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15 Myths & Facts About Breastfeeding Your Baby
Every new mother finds themselves the recipient of a world of advice - some sound and others, unintentionally, not so - from family and well-wishers. The trouble one faces, when separating the truth from the chaff, is that many myths are steeped in partly truthful knowledge.
Here are some of the myths to watch out for!
Myth 1 - Women With Smaller Breasts Will Not Produce Enough Milk For The Baby
Fact:
Size doesn’t affect the amount of milk you produce in any way. In fact, the breast tissue that is required in nursing your child grows as a response to your pregnancy (It is part of the many bodily changes you will have experienced). It is in this newly developed tissue that milk ducts are located and not in the fatty tissue that is responsible for size. Contrary to this myth, most women actually produce an overabundance of milk. In fact, milk production is largely determined by the stimulation of your mammary glands and proper latching of the baby when feeding. This is established in the first two weeks after your delivery.
Myth 2 - It Is Normal For Breast Feeding To Hurt
Fact:
Though new mothers may almost certainly experience some tenderness when they have just begun breastfeeding, it should be temporary and not last for more than a few days. Usually, if soreness persists, it is caused due to improper latching and limiting your breastfeeding time will not help you recover from it. This is why most experts opine that a new mother should be trained on how to breastfeed correctly.
Myth 3 - You Will Not Produce Enough Milk During The First Three To Four Days
Fact:
This is technically true. However, it implies the false notion that there needs to be a lot of milk production during these days. The truth of it is that in the first few days, mommies produce “colostrum”, which is thicker than normal milk and contains a rich load of antibodies, enzymes, growth factors and immunoglobulins that protect the newborn. Colostrum is only required by the baby in small doses as compared to regular milk due to its powerful nourishing potency.
Myth 4 - Your Nipples Should Be Washed Before Every Feeding
Fact:
Among breastfeeding myths and truths this myth, at first glance, seems to hold water more than most others. Also, when one looks at the common instructions regarding sterilising and thoroughly washing baby bottles before each feed this logic may seem to naturally follow. However, baby formula does not contain natural antibodies that actively protect the baby against infection. Apart from unnecessarily complicating the natural process of breastfeeding, washing your nipples could also rid it of natural protective oils.
Myth 5 - Breast Feeding Is Akin To Natural Contraception
Fact:
If you do not want to get pregnant, do not count on the fact that you are breastfeeding to be a reliable form of birth control. The truth behind the myth is that, if these three conditions are met:
Your baby is exclusively breastfed (around the clock)
It is less than 6 months since the delivery
Your periods haven’t resumed
Your body does have an extremely low chance of getting pregnant – it is 98% safe. However, this ‘lactation amenorrhea’ is highly dependent on the balance of hormones in your body and a reduction of breastfeeding time per day will soon affect your amenorrhea.
Myth 6 - It Is Easier To Bottle Feed Than Breast Feed
Fact:
This might just come down to the subjectivity of the individual, but it, generally, should not be true. Difficulty in breastfeeding often arises from a poor start to nursing, where the mother and child are both unfamiliar with how proper latching can be attained.
Myth 7 - A Baby Should Be Fed Every Two Hours, Around The Clock
Fact:
Just like the myth right before this one, subjectivity could play a role in this. Just like us adults, babies too have their own individual eating patterns. This being said, it is true that many babies and moms fall into the routine of feeding once every 2 hours throughout the day and into the night. One way to look at whether your baby is feeding enough is to observe their “output”. Six wet diapers and two to three stools passed per day is an indication of a healthy baby.
Myth 8 - Modern Formulas Are Similar To Breast Milk
Fact:
This is false! Formulas are manufactured to imitate the contents of breast milk, but they do not contain any living cells, enzymes, antibodies or hormones. A mother’s breast milk changes to suit the changing needs of her baby while formula remains the same from week to week. Formulas are developed for “all” babies and therefore cannot serve the differences in the needs of any single baby. One breastfeeding weight loss myth says that stopping breastfeeding can help you lose your ‘baby weight’ acquired over the course of pregnancy. This is simply illogical, considering that a breastfeeding mother burns up to 500 or more calories per day simply by breastfeeding their child!
