How great is this photo? I was going to use a picture of a beautiful vintage tea cup, but this caption in this context, just says it all! Whether you have egg cups, tea cups or coffee mugs, you are giving your baby ‘A slice of life!’
Now that the hot, and welcome weather has arrived, many mums are calling me in an absolute panic about their breastfeeding routine or rather, lack thereof. Please be assured that your milk supply has not dried up over night and that your baby is simply feeding more frequently to keep hydrated.
Let’s quickly cover a few problems that are common with hot weather and sudden breastfeeding changes, relevant to breast size.
Small breasted mums are likely to feel more anxious when baby starts to feed more often, as generally, mums with small breasts question their body’s ability to produce enough milk for their baby. If you are such a mum, keep an eye on your baby’s output.
If your baby is producing poos, we want them to be yellow. You may find they lean more towards a pesto green and this will lead to ‘colicky’ behavior but will settle down in a couple of days time. If your baby is not producing many poos (older babies don’t), keep an eye on the wet nappies. Provided the urine is clear, your baby is hydrated. If your baby’s urine is dark, you need to feed more frequently.
Medium size breasted mums are beautifully positioned in the middle. You may find your baby needing to be fed more frequently, but this will resemble nothing more than the growth spurt your baby naturally goes through at 3 and 5 weeks. Keep an eye on your baby’s output and feed more frequently if urine becomes dark.
Large breasted mums may not notice a significant change in the way baby feeds. Whilst you don’t notice your breasts feeling fuller, your baby may well be draining more milk from the breast. Keep an eye on poo colour. If you notice that your baby’s poos are suddenly spinach green, your baby has increased your supply right under your nose.
If you are feeding from both breasts at each feed, revert to only feeding from one breast at each feed. If your baby asks for food again before your next feed is due, offer milk from the breast you last fed from and then feed from the second breast as you would have at your next feed.
With increased milk production, there is a vulnerability to developing engorgement and possible mastitis, so be alert and pounce on any swelling or redness in the breasts.
Other than that, enjoy the sunshine and don’t forget your sun cream!
