How breast milk is lost under stress. Missing milk due to stress

Certified Breastfeeding Consultant

Our life is a continuous continuous series of different incidents and events. And like on the skin of a zebra, one half of them are joyful and bright stripes, the other half is grief, troubles and failures. As a consultant, I often hear the phrase "I had trouble (grief, illness, stress, failure), and literally at one point the milk was gone." This is a very serious question, in this article I will try to understand the mechanisms that regulate lactation and what happens at a critical, stressful moment in the body of a nursing mother. Where and why does milk go? How to bring back full breastfeeding?

The first and most important thing is to understand the very mechanism of milk production.

Very often you can hear the expression that "milk is produced in our head." More often this expression is considered as a psychological component in milk production. But ... but no less important is the literal meaning of this phrase. Two hormones are responsible for lactation: No. 1 - Prolactin and No. 2 - Oxytocin. Prolactin is produced by the anterior pituitary gland. Oxytocin is produced by the hypothalamus. Both the pituitary gland and the hypothalamus are parts of the human brain.

To understand how a stressful situation in the life of a nursing mother can affect milk production, let's get to know these hormones better.

Hormone No. 1 - Prolactin
Prolactin can be called a "cook" hormone, it is responsible for the amount of milk produced. The nerve endings of the nipple are sent to the brain, directly to the pituitary gland, information about the number of suckings (attachments) of the baby to the breast, which, in turn, draws conclusions about the needs of the sucker for milk. Thus, the main law of marketing works in this matter: demand creates supply. Thanks to natural mechanisms, the baby receives as much milk as he needs.

Hormone No. 2 - Oxytocin
The second hormone actively involved in breastfeeding is Oxytocin. He can be called a "waiter". The task of Oxytocin is to feed milk from the glands, where it was prepared by caring prolactin, through the milk ducts into the areola. It is under the influence of Oxytocin that muscle cells squeeze milk out of the glands and direct it to the nipple. The baby does not suckle in the usual sense of the word, he rather "milks" - squeezes milk from the areola into his mouth.

Conclusion: everything is simple and clear - Prolactin produces milk in the required amount, Oxytocin collects, drives it through the milk ducts and delivers it to the areola. The baby sucks on the areola and is thus satiated. Simple, but not always ...

What happens in stressful situations?

In stressful situations (tired, cried, nervous, quarreled with loved ones, grief, misfortune), the production of Prolactin with repeated applications practically does not change, but the production of Oxytocin is hampered, Adrenaline prevents full secretion. Let's figure out the malfunctions in the production of Oxytocin.

Situation one: the hormone Adrenaline interferes with the production of Oxytocin.

Perhaps this mechanism is of an evolutionary nature: when a primitive mother, protecting her children from a wild beast, ran away and hid. At the moment of real danger, the level of Adrenaline (natural doping) increased in her blood, and it was extremely useful and needed, as it gave additional physical strength to the body to save itself. Adrenaline stopped the production of Oxytocin, in which case the cessation of milk flow was justified by the situation. As soon as the danger disappeared, the milk returned.

In our time, the mechanism of adrenaline production has not changed. An acute stressful situation stimulates the Adrenaline attack and the production of Oxytocin is temporarily suspended. There is milk, but the logistics department is on strike ... What to do?
Accept the idea that we are all sometimes nervous, worried, a person is a living, emotional being. You just need to learn how to properly remove adrenaline from the blood.

The key to elimination is muscle work. You can stomp your feet, start cleaning, exercise helps a lot ... and high-quality breaking of dishes.
The next step is to just try to calm down. Create as comfortable conditions for yourself as possible. Keep warm. Heat stimulates milk flow. To do this, you can take a shower, lie down in a warm bubble bath, add your favorite oils to the water. Allow your body to relax in a warm, comfortable environment while savoring your favorite scents. Drink a cup of warm aromatic tea, eat something tasty, remember that hunger raises the level of adrenaline in the blood.
A sense of security and comfort is essential. Create the most suitable cozy atmosphere in the room: dim dim light, quiet calm music. It is necessary that the house be warm, you can turn on the heater for a while. Put on something cozy and as comfortable as possible, wrap yourself in a warm terry robe.
Remember the most vivid and unforgettable impressions in life, good memories help to forget and abstract from negative impressions. Think good. Watch a kind, positive movie, read your favorite book, ask for a massage. Give yourself maximum pleasure, both physical and spiritual.

Conclusion: Oxytocin is interfered with by Adrenaline. Get rid of Adrenaline in all possible ways listed above. Find an explanation for yourself why you need to calm down, find your own anti-stress arguments in favor of the child. Try to relax and not think about painful problems. It's easy to say ... but you are a MOTHER, you are the best thing that God has invented for a child on Earth. And you can do everything ...

