Breast-feeding problems
Breast-feeding is of great benefit to the child and
the mother-it provides essential nutrients not
available in any other form and gives the mother
a balance of hormones that ensures resistance to
disease after childbirth. Nonetheless the mother
often experiences several breast problems
including swelling and tenderness, nipple cracking or
soreness, and insufficient milk.
Blocked milk ducts form tender lumps which
have a red line from the swollen area. Excess milk
leads to engorged breasts which are hard and
painful with shiny, taut skin and tender nipples.
A child will have problems suckling from swollen
nipples. In the case of mastitis, an
infection of
the breast glands, the breasts are red, hot and
swollen, accompanied by fever and fatigue.
It is so natural for the breast to produce milk
during pregnancy and after childbirth that more
problems occur from not breast-feeding. Pain
and inflammation should not stop regular
breastfeeding, since the flow of milk is necessary for
healing to take place, even in mastitis, and does
not harm the child. Breast-feeding problems are
more common in times of stress, anxiety and
fatigue. Many breast-feeding problems are due to
improper suckling by the baby: joint
dysfunction from a tumultuous or prolonged delivery
prevents the baby from opening his or her mouth
wide enough to latch on completely, for example.
A chiropractor can treat this condition.
Fluctuations in milk supply are normal but
indicate a problem if they persist for more than a
few days. Insufficient suckling, whether due to a
child's weakness or drinking other fluids such as
formula, can result in either too much or too
little breast milk. Too much milk leads to
engorgement. Too little milk can also be the result of a
mother's under active thyroid or low intake of
fluids and healthy foods.
Babies are often sensitive to certain foods
consumed by the mother. Allergies should be
investigated. Chemicals in the environment, such as solvents, DOT, PCBs and
toxic metals also find
their way into mother's milk.
Supplements and herbs
Evening primrose oil is essential for providing GLA, which produces prostaglandin, a
hormone-like substance which boosts the immune
system. Open a capsule of evening primrose oil
and rub the contents on tender skin. The skin
will absorb the oil and provide GLA.
Assuming the mother's overall diet is good, a
well-supplied prenatal multivitamin can be
continued while nursing, as all vitamins are
important. Calcium requirements are
particularly high during nursing because milk contains such a
large amount of calcium. Silica can be taken as a
vegetal silica capsule, or as silica gel.
Green food supplements contain many nutrients, especially minerals and
chlorophyll.
Kelp supplies
potassium and iodine
for a healthy thyroid. Alfalfa is high in
vitamin K. Brewer's yeast provides
B
vitamins and helps increase milk supply.
Medicinal herbs are excellent for relieving
soreness, increasing milk flow and promoting
healthy glands. For herbal teas, add 1 tsp. herbs
to 1 cup boiling water, steep for ten minutes and
drink twice daily.
- To disinfect nipples after breast-feeding,
cleanse thoroughly with a cotton cloth
moistened with marigold infusion, which acts as an
antiseptic.
- Rub dry nipples with a drop of St. John's wort
oil or tea tree oil diluted with 1 tbsp.
olive or
sweet almond oil.
- Stinging nettle tea helps regulate milk flow.
- To reduce milk supply while breast-feeding,
rub the breasts with lovage tincture and drink
lovage tea.
- If weaning, drink sage tea or juice to reduce
milk. The milk flow will stop after two hours
of taking the tea or juice and typically lasts for
several days.
- Kelp, dandelion and alfalfa juices benefit the
glands and promote healthy breasts. Take
1 tbsp. three times daily.
- To increase milk production, use fennel,
blessed thistle, alfalfa or red
raspberry
leaves to make a herbal tea. Drink
1-3 cups daily.
- Goat's rue is also excellent to increase milk
flow and encourage breast development. Take
as a tea or 10 drops of tincture with
liquid. Combine with milk thistle,
fenugreek,
caraway seeds (3 tsp. crushed seeds to 1 cup
boiling water), fennel and dill for even richer
milk flow.
- Stress can suppress the mother's milk supply.
Try massage or a bath with 5 drops lemon
balm oil added to the bath water to relax.
Homeopathy
In acute pain or inflammation, the chosen remedies can be taken
frequently or as needed, depending on symptoms. Otherwise a dose of the
6 or 12c two or three times daily, or the 30c once daily is usually enough. Ricinus, Castor Oil, can actually be applied to the breast to increase milk.
- Bryonia
Scanty or absent milk. Inflammation during nursing. Dry mouth with thirst.
Milk fever during nursing: chills, fever, aching, swollen breasts, bursting
headache, joint pain. Dries up milk, prevents
mastitis during weaning.
- Calc carb
Milk is absent, scanty or late, or may be too profuse. Bluish,
transparent, sour milk, refused by the child. Profuse menses during lactation.
Breasts swollen, not red. Sore breasts on weaning; helps dry up milk.
Chilly, easy sweating, very weak. Hard working,
anxiety about the future.
- Castor Oil plant
Deficiency of milk, poor quality. Helps bring milk into the breasts.
Loss of appetite, vomiting. Rumbling,
colic and green, slimy, diarrhea.
Indifference, apathy, sleepiness, anemia. Weakness,
cramps in limbs.
- Phytolacca
During nursing, pains in the nipple radiating over the whole body, up and
down the spine. Milk becomes cheesy, bad, yellow, filled with lumps.
Hard, swollen breasts. Painful cracks in the nipples. Old
scars in breast.
Mastitis right after childbirth. Chronic discharges after weaning.
- Pulsatilla
Milk absent, disappears or is thin, watery, bad. Nursing pain extends
from nipple to chest, neck, back; changes place. Cracked, inflamed nipples.
Lack of menses, thirstless, chilly but hates heat. Effects of getting wet.
During or after weaning; breasts swell, feel very stretched, sore.
Flow of milk or acrid fluid in non-nursing woman or before puberty.
Mild, weepy, changeable, irritable. Craves sympathy. Weeps with nursing.
- Silicea
Scanty or absent milk. Milk is watery, bluish, sour, rejected by child.
Cracked nipples. Sharp pain with nursing, radiates around the body.
When nursing: bleeding from vagina or acrid, strong smelling menses.
Weakened by lactation. Pain in uterus on nursing. Abscess,
ulcers, fistula.
Passive, lacks confidence, fastidiousness. Chilly, sweaty hands and feet.
What else you can do
- For sore nipples, try changing nursing
position.
- To relieve swelling tissue and hard, painful
breasts, try short, frequent feedings or unlimited suckling time.
- A plugged duct will usually clear itself in
twenty-four hours. Keep on breast-feeding, it
is the best way to clear up the problem. To
prevent a plugged duct, make sure the milk
ducts are completely emptied after feeding.
- To treat mastitis, place a fresh cabbage leaf
on the breast inside the bra to relieve pain
and swelling.
- If breasts have become painfully swollen
with milk, pump the breasts of excess milk
into a sterile bottle. Store in glass bottles
for future use.
How much to take
- Evening primrose oil, two 500 mg tablets three times daily
- Silica, 1,000 mg
- Vitamin B complex, 100 mg
- Green food supplements, 1 tbsp
- Brewer's yeast, 3 tsp. three times daily
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