Home Remedies for Breastfeeding

Breastfeeding
Do's and Don't for Breastfeeding Problems

Following are some of the simple tips for breastfeeding:

- Check your nipples every day, if you see dry milk on them, remove them with a cotton and warm water and feed your child as soon as possible from that breast.

- Massage your breast firmly between and during feedings.

- If there is some swelling or pain in your breasts, apply warm, moist packs two or three times a day.

- Soak a towel in hot water and place it on the breast 10 minutes before feeding.

- Place the baby in different positions every time, this will ensure that all ducts are being used.

- You can also keep some green cabbage leaves in your bra for 2 hours. This will relieve the engorgement of breast.

- Do not use soap, cologne, deodorant and powder on your nipples or breasts.

- Exposure of nipples and breasts to air prevents growth of thrush.

- Do not wear bra for long hours of the day. Wear nursing bras with flaps.

- Expose your breasts and nipples to sunlight for minimum 30 seconds and gradually increase it to three minutes.

- Do not wash nipples with soap as it leads to chaps or cracks.

- Avoid anxiousness, unrest, unnecessary tension, and stress as they will hamper the breast milk production. These conditions severely affect insufficient milk secretion in the mothers’ breast.

Home Remedies for Breastfeeding Problems

Following are some of the effective home remedies for breastfeeding problems:



- Apply cool compress to your nipples, before nursing. This will help in alleviating sore nipple problem. Let the child suckle the nipple that is less sore as the first suckle is the most active. Keep switching sides with each feeding, thus avoiding pressure from the baby’s mouth on the same part of the breast.

- You can also apply some tea bags on the sore nipples. It will help to reduce the pain of the sore nipples.

- Olive oil is very beneficial in preventing cracks, tears and chapping of nipples. Use this throughout the latter part of the pregnancy and beginning weeks of nursing.

- Cumin is useful home remedy to increase milk production. Mix powdered cumin seed in water and make a paste. Gently apply it over the breasts. This helps in fast release of puss by killing germs.

- Chamomile helps in controlling inflamed breast.

- Carotenes are the proteins that are present in various food stuffs. Eat food rich in carotenes as they are good for nursing mothers.

Herbal Remedies for Breastfeeding Problems

Following are some of the effective herbal remedies for breastfeeding problems:



- Apply fresh aloe vera gel to heal sore and cracked nipples.

- Eat alfalfa to stimulate the milk production. It is effective and natural way to increase the quantity of milk in the breasts.

- Apply bitter gourd extract over the breasts. This will kill the germs, soothes the infected skin, and gradually helps in the releasing puss and blood.

- Dandelion is very effective herbal remedy to treat mastitis.

- Roast turmeric powder in low flame. Take 4-5 tablespoon of roasted turmeric powder and make a paste using water. Apply it gently over the breasts. It kills germs and releases the puss.