Myth 9 - Nursing Should Be Stopped If The Mother Has An Infection
Fact:
This is very rarely true. Common infections like fever are passed from the mother to her nursing child before she is even aware of having the infection. The baby’s protection depends on being breastfed, as they will have their mother’s immunity fighting for them too. This is because the mother’s well developed immune system can make antibodies to combat her infection much more easily than a child’s can and those antibodies are transmitted to the child through her natural breast milk.
Myth 10 - Nursing Should Be Stopped If You Contract A Breast Infection Or Have A Blocked Duct
Fact:
False. Indeed, the opposite is usually true! The natural way to open a blocked duct is to breastfeed as much as possible. Ducts become blocked when there is a build up of milk that occurs due to breastfeeding becoming less frequent. This could happen if your baby has their nutrition supplemented with solids or formula, or started taking longer naps or sleeps through the night. Blocked ducts may lead to breast infections; however, infection doesn’t make it unsafe for your baby. A breast infection is indicated by redness accompanied by soreness in your breast and development of fever or flu-like symptoms. You will need to take antibiotics to help with it, so do consult your doctor.
Myth 11 - If The Mother Has To Take Medicines, She Should Stop Breastfeeding
Fact:
Mostly False. Very few drugs taken by the mother could go on to actually harm the child, and those that may, usually have alternatives! When breastfeeding, a very small amount of the mother’s medication may end up reaching the child, but, as stated, mostly the drugs are safe, and the amounts transmitted are negligible.
Myth 12 - Exercise Could Lead To Sour Milk
Fact:
The theory behind this myth was that the high amounts of lactic acid produced due to exercise would lead to a sour taste in a mother’s milk. While that may be, studies show that babies don’t notice the difference. Saltiness, due to dried sweat on and around your nipples, caused by exercise, however, could put your child off. Also take care to only wear restrictive bras, such as your workout bra or underwire bras, for short periods of time only, as the tightness could lead to clogging of ducts.
Myth 13 - A Baby Should Be Nursed On Both Sides For 20 Minutes At A Time
Fact:
This is pointless! Your baby will not feed for the same amount of time every meal, just as you will eat more when you are hungry and less when you aren’t. Also, the better your child is latched on to your nipple, the longer they are going to feed, which will naturally make them less likely to feed as much or at all on the other side. If one side feels unevenly full, you could resort to pumping.
Myth 14 - Breast Feeding Babies Need Extra Vitamin D
Fact:
False. Babies are born with a liver rich in Vitamin D and also get some amounts of vitamin D through breast milk. Any more that may be required is absorbed from ultraviolet light outdoors (even in low light conditions of winter). They do not need exposure to sunlight daily. The only instance where supplementing your baby with vitamin D might become necessary is if the mother herself has a vitamin D deficiency during the course of the pregnancy.
Myth 15 - The Mother Should Eat Only Bland Foods During BreastFeeding Months
Fact:
Some foods such as shellfish, fish, soy, peanuts, etc. that are linked with allergies, could upset your baby’s stomach if they are born with an allergy. As for the taste of foods, differences in the taste of your milk are usually so slight that the baby wouldn’t notice. It would be prudent to keep a food diary. If your baby acts fussy about your milk anytime between two to twelve hours after eating a certain new type of food, then it could be the cause.
Breastfeeding is an integral part of the relationship between a mother and her child. While some find this inconvenient to our modern, fast lifestyles, the truth is, breastfeeding is much more liberating than bottle feeding. One doesn’t need to carry around a bagful of equipment just to feed their baby. Human beings have been breastfeeding their offsprings for hundreds of thousands of years without any ill consequence intrinsic to the act. It is not just natural, it is a divine part of the experience that is motherhood.
Also Read: Advantages of Breastfeeding for Babies & Mothers Read more
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Autism in Infants - Symptoms, Causes and Treatment
Autism affects a child’s development and is often detected by the time the child reaches the age of three. It does not discriminate; children all over the world, regardless of their race, age and overall health, are susceptible to it. Though children have seen improvements and benefited from therapy, it is still considered permanent as it is something that they carry into their adulthood.