Situation two: Oxytocin getting lost, breakdown in the electronic gateway system, or how to induce a hot flush.

Stress, fatigue, postpartum depression, milk stays in the ducts, it is difficult for the baby to suck. It is necessary to induce a tide - a free outflow of milk through the milk ducts. Again, it is responsible for the tide - Oxytocin.

It turns out that Oxytocin is excellently stimulated by touching and stroking. In such situations, constant close contact between mother and child is simply necessary. Carry your baby on skin-to-skin arms, make yourself comfortable on the bed, hug, kiss. Latch your baby to your breast often. Think that here he is, for whom you have been waiting for so long, whom you saw in a dream, your wonderful child. Love him with all your heart and soul, enjoy this wonderful feeling!
If possible, devote yourself temporarily only to the baby, retire, enjoying each other. It would be good to leave household chores for later or call for help from relatives and friends. Loudly, do not hesitate, talk about your fatigue, depression. Openly ask for help, understanding, and concern. It is important that others refrain from commenting and evaluating what is happening, allowing you to act intuitively, to take control of the situation itself. Live with the idea that all difficulties are surmountable. You can drink a sedative: motherwort or valerian.
A few simple manipulations help to mechanically induce a hot flush: applying something warm to the breast before feeding, you can warm a towel or diaper with an iron; creating in your mind a pleasant visual image and a glass with a warm, favorite drink, while drinking slowly through a straw.

Conclusion: we ask for help and understanding, we rest, we establish sleep and child care, we set priorities in the family, we calm down and enjoy the tides. Agree that it is difficult to voice what worries, it is difficult to ask for help, but believe me, you will succeed!

General conclusion:

1. Yes! Milk can abruptly "disappear", "leave", "not turn on". The main reason for such a serious disruption in Lactation in a healthy mother with a healthy child is a strong emotional shock. In such a situation, it is almost always possible to return the milk. The main mechanism for eliminating lactation failure is the emotional readjustment of the nursing mother. And if you do not have enough of your own strength, seek help from psychologists. The main thing in any situation is to be close to the child, and motherly love will help to overcome any pain and turn on the production of milk.
2. Yes! In the event of domestic troubles, family misunderstandings, chronic fatigue, postpartum depression, self-doubt, a problem with the production of Oxytocin may arise. In this case, seek help from your nearest and dearest, put things in order in your own head, turn on your intuition and instincts. Love yourself and your baby, enjoy motherhood and believe that all problems are temporary, and happiness is right there, waiting for your love and care.

Good luck!

As a gift for a nursing mom, one of the ways to relax and cope with stress:
just sit down, close your eyes, catch your breath, relax, figuratively imagining how every part of your body relaxes from head to toe or vice versa, and imagine something especially pleasant and pleasing to the soul. Scientists claim that the best visual image for calming the nerves is a combination of water and white. Draw an image of white and cool water (not transparent, but white).

Imagine this water reaching the top of your head, feel a subtle touch of coolness. The water flows down further, onto the eyes, lips, shoulders, chest ... White water covers you completely: from the head to the tips of your toes. Enjoy this coolness for 30 seconds.
Then imagine how this water slowly flows down to the floor in the funnel, clearly imagine the funnel! All your problems and causes of stress go into this funnel.
Take a deep breath and open your eyes.
And remember: the main thing is calm and without panic, the milk will definitely return!

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One of the important points for the normal development of a baby in the first six months to a year is breastfeeding. Many mothers understand this well and try to maintain lactation in every possible way. But often stressful situations, conflicts and experiences can provoke a violation of this process. The older generation usually says "burned out" milk if it disappeared against the background of psycho-emotional experiences. But the problem can be solved even if the breast is no longer filled at all. How are lactation and stress interrelated, how can you help yourself get milk back?

Read in this article

Effects of stress on lactation

The favorable course of pregnancy, childbirth and breastfeeding largely depends on the hormonal background of the woman. For carefree gestation, estrogens and progesterone are more responsible. Immediately after childbirth, their number falls, but the level of prolactin rises sharply. Thanks to him, even during pregnancy, there is a transformation of the ducts of the mammary gland, aimed at producing milk. And after the appearance of the baby, he is the "starting" moment for the beginning of lactation.

Oxytocin also plays an important role, the production of which increases in response to stimulation of the nipples. That is why for the first day or two the baby simply "hangs" on the chest, thus increasing the concentration of oxytocin in the blood. And the hormone is already responsible for the contraction of the ducts and the release of milk.

