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Are you on the brink of motherhood?

Excited about your journey as a first-time mom and eager to find more breastfeeding tips?

Breastfeeding is a magical process, but it’s a general misconception that it is a natural and easy process.

In reality, the journey of a breastfeeding mother is hard with many challenges and more pain.

Here are some insights for new mothers to prepare for one of the most beautiful — yet challenging — experiences that you’ll encounter as a mother.

Don’t miss the first milk (Colostrum) to your baby

Colostrum is the first thick liquid that comes from your breasts, in the first few days of breastfeeding. Do you know how precious it is? It is packed with proteins, salts, antibodies, nutrients and is the ideal nourishment for a newborn which cannot be reproduced or substituted.

It’s the perfect first meal for a newborn, that is invaluable to your child’s health, immune system, and development. So, the first milk goes a long way in your baby’s tiny tummy.

Even if you can’t breastfeed or choose not to, try to give your baby the greatest gift of colostrum.

Breastfeeding is not always easy

Breastfeeding could be incredibly painful and a pretty difficult skill that both you and your little one will have to get perfect.

You may feel the need to feed your baby every two to three hours, (in the worse cases every 15 minutes), around the clock during the first few weeks. Your nipples might get sore and painful. Nipple creams or nipple shields can help soothe and protect them.

You might feel it difficult to understand the comfortable position to feed your baby. Sometimes, lying down might not work or it might be the only position that works for you. It changes as the baby grows and there is no one right or wrong way. It takes a lot of patience and persistence, especially considering post-partum body discomforts.

Try all the positions and choose the one that you and your baby are comfortable with.

You need to use Breast Pumps!

Many women have no idea about breast pumps. Some even wonder what that is and what is it used for. You might face a situation when you need to extract the milk and feed it to the child using a feeding syringe or a bottle. Here comes the need to use breast pumps, the tools used to extract the milk from breasts.

Breast pumps are recommended when your baby is not sucking properly or your baby is premature and needs special care in the hospital or sometimes, you may not be able to feed your baby due to some complications.

Pumping might seem daunting at first, but once you get the knack of it.it gets easier.

Hot showers, heat pads, and massagers will help you maximize your milk output.

Milk letdown

When you are breastfeeding, you may notice that milk is dripping or leaking from the other breast that your baby is not breastfeeding on. You may notice a tingling sensation in and around your breasts and a feeling of fullness.

It’s a reflex that occurs when the nerves in your breasts are stimulated, usually as a result of your baby sucking and it’s normal.

Do what works best for you and your baby

Everyone says their opinions. But what worked for one mom may not work for you.

Trust your instincts. Seek help from someone who knows about breastfeeding.

It is completely normal if you hate breastfeeding and feel the need to stop it and it’s okay to feed until your baby wants to stop.

You can’t eat everything

If you are a first-time mom, you might probably have already got the advice from your mothers or elders, that you need to avoid some foods while breastfeeding.

Wondered why?

What you eat can cross into your breastmilk. For instance, garlic and other spices can tinge the taste of your breastmilk.

Certain foods can even lower your milk supply if consumed in large portions and some foods can cause gas in babies.

But not all types of food reactions are proven. So, unless you notice some adverse reactions in the baby, you are free to eat all the veggies and fruits.

You could get Pregnant

Don’t believe the myth that you can’t get pregnant while breastfeeding.

More pumping or breastfeeding results in the release of more prolactin levels and the chances you will ovulate are less.

So, don’t think of breastfeeding as a reliable form of birth control because you can still get pregnant while breastfeeding!

Don’t hesitate to ask for help

Breastfeeding challenges are common in the first couple of weeks, and most of them resolve with time and a little guidance.

Talk to your family members if you are struggling with breastfeeding or have any concerns. Ask your friends about their experiences. Consult a lactation specialist or nurses if there is a need.

However difficult breastfeeding might be in the beginning, it can be so wonderful after that initial challenging period and more rewarding than you expect. All you need after the hard days is the health and happiness of your baby.

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What is chronic pain?

Pain is your body’s normal reaction to an injury, infection, or illness in the body. With proper treatment when the condition starts healing, the pain usually disappears. But for some, the pain may continue for 3 to 6 months. This debilitating long term pain is called chronic pain and may end up in a condition called syndrome or CPS. According to statistics, 1 out of 5 people suffer from chronic pain. Battling chronic pain is physically and mentally exhausting and takes a psychological toll on the sufferer causing symptoms of anxiety, depression, insomnia, and suicidal thoughts in extreme cases.

