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Do you feel suddenly sad when you start breastfeeding, then feel like yourself again a few minutes later?

This pattern may be D‑MER – Dysphoric Milk Ejection Reflex.

It is a brief emotional reaction that occurs just before or as breast milk begins to flow. Some mothers feel sad. Others describe a sinking feeling, anxiety, irritation or hopelessness.

The timing helps distinguish D‑MER from postnatal depression or anxiety.

With D‑MER, the feeling appears around the time milk begins to flow and passes quickly. With postnatal depression or anxiety, the feelings may continue outside breastfeeding. It is also possible to experience both.

If this happens to you:

Notice whether it follows the same pattern during feeds or pumping.
When it begins, try slow breathing or distract yourself briefly.
Rest when you can and drink enough fluids.
Discuss it with a health professional familiar with breastfeeding.

Breastfeeding can often continue while you seek support.

Get urgent help if you feel you may harm yourself or your baby. Please also seek professional help if the feelings occur outside breastfeeding or interfere with daily life.

Had you heard of D‑MER before today?

#BreastfeedingMonth
#HealthyLivingWithDrKetch

Four hours? Eight hours? One full day?

None. Breast milk does not spoil inside your breast.

If your baby suddenly refuses to suck, the real concern is not “bad milk.” Your breasts may become painfully full, and repeated missed feeds may gradually reduce your milk supply.

What should you do?

Offer the breast calmly. Do not force baby.
Try skin-to-skin contact and a quiet feeding space.
Hand-express or pump about as often as baby normally feeds.
Ensure baby continues receiving enough milk.
Find out why baby is refusing: illness, a blocked nose, mouth or ear pain, teething or a temporary nursing strike.

Please seek help promptly if baby repeatedly refuses feeds, has fewer wet nappies, becomes unusually sleepy or appears unwell.

The milk has not gone sour but a baby who will not feed should not be ignored.

Were you ever told that milk left inside the breast could spoil? Tell me in the comments and share this with a new mother who may be worried.

#BreastfeedingMonth
#HealthyLivingWithDrKetch

PLEASE DON’T TRY TO MASSAGE THAT PAINFUL BREAST LUMP OUT.

What many breastfeeding mothers call a “blocked duct” is often inflammation and narrowing around the milk ducts, not a solid plug that must be forced out.

Hard squeezing, aggressive massage and repeatedly pumping to “empty” the breast can worsen the swelling.

Instead, remember to stay CALM:

C – Continue breastfeeding normally.

A – Avoid aggressive massage and extra pumping.

L – Lower the swelling with a wrapped cold compress, rest and a comfortable supportive bra.

M – Medical help when needed.

The lump could also be mastitis, a milk-filled cyst, an abscess or another breast condition, so please do not self-diagnose.

See your doctor if you are unsure, develop fever or flu-like symptoms, notice increasing warmth, redness or pain, or do not improve within 12 – 24 hours.

A painful lump does not automatically mean cancer. However, any lump that persists or repeatedly returns must be examined.

For pain relief or medication, follow your doctor’s advice.

Were you ever told to massage a breast lump as hard as possible?

YES or NO?

#BreastfeedingMonth

#HealthyLivingWithDrKetch

Breast milk + formula is not exclusive breastfeeding.

But it is still breastfeeding.

And it is NOT failure.

Exclusive breastfeeding is recommended for the first six months—but when that is not possible, a mother needs practical support, not shame.

Daily Health Tips: Should I Give My Baby Water While Exclusively Breastfeeding

Posted on August 11, 2016 by chatwithdrketch

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Q: Good morning Doc, please I just had a baby and I want to do exclusively breastfeed my child. I don’t know whether I will be giving him water because they told me that water is natural.

A: Water is definitely natural but when exclusively breastfeeding, you don’t need it. Breastfeeding contains a significant amount of water and so if you breastfeed your baby adequately, he will get both ‘water’ and nutrients from your breast milk. For more on this, I reproduce a post I had made on this subject a while back…..

