that would be really painful. The right way is for the whole nipple and part of your areola to go into the baby's mouth.
What you need for breastfeeding accessories
Actually, the must-have for your breastfeeding is nothing. But a lot of moms like to get some things such as a breast pump a lot of time to help them breastfeed when they need to be away from their baby or feed more than one baby. It's also good to have a log book to write down not only those first cute little things like the baby's first poop but also did baby feed at 2 am, did baby feed at 4 am, etc. It's good to have that written down for you're not going to remember all those details.
Many moms might consider a nursing pillow that will help bring the baby up to your level because these little babies are really tiny when they come out. If you put them down there in your lap or you're having to use your arms to lift them up and then you get pain and your shoulders so some kind of pillow just to lift baby up to your breast level is helpful. You could get a nursing bra and nursing tank tops just to make the breasts really accessible.
How to get prenatal breastfeeding support?
- Learn about what is normal, like it's normal for the baby to eat this often, what spit-up behavior is, you are gonna have to sleep on your baby's sleep, etc.
- Prepare your family and partner to support you. It's obvious the dad or partner may not be doing the breastfeeding, but they can learn about what's normal and support you
- Read a book about breastfeeding.
- Join an online breastfeeding support group. It really helps us rebuild our community as women to support each other.
- Find a local Mommy-baby group
- Prepare meals and snacks ahead. Whether it's filling your freezer with frozen pizza or knowing how to order pizza, just prepare yourself for easy food because you're not gonna have a lot of time for cooking in those first few weeks.
- Find a lactation consultant you can contact for urgent and necessary circumstances.
- Breastfeeding-friendly pediatrician
Moreover, Dr. Wiseman also talked about what will happen during the first week of breastfeeding, positioning the baby for breastfeeding, the right breastfeeding latch, etc. You can watch the video playback for more information.
Moms Ask Questions
Question from Ke**hi
"Hi! Is it possible to achieve any increase or improvement in breast milk supply after 3 months post partum?
My baby is 3 months old now. We had problems with latching early on due to inverted/ flat nipples. This then led to me having cracked nipples and subsequent low breast milk supply.
I tried double electric pumping but that was really uncomfortable before the nipples healed, so I couldn't do more than 4 sessions a day.
My supply never came up. I have had to commence formula- which is her main milk supply now.
I've also tried Domperidone (10mg tds for a week) but it didn't help.
My baby gets frustrated at the breast because of the low supply, so I prefer giving her expressed milk instead of breastfeeding to prevent this.
Would it still be possible to achieve any improvement in my breast milk supply after this long?"
Dr. Wiseman
"That can be frustrating. The first couple of weeks of breastfeeding are really critical for establishing that supply. So it sounds like maybe you had some problems with latching early on and what happens is your supply doesn't get stimulated to come in fully. The breast supply regulates by about 2-3 months, what that means is it becomes harder to change the volume. But it is still possible. I think it's good to be realistic that it's probably not gonna go to full supply at this point but it is possible to increase a little. I think the key is emptying. I don't know if the baby's able to latch now or if you're able to pump more or even hand express but the more you can remove milk from your breasts the more milk your breasts make."
Question from E**y Br**an
"Does pumping also release oxytocin?"
Dr. Wiseman
"Yeah, it does absolutely. If you're a breastfeeding mom currently around the past you may have experienced letdown. Let down is when basically those milk ducts open and let the milk flow out. That's stimulated by either a baby suckling at the breast or sometimes even just hearing a baby cry will like make your breast get let down you start leaking. and that stimulation it is the oxytocin release, so yes you get the benefits of that."
Question from L** Ne**ez
"How come we should stay away from nipple shields?"
Dr. Wiseman
"Great question! Nipple shields are a tool. I use them with moms when they've tried everything else, we worked really hard to get a deep latch, and for whatever reason, maybe they had some nipple damage or there is some anatomical issue. We do use a nipple shield kind of to transition them for a little while. But sometimes you might find it in the hospital they just hand you a nipple shield to solve everything and it doesn't actually help the baby to latch more deeply "
Question from M** T**
"Hi should I start pumping right after birth, or should I just use hand expressing at first and start using the pump afterward? And if later then when should I start using the pump machine?
One more thing, we're not planning to use a pacifier or bottle right feeding right away. But when would be the best time to start introducing a bottle/pacifier to him ( as I will go back to work eventually) without him confusing/rejecting breastfeeding? Thank you"
Dr. Wiseman
"So if everything's going great with breastfeeding and latching, you don't need a pump. If the baby is not latching well or not transferring you can use the pump to help bring your milk supply in those first few weeks that are critical. If you know that you're gonna have to be separated from the baby like for work or an appointment you can use a pump to save up a little milk so that when you're away. While you're away at work, you'll pump to replace that milk"
Do you have the same questions with these moms? There are more questions and answers in the Webinar, you can check the video playback.
Future Initiatives
Looking ahead, Momcozy plans to continue its mission of empowering moms by providing ongoing support and organizing regular breastfeeding webinars. These future initiatives will build upon the success of the initial webinar, ensuring that mothers have access to a wealth of knowledge and resources throughout their breastfeeding journey.
By consistently delivering valuable content and fostering a strong community, Momcozy aims to create a safe and nurturing space where moms can connect, learn, and thrive. The brand recognizes that breastfeeding is a dynamic and evolving process, and it remains dedicated to adapting its initiatives to meet the evolving needs of mothers.
