Breast milk is important for all babies, especially those who need to be admitted to a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) after being born. NICU infants who receive their mothers’ milk have been found to have lower risks of infections, improved digestion, shorter hospital stays, and less long-term problems with their lungs and breathing. Take a look at why breast milk is one of the best “gifts” that a mom can give her NICU baby and some tips for breast milk pumping moms in the NICU.
Did you know that breastfeeding challenges are common, especially for first time pregnant women and new moms? It's important to know and recognize the risk factors ahead of time!
Relactation is the process of resuming breastfeeding after one’s milk has dried up and can be started weeks to months after stopping breastfeeding. Relactating is achievable for most women but requires having a lot of time, patience, good support, and realistic expectations.
Galactagogues are medications and herbs used to boost breast milk supply. Each year, approximately 15% of breastfeeding mothers in the U.S. take at least one galactagogue to increase milk supply for their newborn.
For some, pumping is an occasional task and for others, breast pumping multiple times a day or even exclusive pumping, becomes their new normal. Whether it's to relieve pain and engorgement or to stockpile milk to use after the end of maternity leave, there are many ways for mothers to go back and forth between breastfeeding and pumping.
One thing that is often left out of pregnancy decision-making is choosing which birthing positions to use during labor and delivery. The most popular birthing position in the U.S. is the semi-sitting, or lithotomy position. This position has become popular over time because it facilitates labor and delivery interventions, such as forceps or placement of a vacuum.
However, there are a myriad of other birthing and delivery positions, all of which have their own pros and cons.
Babies who are born prematurely often need to be admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) after birth. Moms of preemies often need to pump breast milk for several months, so for them, breastfeeding includes a lot of pumping.
You can take a pregnancy test anytime you’d like to, even if you’re not pregnant! But, as we discuss in this article, there are optimal windows for taking home pregnancy tests to ensure that you get the most accurate results.
Water makes up over half of our body weight and it’s recommended that adults drink at least eight 8 oz. glasses of water per day. Pregnant women need to drink more because water is essential for the development and functioning of the placenta, making amniotic fluid, and for the circulation of nutrients from mother to baby.