Over and over again, I have had breast feeding mothers tell me that they don’t make enough breast milk to feed their babies. Or they would say, their babies get hungry too often and so it is difficult to keep up with the crazy schedule of ‘feeding on demand’ that breast feeding requires of you.

Breast milk is very important to new born babies and really no child should be deprived on the many benefits of breast feeding exclusively. There are some mothers who, by reason of specific health conditions, cannot breast feed their babies. However, the greater majority of mothers are able to make enough breast milk to keep their babies satisfied.

Here are our top five tips for breast feeding properly:

o Patience: You’ve got to have loads of it. Sometimes, your baby feeds and then stops a bit just to gaze into your eyes. Give him/her the time needed to bond with you.

o There are two types of milk in the breast milk: the fore and the hind milk. You have to be sure that your baby gets both during each feeding session.

o Give the fore milk to quench thirst. The fore milk is mainly water and low in fats. If you observe, it’s bluish in colour. Its high water content is the reason why you don’t need to give your baby extra water. It’s also rich in protein, carbohydrates and vitamins.

o Be sure to give the hind milk. Now, if you finish giving just the fore milk and stop, the baby will be hungry thereafter as she has essentially only taken water. The milk that comes after the fore milk is thicker containing fats and has a whole lot of calories. The baby needs this to be very well nourished and to satisfy the hunger pangs. The longer a mother waits between meals, the more foremilk is produced and it takes your baby that much longer to get to the more filling hind milk.

o Let your baby feed on demand and each session should last until the breast ‘feels’ empty. I say ‘feel’ because the breast never really empties out After this, change to the other breast.

Remember that breast milk is the best and cheapest food for your baby. It also helps fortify your baby against diseases…so, now you have the right tools to get this done right.

I hope this helps.

Have a good night, y’all 

5 minutes? 10 minutes? 20 minutes?

How long must your baby breastfeed before the “fatty” hindmilk finally comes out?

Here’s the surprising answer:

There is no magic minute and foremilk does not suddenly switch into hindmilk. Read!

Over and over again, I have had breast feeding mothers tell me that they don’t make enough breast milk to feed their babies. Or they would say, their babies get hungry too often and so it is difficult to keep up with the crazy schedule of ‘feeding on demand’ that breast feeding requires of you.

Breast milk is very important to new born babies and really no child should be deprived on the many benefits of breast feeding exclusively. There are some mothers who, by reason of specific health conditions, cannot breast feed their babies. However, the greater majority of mothers are able to make enough breast milk to keep their babies satisfied.

Here are our top five tips for breast feeding properly:

o Patience: You’ve got to have loads of it. Sometimes, your baby feeds and then stops a bit just to gaze into your eyes. Give him/her the time needed to bond with you.

o There are two types of milk in the breast milk: the fore and the hind milk. You have to be sure that your baby gets both during each feeding session.

o Give the fore milk to quench thirst. The fore milk is mainly water and low in fats. If you observe, it’s bluish in colour. Its high water content is the reason why you don’t need to give your baby extra water. It’s also rich in protein, carbohydrates and vitamins.

o Be sure to give the hind milk. Now, if you finish giving just the fore milk and stop, the baby will be hungry thereafter as she has essentially only taken water. The milk that comes after the fore milk is thicker containing fats and has a whole lot of calories. The baby needs this to be very well nourished and to satisfy the hunger pangs. The longer a mother waits between meals, the more foremilk is produced and it takes your baby that much longer to get to the more filling hind milk.

o Let your baby feed on demand and each session should last until the breast ‘feels’ empty. I say ‘feel’ because the breast never really empties out After this, change to the other breast.

Remember that breast milk is the best and cheapest food for your baby. It also helps fortify your baby against diseases…so, now you have the right tools to get this done right.

Is this your first time of hearing about fore milk and hind milk? Share this with another mother who needs to know this.

“I HAVEN’T BREASTFED MY BABY SINCE BIRTH. IS IT ALREADY TOO LATE?”

