BREASTFEEDING

Breastfeeding

Introduction

In societies where breastfeeding is regarded as a natural physiological function and the only way to nourish an infant, and where it is highly valued and therefore strongly encouraged and supported, breastfeeding problems seldom occur. This situation differs from the Western experience, where during the 1960s and 1970s breastfeeding was often a painful and onerous procedure for the mother. Sore nipples and insufficient milk were common problems that made it hard for mothers to maintain breastfeeding for more than a couple of months. The reasons for terminating breastfeeding included insufficient milk, anxiety, lack of motivation, stress, inconvenience, interference with work or studies, and tiredness. Commenting on the problems that may arise, two leading breastfeeding experts, KB. Frantz, and PM. Fleiss (2009), stressed the “importance of correct positioning of the infant at the breast and a correct sucking technique to avoid nursing problems” (pp. 15-20).

In the oral searching reflex, which is stimulated by the proximity of the infant's lips to the nipple, the infant opens the mouth wide and thrusts the tongue forward in preparation to take the breast. This reflex is conducive to a correct sucking technique at the breast, which was defined as the infant having a wide-open mouth, with the tongue under the areola, and expressing milk from the breast by slow, deep sucks. Manipulation of the nipple into the baby's mouth is conducive to a faulty technique, which was defined as superficial nipple sucking. (Frantz & Fleiss, 2009)

Discussion

Attempting to breastfeed despite nursing problems and then trying to have these problems corrected can be a tiresome, discouraging, and sometimes painful process (e.g., where nipple lesions are involved). The first weeks after delivery entail enough extra demands on the parents, particularly the mother, without the added stress of breastfeeding problems. It would be preferable to forestall their occurrence by making adequate help available to the mother and infant in the delivery room and on the maternity unit. This can be done, for instance, by avoiding medication of the woman during labour as much as possible. If the newborn infants were left undisturbed on their mother's abdomen after delivery, to enjoy the intimacy of skin contact with her until taking the breast by their own efforts, they were more likely to have a correct sucking technique from the start. An incorrect technique was often the result of early separation for weighing and measuring during the first hour after birth. In situations where separation after delivery is unavoidable for medical reasons, on the maternity unit the infant can nevertheless be stimulated to suck actively and correctly. A faulty pattern could easily be corrected at this early stage. The infant should be carried in a soft cloth close to the mother for several months. The extensive use of a pacifier should be avoided because an inverse correlation exists between pacifier use and breastfeeding duration. (Frantz & Fleiss, 2009)

Problems in Breastfeeding

There can be various problems while breast feeding. For example, engorgement, which means inflammation in the breast tissue, which can be very painful ...