The production of all these hormones and active substances is regulated by the pituitary gland of the brain. And then the dominant "breastfeeding" is created, all the processes in the body are aimed exactly at this.

Stress, anxiety, fear and any other situations, usually of a negative nature, lead to the activation of the body's defenses.

At the same time, adrenaline begins to form intensively and enter the bloodstream. It stimulates an increase in blood pressure, causes a spasm of blood vessels and intestinal smooth muscles, contributes to the formation of another dominant in the brain - "how to solve the problem."

As a result, the intensity of all processes associated with lactation (and most of the mother's strength and energy is released on them) sharply drops. And this leads to, and if nothing is done, in continuing stressful situations, lactation will stop altogether. The likelihood of mastitis also increases due to uneven contraction of the ducts and a violation of the outflow of secretions.

So, the following points are necessary for normal breast milk production:

• Relaxing and carefree atmosphere at home and maximum limitation of household chores. In such situations, the woman's body is completely concentrated on the lactation process.
• Mechanical stimulation of the nipples. The more intensely this happens, the better the ducts of the mammary glands contract, and all the milk comes out to the last drop. And an empty breast is a signal for more milk production.

Adrenaline, figuratively speaking, counteracts these processes, redirecting the body's work in a different direction. This is why stress during breastfeeding leads to a decrease in milk production.

Returning milk

In order to return milk, you need to concentrate all your attention on the baby. So the stressful situation will pass, and lactation will recover. But in most cases, this is not easy to do. Options for how to restore lactation after stress:

• We must try to calm down and switch our thoughts and concerns to the baby. It is good if someone close to you will provide support or solve all problems without the participation of a woman. But sometimes the mother herself has to directly participate in "steering the situation", in this case it is much more difficult to cope with the problem of milk deficiency.
• You can use the nesting method, which is based on the behavior of most animals. Its essence lies in the fact that mom and baby need to spend as much time together as possible, literally day and night. The pastime depends on the age of the crumbs. If the child is not sitting yet, then you can use the classic nesting option. To do this, you should make yourself something very comfortable - a warm blanket, pillows. In general, a "den". And to climb with a crumb there for a day, arranging small "forays" to the toilet, to the kitchen. No guests, no noise, or anything that would increase the level of anxiety. Close contact, the smell of mom, a cozy and pleasant environment, latching on to the breast on demand - all this will relax the woman and the child, and again will put its priority on lactation in the brain.
• If the baby is already one year old or so, the mother should often hold him in her arms, touch, iron, it is useful to wear it in a sling. Walking in a wheelchair, communication with strangers and unfamiliar people should be reduced to a minimum. It is necessary to apply crumbs to the breast with the slightest anxiety, even if it seems that there is still no milk.
• Any dietary supplements, herbs can be taken to restore lactation after stress. But it is important to understand that they are supportive measures. The main thing in such cases is the calmness and poise of mother and child.

Watch the video on restoring lactation:

Methods to calm down in difficult situations

As long as a woman is immersed in all sorts of problems, as long as she is tense and puzzled, the body will direct most of its energy towards solving these problems. And the active release of adrenaline will not lead to increased lactation. Therefore, it is important to be able to relax, distract and concentrate on the baby. Constant stress during breastfeeding can eventually lead to its completion. Tips and techniques to help you calm down in difficult situations:

• comfortable home environment, only close people are nearby;
• warm shower or bath, glass of mulled wine;
• close bodily contact with a loved one, husband, even intimate relationships can relax and calm a woman;
• one should not forget about full sleep, it is better to be with the baby, so that he constantly feels his mother next to him and at the same time can crawl to his chest at any time;
• if a woman has previously practiced relaxing breathing exercises, yoga, then these exercises can help a lot in stressful situations;
• walks in nature, but it is better not in the park area of ​​the metropolis, but, for example, in the forest, in the village;
• you can cry on your "safe shoulder".

Intense training or any other stress on the body that helped to cope with life's troubles before pregnancy should be avoided. There will be no benefit from them for lactation.

Causes of stress in a toddler

Despite the fact that a child up to a certain age cannot tell or somehow show his reaction to what is happening, he "absorbs" the mood of the mother. Her facial expression, gestures, tone - all this can disturb the baby, which leads him to a state of stress. After all, a calm mother for him is a guarantee of safety and reliability.