Not necessarily. Your breast milk may still come back, even after weeks or months.

This is called RELACTATION: restarting breast-milk production after breastfeeding has stopped or never became established. Read!

Q: Hi ma’am. Please, kindly advice. I had a baby in June this year and have not been able to breastfeed. Firstly, it was because my nipples are too flat which makes it difficult for my baby to suck. Secondly, at the moment there is no breast milk at all in my breast. I am really disturbed and not happy because I want my baby to breastfeed even if it’s for 3 months.

A: Hello dear. Congratulations on your new bundle of joy. He/she will be a blessing to his/her generation!

Now, the reason why it seems that your breast is ‘empty’ is because your baby is not sucking. If your baby sucks, the let-down reflex ensures that your breast fills up with breast milk.

Flat nipples can appear to be a challenge for breast feeding, especially for first time mothers but remember that babies are supposed to latch on to the areola (the black area surrounding the nipples) and not on to the nipples.

Press on the areola with your thumb on top and fingers underneath and push back against your chest wall while pressing in with your thumb and fingers. This helps elongate the areola and so, provided you position the baby properly on the areola, breastfeeding can go on with no issues.

To help with the flat nipples, you could use a breast pump before feeding your baby. The gentle sucking action will help ‘pull out’ the nipples.

If you’re still not sure how to go about this, please go to your hospital. Any of the midwives/lactation consultants will be happy to help you start the process of breastfeeding.

Be sure that you’re eating healthy and taking sufficient water to help the breast milk production along.

Monitor your baby’s wet nappies and weight gain.

Did you know breast milk could sometimes return after weeks or months?

YES or NO?

Share this with a mother who thinks her breastfeeding journey is already over.

#BreastfeedingMonth
#HealthyLivingWithDrKetch

That “dirty yellow milk” may be the most valuable milk your baby will ever receive.

Yet some mothers are still told to press it out and throw it away.

Please don’t.

That thick, yellowish first milk is ‘colostrum’. It is not dirty, stale or harmful. It is packed with nutrients, antibodies and infection-fighting cells that help protect your newborn.

A new mother once asked me:

“Doctor, my baby is only 30 minutes old and crying, but my breast milk has not started coming out. What should I give the baby?”

The reassuring answer is that her breasts may already contain what the baby needs.

Colostrum comes in small amounts – sometimes only a few golden drops. But a newborn’s stomach is also tiny, so most healthy newborns do not need large quantities at each feed during those first days.

Put your baby to the breast as early as possible – ideally within the first hour after birth and continue offering the breast frequently. The more your baby suckles, the stronger the signal to your body to produce milk.

Breastfeeding may take a little longer to become established after a Caesarean Section too. Support with positioning, attachment and frequent breastfeeding can make a difference.

If your baby cannot latch, is unusually sleepy, is not feeding well or you are worried about how much the baby is getting, speak with your doctor or midwife promptly.

Were women in your family told to keep the yellow first milk or throw it away?

Tell me in the comments. I really want to know how common this belief still is.

Share this with a pregnant woman, new mother or grandmother.

#BreastfeedingMonth
#Colostrum
#Breastfeeding
#HealthyLivingWithDrKetch

“Doctor…my due date is almost here and I’m still not making any breast milk. Does this mean I won’t be able to breastfeed?”

If you’ve been worrying about this…

Take a deep breath.

It’s Breastfeeding Month, Day 1!

Many women never see a single drop of milk before delivery and still go on to breastfeed successfully.

Your breasts begin preparing for breastfeeding early in pregnancy, but every woman’s body is different. Some notice a little yellowish colostrum before birth, while others don’t see any milk until after their baby arrives.

The most important step?

Put your baby to the breast as early as possible after birth.

The more your baby suckles, the stronger your milk supply becomes.

Remember, in those first few days, your baby doesn’t need large amounts of milk. Those precious drops of colostrum are packed with nutrients and infection-fighting antibodies.

Did you notice milk before your baby was born or did it only come after delivery?

Share your experience below. Your story might reassure another mum today.