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Got Water?
This is a total no brainer. If you’re making milk, you need lots of fluids!
For me, I wouldn’t feel thirsty until I started nursing, and then…BAM! I would be dying for some water. When I was home alone, this would be a bit of a challenge, since I had to use both hands to nurse. There I would be, marooned on the couch for 30 minutes, thinking of nothing but a tall glass of H20. When my husband was home, he would bring me glass after glass, which I so appreciated. In my sleep deprived state, it didn’t occur to me that I should stock bottles of water next to the couch and glider where I most often nursed. At one point (about 3 months) my milk supply seemed to be lowering so I kept a glass next to the bathroom sink and would fill/guzzle every time I washed my hands. This helped a lot and I noticed the difference right away. If you’re not a water fan, try to flavor it with some slices of lemon, lime, or cucumber.
While drinking plenty of fluids isn’t the only factor in establishing a good milk supply, good lactation begins with good hydration!
Drink up!
I love the saying good lactation begins with good hydration! I am in the third trimester right now and was trying to find out more information on breast feeding. I like your blog, keep it up! Does anyone know if there are differences between having large areola or small ones? Does it make a difference in milk distribution?
July 27th, 2008 at 7:00 pmBrynn,
You are much wiser than I was to be researching bf before baby arrives. Bravo! The size and color of the areola makes no difference in milk production or flow. One theory as to why they darken during pregnancy and breastfeeding is that they act as targets so the baby can see them and latch on more easily. The darkness normally depends on the mother’s coloring pre-pregnancy. Remember that the baby’s mouth will not necessarily take in the whole areola while feeding. It’s more important that they get the nipple into the roof of their mouth and get their lower lip/tongue under the lower portion of the areola to complete a good sucking motion. This means that the top of the areola may be visible but of course may vary depending on the size of your areolas. Good luck and hang in there. Let us know how it goes!
PS.
I found this article on Wikepedia to be helpful in explaining the areola and the changes it may or may not go through during pregnancy and post pregnancy:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Areola
July 27th, 2008 at 9:39 pm