The first three months of his life for a child are the most difficult, sometimes they are called "the fourth trimester of pregnancy." Breastfed babies form a special relationship with their mother, they are strongly attached to her, only being around they feel calm. At this time, even minor changes for adults can be stressful for the crumbs. The main reasons for the baby's discomfort can be identified:

• Decrease in attention to it. Mom can either be busy with other things due to family circumstances, or has not yet learned how to respond so quickly to the needs of the child.
• Newfangled movements like baby yoga, swimming for babies are not suitable for all children. The choice of the type of occupation and the decision to practice them should be approached with special care, weighing all the pros and cons. Inappropriate movements or inexperienced instructors can even lead to injury or fright.
• Large flow of information. In many families, it is customary to visit a young mother and baby after birth. However, constant guests, noise, unfamiliar voices and a disturbed rhythm of the day - all this the baby perceives more sensitively. What to say about this little man, if adults themselves sometimes get tired of such festivities.
• If the baby is worried about something, it is better to seek help from a pediatrician. You should not use the gas tubes yourself, not even stool candles without indications. Some parents, if their children do not gain weight well, begin weighing them almost after each feeding. This is also stressful for the baby, in addition to the fact that the child adopts the restless state of the parents.

How lactation can tell you that your baby is not feeling well

Stress and breastfeeding are incompatible concepts. Constantly being in a state of anxiety, the baby will refuse to suck, sleep poorly, cry, constantly flinch when changing body position or touching.

Gradually, the level of lactation will decline, and the vicious circle will become more difficult to break. Together with the child, the mother also begins to worry, especially if she does not quite understand what is happening with the baby. As a result, this leads to the fact that the woman decides to switch to artificial feeding.

You should pay attention to the following signs so as not to miss the poor health of the crumbs:

• Baby takes long breaks between feedings(including at night), he is anxiously asleep or awake, but at the same time cries, cannot find something to do, it is difficult to distract him. At the same time, a woman's milk first arrives, she feels overflowing in her breasts. But after a couple of days, this discomfort passes, the flow decreases, as the body adapts to the needs of the crumbs.
• There is an underweight in the child. It is difficult to understand here without the help of a specialist, since such conditions may indicate various diseases, for example, lactase deficiency, etc. But you should not panic ahead of time, perhaps, constitutionally, the baby is gaining weight at the lower limit of the norm. This often happens when everyone in the family is very thin.
• If the child, after some procedures, sleeps for a long time, without worry, having fed up with milk. This is a defensive reaction, adaptation to strong stimuli. This should also alert mom. In this case, an increased tone in the crumbs can be determined. But here, too, a pediatrician's consultation is needed, since up to a certain age, tone in individual muscles is the norm.
• Breast refusal is the most alarming signal. This should not be explained by a woman's poorly formed nipple or by the fact that the baby is full. A breastfed baby needs a breast every 2 to 3 hours. Since the introduction of complementary foods, of course, less often.

We help the baby

It can be quite difficult to figure out how to return lactation after stress in a baby. First, mom should calm down. It is good if she will feel the support of loved ones in such moments, and not solve all problems on her own. Sometimes a fresh look in such a situation radically changes tactics.

• If the baby's condition still raises concerns, it is best not to postpone the visit to the doctor. Timely detected pathology is already half of the treatment.
• The nesting method works here as well.
• Mom should carefully consider her diet. There is no need to include new products at such moments, start training, etc. It is better if everything goes according to the usual schedule for the baby.
• If there is no particular need for additional procedures for the child (massage, swimming pool, etc.), they should be postponed until the condition of the mother and the baby is normalized.
• In some situations, it is best to seek the help of a breastfeeding counselor or an experienced midwife.

Stress during lactation can lead to impaired milk production up to the complete end of milk production.

Discomfort and anxiety can be experienced not only by the mother, but also by the baby. Therefore, it is necessary to carefully monitor the well-being of the child, his mood and the frequency of requests for feeding.

A woman and a baby throughout the entire period of breastfeeding form a kind of "single organism": if one is bad, the other will certainly react to it with his own state of health. But there is a way out of all situations, no matter how difficult they seem.

By itself, the topic of relaxation (restoration of the lactation process) is very extensive. It includes not only the physiological aspect of feeding, but also the psychology of the relationship between mother and child. Therefore, we will immediately make a reservation: it is impossible to describe the entire relaxation technique in its entirety within the framework of one article, especially since in each specific case (for each mother-child pair), an individual selection of recommendations from a breastfeeding specialist is required. We will just try to tell you how it will look in general terms, and give the necessary minimum of information to those mothers who, for some reason, interrupted breastfeeding and would like to return to natural feeding again, as well as mothers who want to feed an adopted child. Often, women are not even aware of the possibility of switching from artificial feeding to breastfeeding, or they do not know how to do it and where to turn for help.

Relaxation: Back to Mom!

So, dear mothers, relaxation is possible!

