The natural way in which a mother feeds her new born baby, instead of on artificial formulas like cow’s milk is called lactation or breastfeeding. There are many advantages that breastfeeding has over artificial formulas. E.g., the mother’s milk is easier to digest, it prevents constipation, protects the baby from many infectious diseases. The benefits also include:

1) Promotion of healthy oral development.
2) Bonding and skin to skin contact between mother and child. Etc.

For the mother, the benefits include:

1) It reduces the chance of hemorrhaging from placental site.
2) An opportunity to rest
3) Encourages the contraction of the uterus, thereby returning the womb to the pre-pregnant size.

However, there are also problems that are associated to breastfeeding as well. Below, we will try to shed more light on the most common breastfeeding problems and also try to proffer some solutions to them.

1) BREAST ENLARGEMENT: After delivery, prolactin will be released from the anterior pituitary, and this is what promotes the secretion of milk. Usually, this occurs between the third and fifth day after delivery. At first, the breast will to be very full, heavy, hard and eventually becomes tender. The reason for this is because of venous and lymphatic oedema and engorgement. Because of high intra-mammary tension, milk producing cells will cease production and the milk ejection will be inhibited. This problem can either be severe or mild. It leads to cracked nipples and if sucking is allowed, and the baby cannot grasp the areola because the sucking here will be painful. Massaging and the expression of colostrums prevent breast engorgements. But if this eventually occurs, the treatment will be easier. Tension can be reduced on the breast by manually expressing little milk before breastfeeding, and emptied by same method after breastfeeding.

Using not too hot water to wash the breast before breastfeeding, also, using firm brassier to support the breast after breast feeding equally helps to reduce tension from the breast. If the engorgement is severe, the above methods are not allowed because they are painful. Rather, the woman should use some analgesic. Some doctors may equally prescribe large doses of stilbesterol, but this is not effective in already established engorgements. Rather, this therapy ( stilbesterol ) is best used for prevention, and best if given one hour before delivery and 24 hours later. It is not advisable on a mother who delivers through cassarian section in order to avoid thromboembolism. In order to suppress prolactin production, high doses of pyridoxine can be given daily.
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