Breastmilk is the safest and healthiest food for your baby. It provides all the nutrition your baby needs for the first six months. Breastfeeding will help reduce your baby’s risk of obesity, diarrhea, gastrointestinal illnesses, and non-communicable diseases. It also protects the infants against allergies, sickness, and infections. While breastfeeding offers numerous benefits, it also presents many challenges.
Breastfeeding can be challenging, especially in the first few days and weeks. Common breastfeeding challenges include sore nipples, low milk supply, engorgement, plugged duct, fungal infection, nursing strike, breast and nipple size and shape, feeling like you can’t leave your baby, and postpartum depression. Persistent nipple pain, perceptions of low milk supply, difficulty with infant latch, and incorrect advice about medications and lactation can lead to undesired early weaning.
Breast engorgement is a sign that mature milk is being secreted. It is a physiologic bilateral breast fullness that occurs most often between day three and day five postpartum. One of the most common complications associated with breastfeeding is mastitis. It is an inflammation of breast tissue that sometimes involves an infection. The inflammation results in breast pain, swelling, warmth and redness, and may be associated with fever and chills. Women with a history of oversupply, nipple injury, latch difficulties, or skipped feedings may be at risk for mastitis. Late recognition and treatment may lead to complications, such as breast abscess, sepsis, and early weaning. Breast abscess if left untreated can result in maternal sepsis.
With these, it is important for lactating women to consult their obstetrician-gynecologist and other obstetric care professionals to support them in their breastfeeding journey and to be able to address lactation challenges. Obstetrician–gynecologists and other obstetric care professionals can support mothers of preterm and early-term infants by providing proactive lactation support, including education on hand expression, in anticipation of potential breastfeeding difficulties. Despite the challenges, breastfeeding should be encouraged in women to address the malnutrition problem in the country. The Barangay Nutrition Scholars and other support groups are also right there at your barangays to help you cope up with these challenges. So don’t hesitate to approach them at your convenience as they are very much willing to assist you with these concerns. Don’t let your worries affect you from becoming a good nursing and nurturing mother. Ask for help now!
-PNC-ZDN Rowence Zorilla
References:
1. Importance of Breastfeeding
https://www.healthyfamiliesbc.ca/home/articles/importance-breastfeeding
2. Why is Breastfeeding Important for your Baby?
https://www.health.ny.gov/prevention/nutrition/wic/breastfeeding/importance.htm#:~:text=Breast%20milk%20helps%20keep%20your%20baby%20healthy.&text=It%20protects%20against%20allergies%2C%20sickness,constipation%2C%20diarrhea%20or%20upset%20stomach.
3. Common Breastfeeding Challenges
https://wicbreastfeeding.fns.usda.gov/common-breastfeeding-challenges
4. Breastfeeding Challenges
https://www.acog.org/clinical/clinical-guidance/committee-opinion/articles/2021/02/breastfeeding-challenges