Moreover, from the point of view of physiology, there is nothing complicated about it. Many have probably heard that the hormone prolactin is responsible for the process of milk production in the female body. The amount of milk directly depends on its quantity. And strictly speaking, all that is needed to stimulate the production of this hormone is frequent and productive breastfeeding by the baby.

So, constantly putting the baby to the breast - and milk will appear? I guess, yes. However, not all so simple.

The first and main difficulty is that the baby often refuses to suckle. It is uncomfortable for him to take it, unusual, and in general he has already grown so fond of his bottle that he does not want to change it for some kind of breast!

And the point is not at all that there is no milk in the breast and nothing pours out of there - for example, nothing pours out of a pacifier either ... It turns out that the baby has forgotten (and, unfortunately, not without the participation of adults) what style It is designed by nature for the relationship with the mother - after all, the correct way of feeding is inherent in the child genetically! Our task is to "awaken" his hereditary program.

Breastfeeding is a continuation of the unity with the mother that the child experienced while in her tummy. This means that the first thing a mother needs to do to restore lactation is to establish the same continuous and close contact with the baby, as during pregnancy. Before the baby returns to the breast, he must return from the crib and stroller into the arms of the mother!

Mom's hands, warm skin, heartbeat, familiar smell, chest vibration when talking, smooth swaying when mom got up and walked, peaceful sleep next to her breast ... These are the main stimuli thanks to which the baby will "remember" his mother, remember a paradise state that accompanied his life in the womb, and he wants to suck not some rubber substitutes, but a real, so dear and unique breast!

Idyll? And why not? .. All mother's efforts at this stage will consist in ensuring almost continuous contact with the baby and regularly offering him the breast. Carrying the baby in a sling (sling, patchwork holder) can significantly facilitate this work - after all, in this way it will be possible to combine the needs of the child and the needs of the mother herself.

Sometimes the process of overcoming breast abandonment takes several days, and sometimes it takes several weeks. The main result of this first stage is that the baby has begun to suck! And he does it often and with pleasure. An important condition: from the moment the mother began to offer the baby to breastfeed, pacifiers and bottles disappear from his life - each of these two items has a uniquely negative effect on the entire breastfeeding process at any stage. Now the necessary supplementation will be given in full from a spoon (small cup, pipette). And in all situations where there was a dummy, the chest is now used. As they say, by appointment ...

It is very convenient to use a special soft spoon developed by the Swiss company Medela. The handle of a spoon is like a small bottle where mom pours the required amount of liquid. And at the base there is a soft silicone notch (like a regular teaspoon), where a new portion of food from the bottle is added with a light touch of your fingers. Thus, mother's time is significantly saved, all supplementary food can be given before the child gets tired or starts to get nervous, and it is also almost impossible to spill something past the baby's mouth. If you have the opportunity to purchase this spoon, be sure to use it!

In general, a soft spoon is useful not only in the case of relaxation. It is very convenient to use it for feeding a baby with expressed milk in the absence of a mother, for feeding premature and low-birth-weight babies who quickly get tired at the breast. The use of a soft spoon helps to avoid such an unpleasant phenomenon as refusal of the breast, which in most cases is provoked by the presence of a bottle with a nipple.

Here comes the milk!

So, the baby sucks often and with pleasure. What's next?

Next, you need to teach him how to do it correctly, that is teach the baby how to latch on to the breast... Let me remind you that when applied correctly, the radius of the areola should be approximately 2.5 cm from the base of the nipple. This is necessary for effective stimulation of the mammary gland - and, accordingly, for the full production of milk. And also in order to prevent the appearance of cracked nipples in the mother and to avoid stagnant milk.

Next stage - increased stimulation of milk production.

There are two possible scenarios for the development of events. The first is when mom's milk comes quickly (sometimes even without the use of lactogenic agents). As a rule, for such situations, the usual recommendations for a lack of milk are suitable:

• the breast is given at the first signal of concern from the child;
• in the daytime, hourly attachments of the baby to the breast are organized on the initiative of the mother (the breast also changes every hour);
• night feedings are getting better - about 3-4 per night (as soon as the baby is in a dream, we immediately offer the breast. If he sleeps all night, then the mother organizes regular applications on the alarm clock);
• the amount of artificial nutrition is gradually decreasing.

The main thing that will need to be controlled is the optimal amount of supplementation (again, remember - not from a bottle!). After all, if the volume of the mixture received per day is not enough for the child, this will affect his health (he can starve!). And if, on the contrary, there is too much supplementation, it will slow down the process of breast milk production.