What is Autism?
Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) causes difficulties in interacting socially; facing challenges while communicating and includes having the tendency to engage in repetitive behaviour. The intensity of the symptoms may vary widely in these three areas, but they are the main three factors that define autism. For some, these prove mild challenges, but for others, they are very severe and can cause a lot of difficulties for the child as being unable to communicate well and repeating behaviour interferes with daily life.
How Common Is It among Babies?
On an average, autism is observed in 1/68 children and has also shown itself to be more common in boys than girls. It has been seen that Autism is five times more common in boys than in girls. Studies have shown that 1 in 42 boys have autism while in girls only 1 in 189 has been found to have the condition.
What Causes Autism in Infants?
There could be a number of things that cause autism in infants. Each individual will have a different combination of these and will also have them in different intensities. Here are three main reasons for what may cause autism in infants:
1. Genetic Anomalies
A single mutation on even a single one of a number of genes on the various chromosomes can result in autism. Different genetic mutations, as well as specific genetic mutations, can result in autism.
2. Environmental Influences
Sometimes people with genetic mutations that are connected with autism do not show any signs of it as it appears to be dormant. Exposure to certain environmental factors such as infections or chemicals may eventually result in autism becoming more active. Since this reaction can be quite unpredictable, some people with genetic mutations do not show any visible signs of autism even after being exposed to these environmental factors.
3. Sporadic Reasons
If an infant suffers from neurological disorders, autoimmune diseases, a faulty metabolism or an overgrowth of brain tissues, there is a possibility that the child will spontaneously develop the condition. Autism can also be present in children who suffer from Down's Syndrome and fragile X syndrome.
Prenatal Factors that Cause Autism in Babies
Though multiple factors influence a child’s development that results in autism, there is always a common link with the disorder and pregnancy. Here are a few things that occur during the prenatal period that may result in autism in your child:
Maternal diet during pregnancy
Too much weight gain
First-trimester brain damage
Prolonged exposure to environmental pollution
Use of prescription medication during pregnancy
Advanced maternal age
Maternal response to viral and bacterial illnesses
Maternal thyroid deficiencies
High levels of testosterone in amniotic fluid
Foetal exposure to radiation (including ultrasounds) during periods of brain development
Maternal deficiency in Vitamin D
Signs of Autism in Babies
Signs of autism can begin to show as early as a child’s infancy and they begin to progress as the baby ages. Here are some of the early signs of autism in infants that you should look out for from birth to one year of age:
Your baby will not try to babble or coo
Does not make any attempt to vocally respond to or mimic the sounds that you make when talking to your child.
Does not begin to experiment with gestures and pointing as a means of communication
Is not interested in learning to hold new objects by trying to grab them
Does not like it when anyone looks straight into his eyes and will even go so far as to avoid eye contact
Sways a lot and stretches out the hands in an awkward manner
Your baby will not respond to his name, no matter how many time you call out to him
Displays unusual ways of playing with toys; for example, he will move his toy car forwards and backwards but does nothing beyond this.
Will not respond well to new foods, usually making a fuss when he is given anything new
Your baby will not like it when things have been changed, and if he discovers, for example, that you have moved his toys to another place, it is very likely that your child will throw a tantrum because of it. Children with autism will usually remain upset for a long time afterwards.
Their reactions to different things and situations will be extreme and never moderate. Either your child will become too excited about something or will show total and complete disinterest.
How is Autism Diagnosed?
There are some screening procedures that are used to help in diagnosing autism in babies. Here is how to spot autism in babies:
1. Family History
If autism already exists in your family, your baby will have a higher chance of developing the condition. If you already have a child who has been diagnosed with autism, then your child will have an 18% chance of also being diagnosed; however, in the case of identical twins, if one is diagnosed, there is a 95% chance that the other will be diagnosed as well.
2. Behavioural Traits
The doctor will look for the signs in your baby’s behaviour that indicate he may have autism. How early can you detect autism in a baby? According to a study, it was found that children who did not have autism and children who were later diagnosed with it had similar behaviour during the first year of their lives. It was only by the age of one year that the children began to show differences in behaviour.
