Introduction
Breastfeeding is a procedure that every new mom and newborn needs to follow. Breastfeeding has various benefits for both the mother and the infant. But at the same time, it is difficult for the mother to manage breastfeeding in this busy world. As a breastfeeding mother, the woman may feel like feeding or pumping breast milk all the time. Newborns tend to breastfeed whenever they feel hungry. It is difficult for the new mother to manage breastfeeding in the busy world and at night. This article speaks about various methods to manage breastfeeding during the night.
What Are the Benefits of Breastfeeding?
Breastfeeding has many benefits for both the mother and the infant. Breast Milk contains all the nutrients the baby requires and helps build a strong immune system in the newborn. Breastfeeding also has many benefits for the mother, such as it reduces the risk of breast cancer and ovarian cancer. Some of the benefits of breastfeeding are
-
It helps to reduce the risk of diarrhea and vomiting.
-
It reduces the risk of respiratory infections such as pneumonia or cough.
-
It prevents ear infections, asthma, childhood obesity, type 2 diabetes, cavities, and orthodontic issues.
-
It helps to prevent leukemia.
-
It also contains nutritional benefits as breastmilk changes its composition based on the baby's requirements.
How Does Breastfeeding Help the Mother?
Breastfeeding also has many benefits for the mother, as it helps to manage postpartum
depression. It also benefits in many ways, such as:
-
It helps reduce the risk of breast, endometrial, ovarian, and thyroid cancers.
-
It also helps to reduce the risk of osteoporosis (a bone condition that occurs when there is reduced bone mineral density and bone mass).
-
It also helps to prevent diabetes in later life, cardiovascular conditions, increased blood pressure, and increased cholesterol.
What Is the Constitution of Breast Milk at Night?
Breastmilk composition changes every time depending on the needs and requirements of the baby's health, temperature, and the time of the day. The fat content in breast milk increases throughout the day, and the baby tends to have more of this fattier milk as it helps to have longer hours of sleep. This is called cluster feeding, which may be very frequent in the early months after birth, where the mother can have reduced sleep.
The breastmilk at night will contain hormones that help the baby get back to sleep very quickly after breastfeeding. As the baby falls asleep immediately after breastfeeding, as the breast milk contains melatonin, which induces sleep, it is normal to breastfeed the baby to make it fall asleep.
What Are the Ways the Mother Can Manage Night Breastfeeding?
Breastfeeding is a task that needs to be appropriately managed by the new mother between all the busy work. It is difficult to manage breastfeeding at night as it disturbs the mother's sleep. Some methods can help the new mother to manage breastfeeding during the night. Some are:
-
Nighttime Feeding Is the Key:
Nighttime breastfeeding is important to ensure the baby meets its hunger needs throughout the night. Prolactin hormone, which is responsible for milk production, is produced more at night when the mother feeds the baby to maintain a good amount of milk production. The mother differs in how much milk they can store in the breast. So, for many new mothers, night feeding is required to meet the babies' hungry needs.
-
Breastfeeding in a Comfortable Position:
It is better to breastfeed the baby in a comfortable lying position. Even though the mother cannot sleep, they can rest in a lying position. The mother should lie on the side with one or two pillows supporting the head, and an additional pillow between the knees can make the mother feel more comfortable. Make the baby lie on their sides with their mouth positioned to the level of the nipple. With the help of one hand, the baby should be brought close to the mother, where the chin of the baby touches the breast of the mother with its head slightly tipped back. Either the mother can hold the baby firm and roll over to change sides, or the baby can be positioned similarly, and the mother alone can change sides.
-
Stay Close:
Staying close to the baby not only makes breastfeeding easier but also helps to reduce the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). Bed Sharing with the newborn always helps to ease the breastfeeding process. Those new mothers who share a bed with the newborns are likely to get more sleep and tend to breastfeed for longer.
-
Hide the Clock:
It is better to hide the bedside clock not to know how long the mother has slept since the last time the newborn woke up. This makes the mother sad to know they slept for a little while.
-
Lights Should Be Off:
It is better to switch off the light and maintain silence in the room where the baby stays, as it helps the baby to get back to sleep as soon as possible. If the mother requires light to get a proper latch for the baby, they can use a torch light instead of lighting up the whole room.
-
Easily Accessible Cloths:
The mother should wear nightwear that is easily accessible by the baby, while the clothes should keep the mother warm during cold nights. Avoid wearing nursing bras at night as it can increase the risk of plugged ducts.
-
Keep Things Organised:
At night, the mother should have all the essentials, such as diapers, snacks, water, etc., near them.
How to Stop Breastfeeding at Night?
There are many ways by which the baby benefits through breastfeeding during the night. Many mothers use this technique to make the baby fall asleep at night. Babies usually wake up at night for various reasons, and breastfeeding is the tool that can make the baby fall back to sleep. Many babies do not breastfeed after a certain period. Usually, mothers try to cut down on feeding around 18 months as this is when the mother can explain certain things to the baby.
Conclusion
Having a baby who breastfeeds can be a bit exhausting for the mother, but proper breastfeeding has a lot of benefits for the mother and child. Night breastfeeding is widespread during the initial stages, where the night breast milk is rich in fats, and the babies like to have milk with higher fat content. This night's breast milk also helps the baby to fall back to sleep as quickly as possible as it contains melatonin. Night breastfeeding is exhausting to the new mother, which gradually reduces as the baby ages.