So, in order for a child to have an incentive to suckle, he must be moderately well-fed! How to determine this? The standard test proposed by the World Health Organization to determine whether a baby is eating enough up to 6 months is to count the number of times he urinates per day. If it is enough for the baby, there should be at least 12 of them.

We calculated how many times the baby peed in a day (for this it is necessary to abandon disposable diapers!), - we reduced the amount of supplementary feeding. We waited (usually 3-4 days) until the amount of urination rises again up to 12 times - the volume of the mixture can be reduced again. And so on until the bitter end! Typically, the entire process takes 2-3 weeks. Again, I will make a reservation: it is better to do this under the supervision of an experienced specialist.

Special means for restoring lactation

The second scenario for the development of events during relaxation is when milk does not come immediately or comes in an insufficient amount for the child. This usually happens if:

• more than 3 months have passed after childbirth;
• mom has serious hormonal disorders;
• mother wants to establish feeding of the adopted child.

• the use of lactogenic agents;
• organization of additional pumping;
• and almost all of the above recommendations with one addition: formula supplementation will be given from a special device called SNS (supplemental feeding system).

Have you ever heard of this? Unfortunately, most Russian mothers are also unaware of the existence of SNS. What does it look like? This is a small bottle that is hung upside down around the mother's neck. Only at the bottom she does not have a nipple, but a thin and soft capillary, which is attached with its lower end next to the mother's nipple in such a way that the baby, sucked to the breast, captures him too.

And what happens? The baby sucks on the breast and gets the formula. This device is manufactured by the Swiss company Medela and is distributed through their brand stores. It is an ideal replacement for a bottle whenever the mother does not have (or does not have enough) milk. After all, in this way, the benefits of breastfeeding that relate to the area of ​​\ u200b \ u200bthe relationship between mother and child are preserved. And the likelihood that normal breastfeeding will gradually be established is immeasurably higher than when using bottles.

I just want to warn you right away: the feeding scheme via SNS should also be developed in conjunction with a breastfeeding specialist. And one more remark: this measure is temporary. Thanks to the mother's active efforts to stimulate lactation, the amount of supplementary feeding will also decrease (maybe not as quickly as in the first case), and the need for SNS will gradually disappear.

The whole process of relaxation takes from several days (if the baby is a few days) to several weeks. Sometimes some amount of supplementary feeding remains until the baby is 6 months old (the age when it is time to introduce him to adult food) - and then the mixture is gradually replaced by complementary foods. In any case, now a mother can breastfeed her baby for as long as she and her baby want.

This is, in general terms, the work that lies ahead for a mother who wants to restore full-fledged breastfeeding for her or her adopted child. The work is difficult, but rewarding. Because all efforts will pay off with the normal physical and mental health of the baby, as well as the incredible joy, harmony and a sense of fullness of life that every woman experiences when feeding a child in accordance with his natural needs. Go for it, dear mothers! Good luck to you!

Life stories

Despite the fact that Olya's milk came on the third day, the hospital called her a "non-dairy mother" and prescribed the baby regular feeding with formula from a bottle. When on the 10th day a lactation consultant came to them, little Yegor was already completely artificially fed. Mom did not put it to her chest.

At first, the baby reacted to the offer to suck on the breast with a sharp cry and refusal. A day later, thanks to the competent mother's actions, the baby took the breast every time he was given such an opportunity. After 5 days, Yegor was already fully breastfed. When asked why she wanted to return the milk, my mother answered: "Without this, I cannot imagine myself as a woman!"

At the time of the consultation, little Vera was almost 2 months old. She has been an "artificial" since 3 weeks. Mom has not had milk for a long time. Motivating her desire to return to breastfeeding, she said: "I am not satisfied with the level of psychological contact with my baby. If a woman breastfeeds her baby, she understands and feels much better."

The mother's ardent desire and the confidence that her girl needed natural feeding played a decisive role: milk began to come within 5 days. About 10 days after starting work, breastfeeding was finally overcome. Now the baby only feeds on breast milk.

When Nastya asked for help, her daughter was 3.5 months old. From birth, Anya was artificially fed. Mom was worried about abnormalities in the child's physical development: despite the fact that the doctors could not detect any pathologies, the girl did not gain weight well. The process of "returning" the baby to the breast took about a month: the baby was restoring normal relations with her mother for a very long time. By 6 months, about 200 g of the mixture continued to remain in her daily diet. For the 7th month, the mother completely replaced the artificial nutrition with the complementary foods prescribed for this age. Having received the full-fledged contact with the mother and irreplaceable breast milk necessary for any child, Anya began to gain weight well. At the moment, mom is confident that she will be able to feed her baby girl for a very long time.