3. Autism Questionnaire
There is a questionnaire called “Modern Checklist for Autism in Toddlers” (M-CHAT) that contains 23 questions that cover all the different aspects of autism. These include behavioural problems, language delay, and an overall shift in behaviour.
How is Autism Treated in Babies?
Though researchers are trying to find a solution as to how to tackle the condition at its early stages once and for all, they have not made much progress, and there is no cure for autism. There are ways in which parents of toddlers and infants with autism can manage the problem in a more understanding and comfortable way.
How to Manage Autism in Babies?
If all the caregivers involved, including parents and doctors, play their parts well, managing a baby with autism can become less of a challenge. Here are a few ways in which autism can be managed:
Knowledge Is Power
It is very important for parents to educate themselves on what autism is. This will help you later as you are able to meet any challenges your child may throw at you in the correct way.
2. Therapy
Depending upon your child’s age and the severity of your child’s condition, your doctor may suggest a therapy that will be suitable for your child. The Applied Behaviour Analysis (ABA) is highly recommended as this behavioural therapy involves enforcing desirable social and behavioural traits in an autistic child.
3. Communication Interventions
As infants and toddlers have difficulty in learning at the same pace, a normal education might not be effective for them. Having a toddler undergo therapy for communication may help him during later life.
4. Safety First
Children with autism do not seem to have much regard for safety and often do things to put themselves at risk. Making sure that your home is childproofed well can help you during your child’s developmental years.
Therapy is really the best way to help children with autism; however, in some cases that are severe, your doctor may have to prescribe medication that will subdue certain symptoms (OCD and depression) in your child.
Can you Prevent Autism?
Researchers are in the process of understanding autism, but since they are unable to pinpoint the exact causes, all one can do is follow the basic rules of pregnancy with relation to diet, exercise and general lifestyle. There have not yet been a proven method of preventing autism.
Will Autistic Babies Live a Normal Life?
If there is timely intervention and proper therapeutic measures are taken to help children learn to cope with the condition from a young age, they are very much capable of growing up to live relatively normal lives. According to the US Centre for Disease Control, about 44% of people diagnosed with autism have an average, or sometimes even above average intellect. Toddlers with autism have been observed to have a better memory of numbers and music.
Does Vaccination Make a Baby Susceptible to Autism?
It is very important to protect your child from diseases at a young age, and this is why vaccinations are important. However, it should be noted that these vaccinations do not cause autism in newborn, nor do they protect them from developing it later on in life. The factors involved in developing the condition are different.
All children develop at different paces, so don’t worry if your child develops at a different pace than others. Your child may be a little late to walk or talk, but this is found to be common among a lot of children who grow up without developing autism as well. If your child is diagnosed with autism, remember, it is not a disease, but a disability that can be overcome with love, support and encouragement from you and the other caregivers involved.
Also Read: Activities and Games for Autistic Kids Read more
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Common Questions Toddlers Ask Repeatedly
When toddlers ask questions, parents often find it difficult to answer them. Also repeating the same question can be quite annoying at times. Find out what secrets lie beneath the incessant questioning by toddlers.
Your joy knows no bounds when your toddler learns to converse with you. When he starts answering your questions, this is half the battle won. But, answering questions is just not enough. You also need to make sure that your tot asks questions correctly.
When Do Children Start Asking Questions - Gauging the Right Age
Child experts believe that most toddlers start asking simple questions like "What is that" by the time they are 18-months-old. However, the question might not be correctly framed. The child may just ask "That?"Questions like "what", "where" and "who" emerge by the time the toddler is 32-months-old. Questions like "how", "when" and "why" are a tad more complex and the tot would more likely ask these only by the time he turns 3-years-old.
1. How Many Questions does a Child ask in a Day
Your toddler has a curious mind and so there is no limit to the number of questions that he may ask you in a day. Sometimes, the questions may be repeated too. However, studies have revealed that on an average a toddler can ask about 100 to 300 questions in a day.
