If you've every been pregnant or if you are pregnant

now, you've probably noticed a metamorphisis in your

bra cups.  The physical changes (tender, swollen 

breasts) may be one of the earliest clues that you

have conceived.  Many experts believe that the color

change in the areola may also be helpful when it

comes to breast feeding.

What's going on

Perhaps what's even more remarkable than visible

changes is the extensive changes that are taking 

place inside of your breasts.  The developing 

placenta stimulates the release of estrogen and 

progesterone, which will in turn stimulate the 

complex biological system that helps to make lactation

possible.

Before you get pregnant, a combination of supportive

tissue, milk glands, and fat make up the larger

portions of your breats.  The fact is, your newly

swollen breasts have been preparing for your 

pregnancy since you were in your mother's womb!

When you were born, your main milk ducts had already

formed.  Your mammary glands stayed quiet until

you reached puberty, when a flood of the female

hormone estrogen caused them to grow and also to

swell.  During pregnancy, those glands will kick

into high gear.

Before your baby arrives, glandular tissue has 

replaced a majority of the fat cells and accounts

for your bigger than before breasts.  Each breast

may actually get as much as 1 1/2 pounds heavier

than before!

Nestled among the fatty cells and glandular tissue

is an intricate network of channels or canals known

as the milk ducts.  The pregnancy hormones will 

cause these ducts to increase in both number and

size, with the ducts branching off into smaller

canals near the chest wall known as ductules.

At the end of each duct is a cluster of smaller

sacs known as alveoli.  The cluster of alveoli is

known as a lobule, while a cluster of lobule is

known as a lobe.  Each breast will contain around

15 - 20 lobes, with one milk duct for every lobe.

The milk is produced inside of the alveoli, which

is surrounded by tiny muscles that squeeze the

glands and help to push the milk out into the

ductules.  Those ductules will lead to a bigger

duct that widens into a milk pool directly below

the areola.

The milk pools will act as resevoirs that hold the

milk until your baby sucks it through the tiny 

openings in your nipples.  

Mother Nature is so smart that your milk duct

system will become fully developed around the time

of your second trimester, so you can properly 

breast feed your baby even if he or she arrives

earlier than you are anticipating.

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The nutritional requirements for the baby will rely

soley on the breast milk, and therefore the mother will

need to maintain a healthy diet.  If the baby is 

large and grows fast, the fat stores gained by the

mother during pregnancy can be depleted quickly, 

meaning that she may have trouble eating good enough

to maintain and develop sufficient amounts of milk.

This type of diet normally involves a high calorie,

high nutrition diet which follows on from that in 

pregnancy.  Even though mothers in famine conditions

can produce milk with nutritional content, a mother

that is malnourished may produce milk with lacking

levels of vitamins A, D, B6, and B12.

If they smoke, breast feeding mothers must use 

extreme caution.  More than 20 cigarettes a day has

been shown to reduce the milk supply and cause vomiting,

diarrhoea, rapid heart rate, and restlessness in 

the infants.  SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) is 

more common in babies that are exposed to smoke.

Heavy drinking is also known to harm the imfant, as

well as yourself.  If you are breast feeding, you 

should avoid alcohol or consume very small amounts at

a time.  

The excessive consumption of alcohol by the mother can

result in irritability, sleeplessness, and increased

feeding in the infant.  Moderate use, normally 1 - 2

cups a day normally produces no effect.  Therefore, 

mothers that are breast feeding are advised to avoid

caffeine or restrict intake of it.

By following a healthy diet and limiting your intake

of the above, you'll ensure that your baby gets the

right nutrients during your time of breast feeding.  

This stage of life is very important - as you don't

want anything to happen to your baby.

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When you hold your baby for the first time in the

delivery room, you should put his lips to your

breast.  Although your mature milk hasn't developed

yet, your breasts are still producing a substance

known as colostrum that helps to protect your baby 

from infections.

If your baby has trouble finding or staying on 

your nipple, you shouldn't panic.  Breast feeding is

an art that will require a lot of patience and a

lot of practice.  No one expects you to be an 

expert when you first start, so you shouldn't 

hesitate to ask for advice or have a nurse show you

what you need to do.

Once you start, keep in mind that nursing shouldn't

be painful.  When your baby latches on, pay attention

to how your breasts feel.  If the latching on 

hurts, break the suction then try again.

