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The feeding question 72 ‘Knowing that my baby was growing and putting on weight because of milk from me made me feel really proud.’ Engorged breasts A few days after the birth, your breasts may become very swollen (engorged) and uncomfortable. It is helpful to keep feeding your baby on demand and ask your midwife to check that baby is well positioned and attached. You may also find it helpful to gently hand express breastmilk before a feed to help baby attach to the breast. A good supporting bra will help too, but make sure it isn’t too tight. Sore or cracked nipples If your nipples are sore when you’re feeding, your baby’s position may need adjusting. If they are cracked, get advice from your midwife, health visitor or breastfeeding counsellor (see page 147). The following suggestions may also help: • check your baby is well positioned and attached. Ask your midwife or health visitor to watch you breastfeeding; • try applying a drop or two of your milk onto the end of your nipple after feeding; • change your breast pads frequently (take care when removing a pad that it doesn’t stick to the crack. If this happens, moisten the inside of the breast pad first with water before removing); • avoid soap as it dries the skin. Mastitis If you have mastitis, your breast will feel hot and sore with a red, flushed area. You may also feel very unwell as if you have a severe flu. If this occurs, it’s really important to continue breastfeeding and to make sure the baby is well positioned and attached. Go to bed if you can but make sure you continue to breastfeed frequently. If there is no improvement within six to eight hours, you need to contact your GP as you may need antibiotics. Your doctor can prescribe an antibiotic which is safe to take while breastfeeding. These are a number of things that will help clear your mastitis: • let your baby feed on the tender breast first or, if he won’t feed from this breast, express milk off; • take mild painkillers as recommended every four to six hours, e.g. paracetamol or ibubrofen (if you are asthmatic, it’s best to avoid taking ibubrofen); • it may help to alter the position you hold baby for feeding as this sometimes helps the affected area drain better, such as underarm feed (see left). If you’d like further information about breastfeeding problems, contact your midwife or health visitor or call a breastfeeding counsellor. Other information is also available online from www.breastfedbabies.org and from www.breastfeedingnetwork.org.uk WIND After a feed, gentle back rubbing with your baby lying against your shoulder or held a little forward on your lap may bring up some wind that would be uncomfortable otherwise. Don’t worry if you don’t get any up. It is not essential. It may even be that there is none to come. Sometimes a little milk is brought up at the same time. This is known as posset and it’s normal.
The feeding question B OTTLE FEEDING Bottle feeding may seem like hard work at first until you get into a routine of sterilising bottles and preparing feeds. Once you’re organised, you’ll be able to relax and really enjoy feeding. Feeding is the best time to hold your baby close in your arms, and one advantage of bottle feeding is that fathers can share in this enjoyment. BABY MILK (INFANT FORMULA) Baby milk, also called infant formula or artificial milk, usually comes in powder form. It is usually cow’s milk that has been specially treated so that babies can digest it. And it has the right balance of vitamins and minerals for a young baby. Baby milks based on soya protein are also available but they are not usually given at this young age. Ordinary cow’s milk, condensed milk, evaporated milk, dried milk, goat’s milk, or any other type of milk should never be given to a baby. They are not suitable. If you have any worries about the baby milk you are giving your baby, ask advice from your midwife, health visitor or GP. There are a number of different brands of baby milk available in the shops. ‘Ready-to-feed’ baby milks in cartons are also available in some places. This is more expensive than powdered milk but may be useful in an emergency or if you’re away from home. Once opened, the carton should be stored in the fridge and thrown away after 24 hours. Although formula milk contains vitamins, you may be advised to give your baby vitamin drops from the age of six months onwards, or earlier in some special cases. You can buy these at the Child Health Clinic or any pharmacy. SOYA-BASED INFANT FORMULAE If you have chosen to bottle feed, but your baby is allergic to infant formula, your GP or health visitor will advise you on other types of formula, such as formulae containing hydrolised protein. Soya-based formulae should only be used or advised in exceptional circumstances, for example, for babies of Vegan parents. Remember that breast milk is the best form of nutrition for babies. There has recently been some concern over phytoestrogens, a natural component of the soya bean. There is evidence at present that feeding your baby with soya-based formulae may cause problems, and research is being undertaken to give a better understanding of the effects phytoestrogens have on the body. If you are using soya-based formulae because of cow’s milk intolerance, remember that babies can grow out of allergies, so it may be possible to introduce cow’s milk into your baby’s diet as he or she gets older. Do not make any changes to your baby’s diet without first seeking advice from your GP or health visitor. ‘Because Ellen was bottle-fed we both fed her. I used to do it in the evenings and most of the feeds at weekends. We started to do it to give Karen a rest, but in the end I wanted to do it. It brought the baby closer. She’s very close to me now.’ (A FATHER) ‘When I saw women breastfeeding at my postnatal group, I felt that we’d missed out by using bottles. I’ll give breastfeeding a try next time.’ If you are bottle feeding and your family receives Income Support, income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance or Pension Credit guarantee credit, you can get tokens for free milk and vitamins for your baby (see pages 135–6). Vitamins may be recommended from six months or earlier in some cases. 73
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Pre the nancy gbook Your complete g
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Pre the nancy gbook Your complete g
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11 LABOUR AND BIRTH Getting ready f
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Your pregnancy at a glance 16-20 we
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Introduction Every parent is differ
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Your health in pregnancy • Eat pl
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Your health in pregnancy VEGETARIAN
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Your health in pregnancy S MOKING W
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Your health in pregnancy P HYSICAL
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Your health in pregnancy Foot exerc
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Your health in pregnancy PARVOVIRUS
Page 23 and 24: 2 Conception To understand about co
Page 25 and 26: Conception T HE WOMAN’ S MONTHLY
Page 27 and 28: Conception T HE BEST TIME TO GET PR
Page 29 and 30: Conception K NOWING THAT YOU’ RE
Page 31 and 32: How the baby develops WEEKS 4-5 Wee
Page 33 and 34: How the baby develops WEEKS 15-22 T
Page 35 and 36: 4 Deciding where to have your baby
Page 37 and 38: Deciding where to have your baby HO
Page 39 and 40: Deciding where to have your baby B
Page 41 and 42: 5 Feelings and relationships From t
Page 43 and 44: Feelings and relationships WORRYING
Page 45 and 46: Feelings and relationships FAMILIES
Page 47 and 48: Feelings and relationships C OPING
Page 49 and 50: 6 Mainly for men Some pregnancies h
Page 51 and 52: Mainly for men PRACTICAL SUPPORT Yo
Page 53 and 54: 7 Antenatal care and antenatal clas
Page 55 and 56: Antenatal care and antenatal classe
Page 69 and 70: The feeding question B REASTFEEDING
Page 71 and 72: The feeding question You can get he
Page 73: The feeding question HOW OFTEN AND
Page 77 and 78: The feeding question The teat As yo
Page 79 and 80: 9 Problems Your body has a great de
Page 81 and 82: Problems FEELING HOT IN PREGNANCY D
Page 83 and 84: Problems can empty it properly. The
Page 85 and 86: Problems VAGINAL DISCHARGE Almost a
Page 87 and 88: 10 What you need for the baby This
Page 89 and 90: What you need for the baby O UT AND
Page 91 and 92: 11 Labour and birth This chapter de
Page 93 and 94: Labour and birth PAIN RELIEF IN LAB
Page 95 and 96: Labour and birth • your contracti
Page 97 and 98: Labour and birth AT THE HOSPITAL Go
Page 99 and 100: Labour and birth • The heartbeat
Page 101 and 102: Labour and birth You can have your
Page 103 and 104: Labour and birth treatment takes ab
Page 105 and 106: Labour and birth A vaginal breech d
Page 107 and 108: When pregnancy goes wrong been due.
Page 109 and 110: 13 The first days with your new bab
Page 111 and 112: The first days with your new baby c
Page 113 and 114: The first days with your new baby v
Page 115 and 116: Babies who need special care I NCUB
Page 117 and 118: The early weeks: you L OOKING AFTER
Page 119 and 120: The early weeks: you T HE ‘ BABY
Page 121 and 122: 16 The early weeks: your baby The b
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The early weeks: your baby CHANGING
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The early weeks: your baby WASHING
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The early weeks: your baby W HERE T
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Thinking about the next baby? conta
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Rights and benefits How much is it?
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Rights and benefits £500 SURE STAR
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Rights and benefits You must have n
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Rights and benefits Your contractua
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Rights and benefits conditions will
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Rights and benefits What happens wh
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USEFUL ORGANISATIONS Some of these
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Daycare Trust 21 St George’s Road
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Blooming Awful 29 Windermere Avenue
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The Pregnancy Book “It contains e
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