Training of Roma Health Mediators in Reproductive Health

• The importance, and the benefits, of breastfeeding
• Principles of breastfeeding
• Essential techniques and positions for successful breastfeeding
• Common problems that may arise and what to do in case they occur
• Common myths about breastfeeding and how to best respond to them
Production of breast milk
Explain that:
• Inside the breast are millions of very small sacs which produce milk under the
control of a hormone produced in the brain. Muscles surrounding these sacs
contract and squeeze the milk out through small tubes which carry milk from the
sacs to the outside, through the nipple. The sacs and tubes are surrounded by fat
and other tissue which give the breast its shape, and which make most of the
difference between large and small breasts. Small breasts and large breasts both
contain about the same amount of small sacs and tubes and can both make plenty
of milk.
• When the baby suckles at the breast, impulses go from the nipple to the mother’s
brain which stimulates the small sacs to produce milk. If the baby suckles more,
the mother will produce more milk for the next feed. If the baby suckles less, the
mother will produce less milk for the next feed. The amount of milk produced is
adjusted by the mother’s body to meet the needs of her baby.
• The hormone that causes the muscles around the sacs to contract and milk to flow
through the tubes also causes a mother’s uterus to contract after delivery. This
helps to reduce bleeding, but it sometimes causes uterine pain and a rush of blood
during a feed for the first few days. The pains can be quite strong. It is important
to tell the mother about this so that she does not worry. It is good for the healing
of her body after delivery and will stop in a few days.
• The production of milk in the mother’s breast is affected by her thoughts,
feelings and sensations. Positive thoughts and feelings (such as love,
confidence, happiness and pride) and sensations (such as touching and hearing
or seeing her baby) can help the milk to flow. Bad feelings (such as pain,
worry, fear or doubt) can stop her milk from flowing. Fortunately, this effect is
usually temporary.
• Signs of good milk production may include: tingling sensation in the breasts just
before or during a feed; milk flowing or dripping from the breasts; painful
uterine contractions, sometimes with a rush of blood, during feeds in the first
week; and slow deep sucks and swallowing by the baby as he feeds.
Importance and benefits of breastfeeding:
Explain that:
• Babies who are breastfed are healthier, grow stronger, and are less likely to die
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RFHI/JSI Romania Training of RHMs in Reproductive Health Session 9: Breastfeeding