Breastfeeding is one of the most important maternity experiences, and also one of the essential things that you will make for your baby’s health, whether you breastfeed him for three months of more than a year. Besides this information, there are some not-that-well-known details that we will reveal to you through this article.
Did you know that?
- A daily session of breastfeeding lasts for about 16 minutes?
- Almost 75% of the mothers produce more milk from the right breast (whether they are right or left handed)?
- The breast’s dimensions don’t count, as it produces the necessary quantity of milk for your baby’s saturation anyway?
- The average amount of milk that a mother produces is between 700 and 900 ml of milk?
- The kids usually suck more milk from the first given breast?
- The average duration of the descendant milk (until it actually starts flooding) during a breastfeeding session is 56 seconds?
- About 1/4 of the mothers don’t feel the milk descending and must observe the increasing level of milk flow to know when it happens?
- Babies suck the needed quantity of milk, not until they empty the breast? The average amount of milk that a baby sucks is of about 67% of the available quantity.
- Whether you breastfeed or you extract the milk with a breast pump, the supply of milk and its fat consistency is the same?
If you ever have doubts about it:
- One hour after the birth, if the baby is left on the mother’s chest, he can crawl to the breast and install himself to the nipple.
- Babies instinctively know how to suck efficiently and quick: at first, they suck milk in an alert way for stimulation, until milk goes down and then, when milk flows quickly, they change the rhythm into a slow and a more profound one, until saturation.
- It is normal for the babies to rest during a breastfeeding session. They sometimes only stop between two suctions.
Eight tips that will definitely make it easier for you to understand breastfeeding and get more comfortable with what happens to your body during breastfeeding:
- You should know that your breast doesn’t produce more milk than the necessary quantity for your baby. As the breastfeeding sessions get rarer, your body will produce less milk.
- Fresh milk can hold up until 8 hours at the room temperature without altering and about 5 to 7 days in the fridge. It is important to know, especially for the moms that use the breast pump and keep milk for the nanny to feed the baby while they are out.
- You can also freeze breast milk and it will maintain its characteristics for about 3 – 4 months if you keep it in the freezer.
- When your baby gets ill, your body will produce the specific antibodies that he needs for recovery. When he comes into contact with your nipple, your baby’s saliva will stimulate your breast to achieve the needed antibodies.
- Breast milk cannot solidify in the intestinal tract of the baby. It is why the babies that are breastfed do not get constipated.
- Breastfeeding is encouraged for the diabetic mothers as well, in their benefit. During breastfeeding, the mother’s glucose level is better adjusted, and the necessary insulin injection decreases.
- Breastfeeding immediately after giving birth stimulates the mother’s structure to produce some hormones that make the uterus contract after the birth, thus free the placenta and minimize bleeding.
- Breastfeeding has a calming effect on the baby. Prolactin, a hormone that is present in the breast milk, makes babies even fall asleep sometimes during breastfeeding.
We surely hope that this and much more to come will help you get through your body transformation easier. Happy breastfeeding!