2. Toddlers Asking Questions- Framing It Right
You would find that initially your toddler may not frame questions right. He may just say "water" when he is asking for water or "daddy" when he wants to know about his father. This is quite normal. However, it's important that you put in some effort to help him frame the questions the right way. You can do these by putting questions of your own like asking "where is daddy" or "what is that", and questions during play time like "where is your doll?"
3. Why Toddlers Keep Repeating Questions
Parents often complain about having to repeat the answer umpteen times a day. However, don't let this get to you. Your toddler repeats a question because his memory is still developing and he doesn't remember the answer for long. Experts believe that sometimes toddlers repeat questions just because they need to connect with their parents but don't know how to.
4. Questions Children Ask and How to Answer them
The questions put up by toddlers are generally very mundane. They inquire about the things they see around them. They may also ask about their father or siblings. Sometimes, they may also put questions to express their bodily needs like when they are hungry or thirsty. All you need to do is be forthcoming with the answers and be patient if the child doesn't follow them immediately.
5. Why Do Children Ask So Many Questions
Your toddler is busy exploring his surroundings and is curious about the different things that he sees around him. Most of his questions arise from the need to fulfill his curiosity. He may ask questions to grab your attention. Since you put a lot of questions to your toddler, he will also mimic you. Read more
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Dr Laxmi Chavan-Sawant has added a new answer
Trying To Conceive
9 hours ago
Q. hi have one question
LT 10x18mm and RT 18x20mm and ET 6.5
what it mean??? and should I start intercourse
Dr Laxmi Chavan-Sawant
Ayurvedic Gynaecologist
8 hours ago
A. since you are right follicle is 18 mm yes of course you can start with your intercourse for conception as in 1 to 2 days
their maybe rupture of the follicle by which your sperm should be present there for conception
Dr Ghouse has added a new answer
Guardian of 0 children
8 hours ago
Q. #asktheexpert
why baby vomit
Dr Ghouse
Paediatrician
8 hours ago
A. for babies less than 6 months may not be a problem. small babies will be having lot of gas because of various reasons it is advisable to do burping of the baby immediately after feeding please give colimex DF drops to the baby they are safe
Dr Laxmi Chavan-Sawant has added a new answer
Expecting Mom due in 1 month
8 hours ago
Q. i am 35 weeks 3 days pregnant... my ultrasound report shows that "fl and hl are shorter compared to bpd"... is this anything to worry
Dr Laxmi Chavan-Sawant
Ayurvedic Gynaecologist
3 hours ago
A. You should have proper consultation with your treating doctor , as some examination or investigations may be needful, so that proper medications can be given And the treatment can be done very properly.
needs proper follow-up for this
Dr Laxmi Chavan-Sawant has added a new answer
Guardian of 0 children
7 hours ago
Q. I am 9 week pregnant and I have runny nose very badly can I use cetirizine tablet?
Dr Laxmi Chavan-Sawant
Ayurvedic Gynaecologist
3 hours ago
A. use nasal drops , that acts faster .
You should have proper consultation with your treating doctor , as some examination or investigations may be needful, so that proper medications can be given And the treatment can be done very properly.
Dr Laxmi Chavan-Sawant has added a new answer
Trying To Conceive
7 hours ago
Q. hi,
my LT 10x18mm and RT 18x20mm and ET 6.5 , what if I intercourse after 2 days, can I do intercourse in ovulation day can become a pregent .
on ovulation day if we intercourse can become a pregent..pls advice..
Dr Laxmi Chavan-Sawant
Ayurvedic Gynaecologist
3 hours ago
A. since the follicle size is 18 to 20 mm your ovulation may occur within 24 hours also so if you have intercourse with in that time it will be more effective to get conceived
your endometrial growth is not good enough for conception but still you can just try
Sai Prasanthi R L has added a new answer
Guardian of 0 children
6 hours ago
Q. Hlw dr its my 6th month pregnency can i intimate with my partner
Sai Prasanthi R L
Mom of a 10 yr 2 m old boy
6 hours ago
A. Hello dear! If your pregnancy is going on fine without any high risk factors then it’s okay. Still, would advise you to check with your doctor once before going further. Maintain a good personal hygiene routine and a healthy lifestyle
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