by Maria Teresa L. Ungson
Women who had breast augmentation and are lactating need NOT fret! There is no need to worry about the effects of breastfeeding on the shape and size of your breasts. Go ahead and breastfeed your baby! Researchers from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) pointed out that the number of pregnancies a woman has — not whether she breastfeeds — is what causes breasts to sag over time.
“If a woman believes that breastfeeding will adversely affect her breast appearance, she decreases her chances of successful breastfeeding,” study author Dr. Norma Cruz, said in an ASPS news release. “This misconception is unfortunate. Reassuring women that breastfeeding won’t harm their breast appearance, and that it has significant health advantages for both mother and baby, is vitally important.”
“It makes sense that breast augmentation patients would be concerned about the effect breastfeeding could have on the appearance of their breasts. After all, these women have invested both time and money into them,” said Cruz, an ASPS member surgeon. “However, available evidence tells us that although breasts sag more with each pregnancy, breastfeeding doesn’t seem to worsen these effects in women with or without breast implants.”
Breastfeeding helps strengthen the mother-child bond, it is linked to a number of health benefits for women, including lower risk of type 2 diabetes, breast cancer, ovarian cancer and post-partum depression. Breast milk also helps children build their immune systems and fight diseases.
Here are other facts about breastfeeding:
Practically all mothers can breastfeed. There are only a few true contraindications to breastfeeding. These include galactosemia, in severe maternal conditions such as heart failure, serious kidney, liver or lung disease and rarely from a few maternal drugs including amethopterin, thiouracil and radioactive or chemotherapeutic therapy. Malnutrition among breastfeeding mothers is not a contraindication as a malnourished mother produces the same quality or nutritional content of milk as a well-nourished mother. Mother’s breast milk is designed to provide for and protect baby even in times of hardships and famine.
A mother produces enough breastmilk for her baby. Almost all mothers can produce enough milk as long as they feed the baby as often as needed. The baby’s frequent suckling stimulates further the production of breast milk. In industrialized countries, the inability to lactate is closely associated with women who have little or no information about breastfeeding; have little or no experience with its mechanics; lack confidence about their ability to breastfeed; and have no close family member, friend or other means of social support to aid them in overcoming problems they may encounter in initiating breastfeeding. On the other hand, in societies where breastfeeding is widespread, failure to breastfeed is improbable. Thus, it is important to provide the necessary support to the mother for breastfeeding.
A baby needs to be fed on demand. In the first two days of life, babies need only to be fed 2-4 times a day. From about the third day onward, the baby starts to feed more often or about 10-20 feeding in 24 hours. On the second week or so, most babies settle into a routine of their own and feed 5-10 times a day. From the third week onward, the number of feedings decreases to about one feeding every 3-4 hours. A mother should offer her breasts to the baby often.
Babies are content with breast milk alone. Breast milk is adequate when the baby: is satisfied after 15 – 20 minutes of feeding, falls asleep right away after each feeding and sleeps for about 3 – 4 hours, gains weight satisfactorily, i.e. about half a kilogram every month for the first six months such that birth weight will be doubled by about the sixth month, and tripled by the first year, urinates about six times a day (wetness test).
Breastfeeding does not cause the breast to sag. Breasts sag because of poor physical support during pregnancy and lactation. To prevent breasts from sagging, mothers can do breast exercises, and use a firm but comfortable brassiere. A nursing brassiere can be used during breastfeeding.
Breast size is not important in producing breast milk. The size of breast does not determine the quantity of milk. A mother can store enough milk, even if she has small breasts. Frequent suckling of the baby stimulates milk production.
A mother can breastfeed even when she is sick or tired. It is best and safest to breastfeed an infant even if the mother is sick or tired from work or even after doing house chores. The baby will not suckle her sickness or tiredness. Whenever the mother is exposed to an illness or infection, her body makes the antibodies, and her milk contains antibodies to protect the baby.
Breasts do not produce sour or spoiled milk. Breast milk is always safe and will never get spoiled in the breast. The quality of the milk is the same in both breasts. Mothers must be reassured of this and encouraged to feed the baby on both breasts during each feeding.
Colostrum is not dirty milk and should not be thrown away. Colostrum is often yellowish in color, but it does not mean it is dirty. It should be given to the baby to protect the baby from getting sick.
Breast milk is not ‘too thin’. It is important for a baby to have both fore milk (breast milk released at the start of feeding) and hind milk (milk released towards the end of the feeding) to get a complete meal, which includes all the water that the baby needs. The hind milk is especially high in fat which helps the baby feel full and satisfied. It is important to let the baby suckle as long as s/he wants.