Constantine was born at 36 weeks. The first three weeks was artificially fed. On the day when the consultant came to Natasha to help her mother start the relaxation process, her husband just bought more milk formula: "That’s enough for a long time!" This was his second marriage, and he raised his first two children with his own hands from a bottle. Dad was going to take care of little Constantine in the same way.

Mom dreamed of breastfeeding. Her persistence lasted for a week: then her husband forbade "to experiment on the child." And although after 4 days the volume of artificial nutrition was halved, Natasha was unable to overcome her husband's negative attitude towards breastfeeding. Without the moral support of a loved one, so necessary in this matter, she lost her hands. Everything returned to normal: a dummy, a bottle, a lonely watch in a crib ("so that you don't get used to your hands!").

Twice Larisa was going to restore lactation. For the first time, the recommendations of her gynecologist turned out to be an obstacle: in the opinion of that specialist (apparently not familiar with the physiological processes in a woman's reproductive system?), It is absolutely impossible to return lactation! The second time, the mother changed her mind after the visit of the consultant: the recommendation to offer the baby breast at night and, if necessary, take him to her bed did not work for her. It turns out that at night Larisa stuck earplugs ("earplugs") into her ears so that the grunting and crying of the child would not interfere with her sleep. The prospect of nightly awakenings to latch on to her breast seemed unbearable to her. The relaxation failed.

Maria Gudanova
breastfeeding consultant,
specialist of the center "Rainbow of motherhood"

The article is provided by the magazine "Our baby"

Discussion

Hello! My son is almost 3 months old, almost two months since my milk has disappeared, tell me how to return it. I really want to breastfeed my son

Well done girls, those who were able to return breastfeeding. My child is one year and three months old. Up to four months she only breastfed. Then, on the advice of the fucking pediator, she began to feed with the mixture, since there was not enough milk. Then our family moved to a new apartment, the child simultaneously learned to stand, sit and crawl, in general, began to show independence. In short, after the move, I completely threw my chest. As soon as I did not struggle, but the use of the bottle did the trick. we fought like this for a month and a half. up to 10 months I pumped milk for him, he ate milk, mixture, milk, mixture ... And then there was very little milk, there was no point in expressing. In short, I have not pumped for more than four months, and I still have milk, at least 50 grams, but there is. Now I really regret that when my Kolya gave up breast there was no one who at least suggested something. I even cry sometimes when one of my friends is breastfeeding with me. I promised myself that I would not allow this with my second child. Moreover, now I know that you can just go to the site and chat on sore topics. I CALL YOU MOTHER! DO NOT FEED THE CHILDREN FROM BOTTLES, DO NOT BUY DRY BOTTLES, IF WHO PURCHASES, THOSE IMMEDIATELY. DRINK LACTOGON TEA, PAY MORE ATTENTION TO THE CHILD, PUT NEXT TO SLEEP. THERE IS ANYTHING BETTER THAN NATURAL FEEDING. DO NOT CHOOSE NATURE. You have no idea how much this means to the baby.

Without going into details, I will say this. At about 2.5 months, I started replacing one feeding (per night) with a medicated formula as recommended by my doctor. It was the beginning of the end ... one feeding gradually began to develop into two, three, and then into each, the baby began to refuse to breastfeed ... As a result, within a month, the baby was eating 600 ml of formula during the day. I took my chest only at night. I cried out of despair, drank lactogone in liters and ate in buckets. The pediatrician advised Apilak and nicotinic acid for a lack of milk, and when I came and asked what to do when giving up breast at 3 months, she said: Does he take a bottle? So feed from the bottle.
But I didn't give up. I meditated and imagined how my chest was filled with milk, and I was looking for information all the time. And I found Kazakova's articles, which described the rules of the Civil War, found this article and other sites.
For 3 days I practically did not pay attention to the child - I read, read, read ...
And then I made a program of action. I threw away all of my mother-in-law's favorite nipples. I found the nearest store that sells Medela's products (it turned out to be 250 km from my city) and bought an SNS system there. I started expressing both breasts every hour (with a breast pump until the oxytocin reflex, and then with my hands), that is, the total number of pumpings I had about 20 times a day. I took off the diaper from the child, bought a sling and, as my mother put it, "clung to the child."
Unfortunately, I faced strong opposition from my relatives about my decision to return a full-fledged GW. From "and why do you need it?" to "your milk is bad anyway." Moreover, as soon as I turned away, my mother shoved a bottle of the child ...
And if you also take into account that more than 4.5 months have passed since the birth, then I set myself up for a long and decisive struggle. I really wanted to feed. VERY. I was ashamed that I did not feed.
The milk came back quickly, in just a couple of weeks. But to win back the trust of the child, to return it to the chest - it took much longer. It took almost 3 weeks to restore the baby's natural rhythms - sucking around dreams.
I still remember how I came when I was 5 months old. to the pediatrician. They asked me sarcastically: Well, have they completely switched to the mixture? And I proudly replied that yes, they completely switched to the breast (I was a little cunning at that moment. I was breastfeeding plus my expressed milk, but I didn’t give the mixture anymore!). And bulging eyes in response.
In general, now muumzu is 8 months old. and we only breastfeed. And when I look at my son, how he suckles his breast, coming off only to look into my eyes and smile, I get a lump in my throat: could I really be deprived of such happiness ...

