Hello, Warriors! Welcome to The Breast Place blog and thank you for taking time out of your active schedule to visit! We appreciate our readers to the utmost degree, as we do our patients. Hopefully, you’re taking advantage of the current climate and enjoying our lovely city in autumn. If this is your first visit to The Breast Place blog, we cover a range of topics here. From breast cancer management to anti-aging skin treatments to helpful tips for maximizing your overall health and wellness—The Breast Place is committed to sharing the best health practices and treatment options with you! Our offices are open and our staff are prepared to answer any questions you may have about your health, your breast cancer risk, and how to reach your aesthetic goals. 
 
Before we dive too deeply into today’s topic, we’d like to make you aware of a few promotions available at The Breast Place this upcoming January. We’re running a 40% off special on our Environ products. Be sure to take advantage of this sale before we run out of stock! The Breast Place is also offering buy one, get one free on Laser Genesis with 40 units of Botox or more. As well, to start off the New Year right, we’re offering our facial rejuvenation package for $500 off! Look out for more information on our upcoming VIP Day on our social media channels. If you drop by the office, we recommend taking a look at The Metabolic Approach to Cancer by Dr. Nasha Winters, ND, L.Ac, FABNO, and Jess Higgins Kelley, MNT. This book deals with deep nutrition, nontoxic bio-individualized therapies, and how the ketogenic diet can be utilized to starve cancer cells. We’ll be carrying a limited stock of these books and they’re available for only $25. If you have any questions about our January specials, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us! 
 
Our last article was dedicated to busting Botox myths. Botox, among other neuromodulators, is a highly effective substance. Beyond just its cosmetic usage, Botox is the key to numerous life-sustaining medical treatments. Our last article served to illuminate the many purposes of Botox, demystify the composition of Botox, and clarify any misconceptions about the safety and efficacy of Botox. Even if you’ve been receiving Botox injections for years, there may be a few facts mentioned there you didn’t know! We hope you’ll give our last article a quick read when you’re done here! 
 
The topic of today’s article is lactation. The lactation process can be one of the most challenging aspects of new motherhood and can be made even more difficult by misinformation. There are common misconceptions about breastfeeding which abound even in the age of information and these inaccuracies can give expectant mothers skewed expectations concerning their own milk production. No two lactation stories will be exactly the same–that’s why it’s important to understand the full scope of possibilities when it comes to breastfeeding. The Breast Place offers lactation consulting because we want every new mother to have a smooth transition into feeding their newborn. Today, we’ll provide a basic overview of what everyone (yes, we mean everyone) should know about lactation! By the end of this article, we hope you feel more confident about the process. If you have any further questions, we encourage you to set up a consultation with us! 
 
Breast milk develops in three distinct phases. 
 
The milk we commonly associate with breastfeeding is known as “mature milk,” or the final iteration of what our bodies produce. When you first begin producing, you will not produce mature milk. Instead, you will produce colostrum. Colostrum is a thick, highly-nutritious, yellow substance. The antibodies in colostrum help infants fight off infections and viruses during those first few days. You’ll only produce about a teaspoon or two at a time and this might be disconcerting, initially. Although colostrum is enough to meet your infant’s dietary needs, it isn’t calorically dense enough to sustain their birth weight. For this reason, it’s customary for infants to lose between five to seven percent of their weight during the colostrum stage, which lasts three to five days after birth. You might feel frightened or guilty, watching your baby lose weight, and these emotions are normal. You shouldn’t begin to worry, however, unless your infant loses more than 10% of their body weight during the colostrum stage. 
 
During the second stage, you’ll begin to produce what’s known as “transitional milk.” This transitional milk is, as the name suggests, a mixture of colostrum and mature milk. It’ll be a lighter yellow than colostrum and high in protein, which will help your baby begin to regain some of the weight lost during the initial phase. Transitional milk will only appear three to five days after giving birth and must be stimulated by regular feedings. Some women, after becoming disheartened by initial problems breastfeeding, want to stop at this point. There is absolutely no shame in discontinuing breastfeeding. You should consult with your doctor and a lactation expert to ensure the problems you’re experiencing cannot be solved first, but if breastfeeding is negatively impacting your emotional or physical health, you should stop. Even a few days of breastfeeding is better than nothing, as your colostrum and transitional milk have helped to prime your baby’s digestive system. 
 
By the third phase, as we mentioned, you’ll be producing mature milk. This milk is white (although it can appear bluish) and watery. Mature milk has a much thinner consistency than either colostrum or transitional milk, but becomes creamier mid-feeding, when fat is released by the body. You’ll begin producing mature milk 10 to 15 days after giving birth. Mature milk is filled with all of the nutrients and calories your baby needs to survive. During this phase, you’ll see your baby regain all of the weight they lost (and more). 
 
You may experience “after pains” when breastfeeding.
 