You should nurse quite frequently, as the more

you nurse the more quickly your mature milk will

come in and the more milk you'll produce.  Breast

feeding for 10 - 15 minutes per breast 8 - 10 times

every 24 hours is an ideal target.  Crying is a

sign of hunger, which means you should actually 

feed your baby before he starts crying.

During the first few days, you may have to wake

your baby to begin breast feeding, and he may end

up falling asleep during feeding.  To ensure that

your baby is eating often enough, you should wake

him up if it has been four hours since the last 

time he has been fed.

Getting comfortable

Feedings can take 40 minutes or longer, therefore

you'll want a cozy spot.  You don't want to be

sitting somewhere where you will be bothered, as it

can make the process very hard.

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Within the first two to three days after you have

given birth, you may discover that your breasts

feel swollen, tender, throbbing, lumpy, and 

overly full.  Sometimes, the swelling will extend

all the way to your armpit, and you may run a 

low fever as well.  

The causes

Within 72 hours of giving birth, an abundance

of milk will come in or become available to your

baby.  As this happens, more blood will flow

to your breasts and some of the surrounding tissue

will swell.  The result is full, swollen, engorged

breasts.

Not every postpartum mom experienced true

engorgement. Some women's breasts become only

slightly full, while others find their breasts

have become amazingly hard.  Some women will hardly

notice the pain, as they are involved in other

things during the first few days.

Treating it

Keep in mind, engorgement is a positive sign

that you are producing milk to feed to your 

baby.  Until you produce the right amount:

1.  Wear a supportive nursing bra, even

at night - making sure it isn't too tight.

2.  Breast feed often, every 2 - 3 hours

if you can.  Try to get the first side of your

breasts as soft as possible.  If your baby seems

satisfied with just one breast, you can offer

the other at the next feeding.

3.  Avoid letting your baby latch on and

suck when the areola is very firm.  To reduce

the possibility of nipple damage, you can use 

a pump until your areola softens up.  

4.  Avoid pumping milk except when you

need to soften the areola or when your baby 

is unable to latch on.  Excessive pumping can

lead to the over production of milk and prolonged

engorgement.

5.  To help soothe the pain and relieve

swelling, apply cold packs to your breasts for

a short amount of time after you nurse.  Crushed

ice in a plastic bag will also work.

6.  Look ahead.  You'll get past this

engorgement in no time and soon be able to

enjoy your breast feeding relationship with your

new baby.

Engorgement will pass very quickly.  You can 

expect it to diminish within 24 - 48 hours, as

nursing your baby will only help the problem.  If

you aren't breast feeding, it will normally

get worse before it gets better.  Once the

engorgement has passed, your breasts will be

softer and still full of milk.  

During this time, you can and should continue to

nurse.  Unrelieved engorgement can cause a drop

in your production of milk, so it's important 

to breast feed right from the start.  Keep an

eye for signs of hunger and feed him when he

needs to be fed.

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Because more and more women are choosing to breast

feed their babies, more and more are also finding

that they enjoy it enough to continue longer than

the first few months they planned on.  Breast

feeding to 3 - 4 years of age is common in much

of the world recently, and is still common in

many societies for toddlers to be breast fed.

Because mothers and babies often enjoy to breast

feed, you shouldn't stop it.  After six months,

many think that breast milk loses it's value -

which isn't true.  Even after six months, it 

still contains protein, fat, and other important

nutrients which babies and children need.

The fact is, immune factors in breast milk will

protect the baby against infections.  Breast

milk also contains factors that will help the 

immune system mature, and other organs to develop

and mature as well.

It's been shown and proven in the past that 

children in daycare who are still breast feeding

have far less severe infections than the 

children that aren't breast feeding.  The mother

will lose less work time if she chooses to 

continue nursing her baby once she is back to

work.

If you have thought about breast feeding your

baby once he gets passed 6 months of age, you 

have made a wise decision.  Although many feel

that it isn't necessary, breast milk will always

help babies and toddlers.  Breast milk is the

best milk you can give to your baby.

No matter what others may tell you, breast feeding

only needs to be stopped when you and the baby

agree on it.  You don't have to stop when someone

else wants you to - you should only stop when 

you feel that it's the right time.