Many people cannot function normally and their lifestyle changes from normal to one with dependency. Everyday activities can become difficult and many times treatments are hard to find. A combination of medication, physiotherapy, counseling, and relaxation techniques can help to manage and relieve pain to an extent. Alternative therapies like acupuncture, dry needling, muscle/ trigger release may also give additional relief to some.

While we are aware of chronic pain conditions like migraine, back pain, neck pain, arthritis, there are many pain conditions that exist but are not very well known. Also because many of these pain conditions are a feeling and cannot be physically seen, some sufferers may look normal from the outside as their condition is invisible. Being aware of these conditions helps us be sensitive and empathetic with the people suffering from them and helps us understand them better.

Fibromyalgia

A neuromusculoskeletal pain condition, fibromyalgia is a problem with central pain processing in the brain, where there may be an increased sensitivity or perception of pain. fibromyalgia is difficult to manage as each patient experiences a different set of symptoms. As there are no tests for the condition, it leads to delayed or missed diagnosis. It is usually confirmed by eliminating other pain conditions and autoimmune disorders. Symptoms include widespread body pain, irregular sleep patterns, tingling and numbness in the hands and feet, restless leg syndrome (RLS), heightened sensitivity to touch, cold or heat, “fibro-fog” or poor memory, tenderness in trigger points, fatigue, and stiff joints and muscles.

Endometriosis

Endometriosis occurs when the tissue similar to the lining of the uterus grows in other places in the body outside of the womb. Unbearable abdominal pain, heavy periods, and infertility are some of the symptoms. Treatment options include pain relievers, hormones, and surgery. In endometriosis, the pain may be so intense that they are called killer cramps. It worsens with age. It causes pelvic and belly pain, back and leg pain, migraines, bowel issues, and painful sex.

Lupus

A long-term autoimmune disease where the body’s immune system becomes hyperactive and attacks normal, healthy tissue, Lupus is called “disease of 1,000 faces”. Joint and muscle pain or myalgia is often the first sign of lupus. Other symptoms include inflammation, swelling, and damage to the joints, skin, kidneys, blood, heart, and lungs.

Multiple Sclerosis (MS)

Multiple sclerosis is a disease where the immune system eats away at the protective covering of nerves resulting in nerve damage. Multiple sclerosis may cause vision loss, pain, fatigue, and impaired coordination. The symptoms may not be felt by Some people while others can have severe, chronic symptoms that never go away. The pain caused by MS is musculoskeletal, paroxysmal, or chronic neurogenic. Pain syndromes include headache, continuous burning pain in the extremities, back pain, painful tonic spasms (cramping, pulling pain).

Ankolysing Spondilitis

Ankylosing spondylitis is an inflammatory disease where some of the small bones in your spine (vertebrae) to fuse, making the spine less flexible. This results in a hunched back for some and makes the back, rib cage, and neck stiff and painful along with painful chest, hips, shoulders, and feet. It is at times accompanied by inflammation in the bowel and eyes. There is no cure for ankylosing spondylitis,

Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS)

CRPS is a rare chronic neurological condition and is a.k.a. suicide disease (due to the level of pain). It is a form of chronic pain that usually affects an arm or a leg which develops after an injury, a surgery, a stroke, or a heart attack and can spread from its source to elsewhere in your body, such as the opposite limb. Pain, swelling, redness, noticeable changes in temperature, and hypersensitivity are the initial symptoms.

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)

Result of an overly sensitive colon or immune system which causes extreme belly pains or cramps in the lower half of the belly, which get worse after meals and feel better after a bowel movement. This can be because of slowed or spastic movements of the colon, causing painful cramping, abnormal serotonin levels in the colon, affecting motility and bowel movements, a mild celiac disease that damages the intestines, can cause IBS symptoms. Other symptoms include bloating and gas, constipation, or diarrhea.

Osteoarthritis

When the cartilage between the ends of bones in joints gradually deteriorates and wears down completely, it results in osteoarthritis. The bone can rub on bone and hence it is also known as a “wear and tear” disease. osteoarthritis affects the entire joint and causes changes in the bone. It deteriorates the connective tissues that hold the joint together and attach muscle to bone. Since it causes inflammation of the joint lining, Osteoarthritis is a degenerative disease that worsens over time, resulting in chronic pain.

Rheumatoid Arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic inflammatory autoimmune disorder that can affect not just your joints but can damage other body systems like the skin, eyes, lungs, heart, and blood vessels. It occurs when your immune system attacks your own body’s tissues. Rheumatoid arthritis causes a painful swelling on the lining of the joints and eventually results in bone erosion and joint deformity. The resulting inflammation can damage other parts of the body as well.

Tell us your experience if you are suffering from a debilitating chronic pain condition.