Many women are shocked to find breastfeeding triggers their uterus to contract and that these contractions can be quite painful. These contractions occur because breastfeeding causes oxytocin to be released by the brain. Oxytocin is the hormone and neurotransmitter commonly associated with love, trust, empathy, desire, and euphoria; it’s also part of the reason breastfeeding is such a bonding activity with your child. The brand name of oxytocin is Pitocin. If you’re unaware, Pitocin is used to strengthen labor contractions. Therefore, oxytocin plays two vital roles within the body, that of inducing strong positive feelings and that of inducing contractions. Relax as much as possible when breastfeeding and wait for these contractions to pass. It’s important to rest after feedings, as fatigue can influence milk supply. As time passes and you move further away from the birth, these contractions should lessen in intensity and frequency. If these contractions prevent you from breastfeeding, you should consult your physician for assistance in handling the pain. 
 
Latching can take practice.
 
Although most expectant mothers hope and pray to birth a baby who latches on the first try, this isn’t the case with a majority of newborns. Whether you’ve had children already or not, for each new baby, it’s their first time. It’s important to make sure you’re in a comfortable position with plenty of support for your neck and shoulders. You might want a pillow on your lap. Your baby will be positioned tummy-to-tummy with you. Squeeze a drop or two onto your nipple to help the baby understand. You can begin by running your nipple along the baby’s lips, back and forth, and waiting for a yawn. The tip of your baby’s nose and chin will most likely touch your breast. Just because your baby is sucking doesn’t mean they are feeding. When they are receiving milk, you’ll notice a distinct suck-swallow-breathe pattern. If you’re unable to get a good latch, try again by hooking a finger into the baby’s mouth to break their seal. A good latch will have both your nipple and areola covered by the seal. Once again, if you continue to run into problems, you should reach out to a lactation consultant. By no means should you berate yourself. You’re doing amazing! 
 
It’s possible to breastfeed without giving birth. 
 
Inducing lactation without the help of hormones which naturally occur during pregnancy can make the entire process doubly challenging, but it is possible. If you’re looking to adopt a baby and hope to breastfeed, you should consult a lactation expert who has experience inducing non-pregnancy lactation. Understand, this process can take months, requires ample dedication, and may not always be successful. That said, it is possible and something you should look into well in advance of your baby coming home. 
 
The biggest takeaway from this article is: Breastfeeding is not easy. Lactating can come as second nature to some, but others have to work at doing so successfully. When you encounter problems, it’s important to recognize these as natural parts of the process and to be kind to yourself. We encourage you to come into The Breast Place for lactation consulting if you are experiencing issues or are hoping to prepare for your upcoming birth. We are always here to help! There are plenty more things to know about lactation, so we will certainly be following up this article with a part two. We hope you’ve enjoyed, and thank you for reading! 

Becoming a mother is one of the most exciting, difficult, rewarding, and beautiful things you can experience. While many parts of your journey as a new mother will have their challenges, lactation can be one of the most difficult. Let us help you with The Breast Place's lactation services! 

Hello, Warriors! All of us at The Breast Place hope each of you is doing happy and well out there. We hope you also know that we are here to help and support you no matter what is happening in your life! We understand that life is challenging and we will always be here to listen, treat, and make your life more hopeful. We are so glad you've joined us today! To all of our returning warriors, thank you for your support and we hope you've found comfort, hope, and guidance in our blogs! To all of our new readers, welcome! Let us introduce ourselves a little more before we dive into today's topic about lactation! We are The Breast Place and we work hard to provide hope through wellness and beauty for women facing life's continued challenges. Our team specializes in both malignant and benign breast disease. As a team, we work together with you, educating, treating, and caring for you. We will also grow with you as you change, age, and survive offering self-confidence with scar revision and body contouring, and physical wellness. We offer skincare treatments like resurfacing and rejuvenation using the latest laser technology to address fine lines, wrinkles, and textural issues and antiaging products to keep your skin healthy and youthful. Injectables and IV therapies are available as well! 

A part of life's changes and processes that many of our warriors go through is becoming a mother, and one of the most common issues that so many go through is troubles with lactation. Here at The Breast Place, our providers are not only lactation specialists, they have first-hand knowledge of the difficulties of breastfeeding. If you are experiencing difficulties with breastfeeding including clogged ducts, mastitis, pain, nipple bleeding or cracking, or fungal infections, please feel free to contact us for a consultation, a latch evaluation, education, and support. Today, we are going to be talking a little bit more about lactation and the difficulties many face while breastfeeding, sharing a little insight on what can cause these issues, and how you can help improve them while waiting to come see us! 