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Babies that are breast fed are very portable and

easy to comfort no matter where your schedule has

you going.  Many women however, worry about 

breast feeding in public.  The worry of nursing

in a public place is normally worse than the

actual experience and often times the only people

who notice you feeding are the other mothers who

are doing the same thing.

Many women find ways to breast feed discreetly.  

You can ask your partner or even a friend to 

stand in front of you while you lift your shirt

from the waist.  When you breast feed, the baby's

body will cover most of your upper body and you

can pull your shirt down to her face to cover

the tops of your breast.  Some mothers prefer to

put a light blanket over their shoulders as a

type of cover.

When you are visiting someone else's home, you

may feel more comfortable either leaving the

room or turning away from people when you first

put the baby to your breast.  If you would like

more privacy, breast feed in an empty room, car,

or public restroom.

A lot of restrooms are becoming more baby 

friendly and they even have a seperate are with

a changing table and a chair.  Several shopping

malls now offer special mother's rooms where 

the mom can breast feed her baby in privacy,

which will help sensitive babies who are too

distracted by feeding to nurse well in public.

It won't take long at all though, before your

baby will learn to breast feed without any fuss

at all.

An alternative way is expressing or pumping 

your milk at home and then offer it in a bottle

while in public.  Keep in mind, offering

bottles with artificial nipples in the first

few weeks can and probably will interfere with

breast feeding.

When breast feeding in public, you should always

use what works best for you.  During the first

few weeks, it will take some getting used to,

as it will be as new for you as it is for the

baby.  With some time, you'll have no problems

at all.

If you don't feel comfortable breast feeding in

a certain location, then you shouldn't.  You 

should feel a certain level of comfort when you

feed, as the baby can tell when you aren't 

comfortable doing something.  If you show your

baby that you aren't nervous - you and your 

baby will be just fine.

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Sore nipples

A lot of mothers complain about tender nipples that

make breast feeding painful and frustrating.  There 

is good news though, as most mothers don't suffer

that long.  The nipples will toughen up quickly 

and render breast feeding virtually painless.

Improperly positioned babies or babies that suck

really hard can make the breasts extremely sore.

Below, are some ways to ease your discomfort:

1.  Make sure your baby is in the correct

position, since a baby that isn't positioned correctly

is the number one cause of sore nipples.

2.  Once you have finished feeding, expose 

your breasts to the air and try to protect them from

clothing and other irritations.  

3.  After breast feeding, apply some ultra

purified, medical grade lanolin, making sure to avoid

petroleum jelly and other products with oil.

4.  Make sure to wash your nipples with water

and not with soap.

5.  Many women find teabags ran under cold 

water to provide some relief when placed on the

nipples.

6.  Make sure you vary your position each time

with feeding to ensure that a different area of the

nipple is being compressed each time.

Clogged milk ducts

Clogged milk ducts can be identified as small, red tender

lumps on the tissue of the breast.  Clogged ducts can 

cause the milk to back up and lead to infection.  The 

best way to unclog these ducts is to ensure that you've 

emptied as completely as possible.  You should offer

the clogged breast first at feeding time, then let 

your baby empty it as much as possible.

If milk remains after the feeding, the remaining amount

should be removed by hand or with a pump.  You should

also keep pressure off the duct by making sure your

bra is not too tight.

Breast infection

Also known as mastititis, breast infection is normally

due to empty breasts completely out of milk, germs

gaining entrance to the milk ducts through cracks or

fissures in the nipple, and decreased immunity in the

mother due to stress or inadequate nutrition.

The symptoms of breast infection include severe pain

or soreness, hardness of the breast, redness of the

breast, heat coming from the area, swelling, or even

chills.

The treatment of breast infection includes bed rest,

antibiotics, pain relievers, increased fluid intake,

and applying heat.  Many women will stop breast feeding

during an infection, although it's actually the wrong

thing to do.  By emptying the breasts, you'll 

actually help to prevent clogged milk ducts.

If the pain is so bad you can't feed, try using a 

pump while laying in a tub of warm water with your

breasts floating comfortably in the water.  You should

also make sure that the pump isn't electric if you

plan to use it in the bath tub.

You should always make sure that breast infections

are treated promptly and completely or you may 

risk the chance of abscess.  An abscess is very 

painful, involving throbbing and swelling.  You'll

also experience swelling, tenderness, and heat in

the area of the abscess.  If the infection progresses

this far, your doctor may prescribe medicine and 

even surgery.

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