the article is probably good, but I don’t know which woman is capable of this, where to get strength, when at 4 months the child no longer sleeps as up to a month a month, but where is the rest. I ran out of strength in the third week, if you can believe me I didn’t sleep for 2 weeks, and if I didn’t sleep, then noverno for all these 2 weeks 10 hours at most. I constantly applied to my chest, I didn’t sleep with her, I was afraid that I could fall asleep a lot, and put it on. I didn’t sleep at night because she woke up every half hour, and during the day my energy woke up and I just couldn't sleep, and so it lasted 2 weeks until one day I almost fell with my baby in my arms because I fell asleep while standing and then I said stop and started giving the mixture, breastfeeding, formula, breastfeeding and the child began to sleep, began to cry less, but after a week the child refused to breast, and after another week, I wanted to pump, and I had 20 milligrams from two breasts, kept for another month, but alas ... ..I don't know how where, but I realized one thing that everything worried about my child, and I did not worry anyone, all dum Or that milk should be in any case (I also thought so during pregnancy) even the nurse told me, no matter what you eat and how much you drink more, but I didn't have an appetite from fatigue and depression ... ... I really regret that I did this with the first child, with the second one I can't be fooled, that's for sure, and I will only listen to myself ...

My name is Oksana, Kirill is my 3rd son. When I was feeding the elders, there was a lot of milk, and I had to constantly express myself. For me, the most difficult thing was to pour the milk into the trash, but there was nowhere else to go. Milk suddenly became very small when it was not pumped on time, at 3.5 - 4.5 months of age. Kiryusha had HDN (Hemolytic Disease of Newborns), doctors believed that antibodies could also be in milk and forbade putting the baby to the breast. When it was found out that there were no contraindications to HS, it took 5 days. The child was in intensive care this time. Then, in the children's department, she began to breastfeed, but there was just milk, there was nothing left. At home, at night, Kiryusha was given a mixture, and the rest of the time they were fed day and night after 1.5 - 2 hours. At 3 months, he began to constantly regurgitate milk, the doctor said to feed him less often. We switched to the regime with 3-hour intervals. But our baby refused to take a bottle (from "Nuk", with a breast-like nipple) after emptying the breast. some feedings had to be completely replaced with artificial ones. The number of breastfeeding has dropped sharply, but now, at least, the child is well fed, calm, it is easier for him when we observe the regime. Today Kirill is 4.5 months old, he eats porridge (Heinz). I make vegetable puree, apple juice and banana puree myself. At night, in the morning and a couple of times during the day, we suckle the breast. I want to ask, what is it to bring a child to so that he urinates 12 times a day? Our baby pees 10 times between each feed, and there are 7 of them, not counting the night. For some time we were on the GV, the child was starving, he wrote this 20 times a day, it was hungry screams!

Now my youngest daughter is 2.4, I fed her up to 11 months. Then I succumbed to the persuasion of relatives (they say that you are skin and bones, and children need you to be alive and healthy) and began to extinguish lactation first, and then by bandaging the breast with an elastic bandage. At this time, I was taking exams at the university and preparing for them with a friend, at the same time struggling with milk. She passed the exams, returned home, the baby got sick, the milk had not left completely and there was a great desire to attach the baby to the breast, but the pediatrician said that the reconstituted milk would not have the same qualities as before, because he spoiled it. I still suffer from guilt from the fact that it seems to me that I was undernourished - the baby is often sick and has intestinal problems + an allergy to almost everything, which crawled out 3 months after the termination of breastfeeding. I still have colostrum in my chest and I feel my little breast literally ...

take a "vacation" for a week and apply the baby to the breast as often as possible, in principle, already on the third day there should be enough milk (in the article it is well written about this). And then buy a hammer pump and pump every 2-3 hours in the absence of the child. And let the child at home be fed with your milk, in extreme cases with a mixture, from a spoon.

Increasing milk supply is even easier than relaxing!

I did it, I wish you good luck too!