If your baby is breastfed, it’s natural to have questions regarding your baby’s latch, weight gain, experiencing pain during nursing, or low milk supply. Our lactation consultation can help you better understand your unique relationship with your baby as well as achieve peace of mind when something is troubling you. We also help mothers achieve goals related to returning to work, including exploring different methods of expressing and establishing a good pumping routine and how to store breast milk.
Breastfeeding is a skill that takes time to get the hang of. Lots of mums wonder if their baby’s feeding well and getting enough – especially in the first few days. But once you’ve mastered it, you’ll probably find it’s the easiest and most satisfying way to feed your baby. There may be times when breastfeeding is challenging. Never ignore any issues you may have – talk to your breastfeeding specialist as soon as possible, they will be able to help you sort it out quickly. Here are some common breastfeeding issues:
Colic
Colic usually starts when a baby is a few weeks old – and stops when they’re around 4 to 6 months of age. If your otherwise healthy baby cries inconsolably for 3 or more hours a day, at least 3 days per week (and it’s been happening for 3 weeks or more) – it could be caused by colic.
Mastitis
Mastitis makes your breast tissue inflamed and painful. You might notice a lump and some redness around the sore area. Sometimes the inflammation turns into an infection. Mastitis can make you feel achy and run down, with flu-like symptoms or a fever.
Reflux
When your baby brings milk back up during, or just after a feed, this is known as reflux (it’s also referred to as possetting or spitting up). Reflux is different to vomiting – if your baby vomits, their muscles contract noticeably. With reflux, the milk travels back up the food pipe (oesophagus) very easily.
Tongue tie
Tongue tie can make it harder for babies to breastfeed (and sometimes bottle feed). It’s when the strip of tissue, called the ‘frenulum’ (attaching the tongue to the floor of the mouth) is shorter than normal. Tongue tie can prevent your baby from latching on properly – which can then lead to sore or cracked nipples.
Things that can affect your milk supply
Generally, the more your baby feeds, the more breast milk you’ll produce. However, if you’re worried that your baby isn’t getting enough milk, talk to your midwife, health visitor or a breastfeeding specialist as soon as possible. With their help and advice, you’ll be able to identify any issues and work out the best way to resolve it.