The decision to breastfeed your child is a very personal one, and we are here to support and respect your choice. However, if you are wanting to breastfeed, that is today's topic of conversation and this blog is for you! Breastfeeding your child is incredibly healthy, providing them with all the essential vitamins, minerals, and essential nutrients that your baby needs. However, it can take a minute for both mom and baby to get the hang of it. So please mamas, don't worry or fret if this journey hasn't been the easiest. It is very common and you are not alone in these struggles. 

Today, we are going to give you some insight on how to make this process a little easier and to avoid as many of these situations as possible. Thankfully with our guidance and what we are going to be talking about today, we can help both you and your baby get through any difficulties you face, together. While you may not experience every difficulty that we will be mentioning today, don't think that it will be a perfect ride, either. 

• Poor Latch - This can be one of the first hurdles that you and your baby will need to overcome. Latching is when your baby properly and comfortably latches onto your nipple to eat. To guarantee that the milk ducts in your areola are compressed to being the milk flow, your baby needs a good latch to encompass both the nipple and the areola. Not achieving a proper latch can lead to difficulties feeding and nipple pain. Other signs of poor latch can include chewing, a fussy baby, or your baby turning red out of frustration. Practice, getting your baby into the correct position, and trial and error can help improve latching dramatically! 

 

• Breast Engorgement - This is a very common problem with first-time mothers. Your breasts will continue to grow throughout your pregnancy, your milk will come in, and your breasts will grow hard a few days after giving birth. This is a result of your milk production being in full swing, leaving your breast extremely tender and getting used to the amount of milk your producing. Thankfully, this will only last a few days at most and will go away as you continue breastfeeding. Nursing frequently will help with the pain, massaging the breast while feeding will also help, along with wearing a well-fitted bra and switching up positions while feeding can all help with pain related to breast engorgement. 

 

• Cracked Nipples - This can be one of the many results of dry skin, thrush, not pumping correctly, or a very shallow latch from your baby. This might be a little frightening and uncomfortable, but this is a very common result of breastfeeding and is nothing to worry about! One of the best steps in avoiding this is to make sure your baby is in the right position to breastfeed to avoid a shallow latch. Check with your doctor before you move onto other treatment solutions, but make sure you clean your nipples at least twice a day, let some breast milk sit on the cracked nipples after feeding, use over the counter pain meds, cool gel pads, and nursing ointments can all help with cracked nipples. 

 

• Clogged Ducts - This can happen if you've gone longer than normal between feedings or if you're breasts are overly full, milk can get backed up into your ducts and clog them up. One sure way of knowing you have a clogged duct is if you have a hard lump on your breast and if it is sore to the touch and a little red. It can also happen if you're not pumping correctly, compressing your breasts while sleeping, or hitting the breast in the same spot over and over again. Make sure you're getting enough rest, apply warm compresses to the breasts, massage the breasts, and have the baby feed on the affected breast first when feeding begins. Each of these steps will help with your clogged ducts. 

 

• Leaking Breasts - These leaks can happen anywhere and anytime while your body is getting used to the whole feeding cycle and process, and as your body is amping up to supply as much milk as possible. This will usually happen and will last for the first two weeks of your baby's life while the supply of your milk matches up to demand. Nursing pads can help you through these first few weeks, and make sure to use cotton or disposable pads. We also recommend wearing darker clothing with no prints to help disguise any leaks and don't over pump. While you think this might help this situation, over-pumping will actually stimulate the breast to make even more milk. Once your body and baby are in sync, the leaking will begin to slow down and finally stop. 

 

• Mastitis - One of the more serious lactation and breastfeeding issues, mastitis is an infection of your breast tissue that can cause redness, fever, breast pain, and muscle pain. It is usually a result of a clogged duct and the breast milk gets infected from the bacteria from your baby's mouth. Antibiotics will most likely be prescribed by your doctor to make you feel better, along with using over-the-counter pain meds and applying warm compresses. You can continue breastfeeding and will most likely be encouraged to do so! 

 

• Thrush - This is a yeast infection that happens in your baby's mouth and can spread into your breasts. Signs of thrush include red, shiny, and flaky nipples, and also itching or deep shooting pain can also be signs of thrush. Both you and your baby will be prescribed an anti-fungal medication to take at the same time so you don't keep passing it back and forth to one another. You will need to keep your nipples clean, sanitize all pumping equipment, wash all of your bras, clothes, and nursing pads in hot water mixed with vinegar to kill any remaining yeast spores to also help the healing process along. 

These are just some of the common lactation and breastfeeding hurdles and issues many women deal with during their first or through every pregnancy. As we've stated before, you might experiences some or just one of these issues, but all of them are common and there are plenty of ways to deal with each issue to help comfort you and your baby. Each healing step is there to help make the breastfeeding process special and enjoyable for both you and your baby. We are here to help you with the whole process. You are not alone, and we are here for you and your baby when you need us most! Until next time, stay safe and be well out there. We understand life is challenging. We are here to listen, support, treat, and help make life a little easier.