When can and when not to breastfeed a baby?

Breastfeeding is always welcomed by medicine, since mother's milk is the optimal biological and nutritional product for the child. Even in the maternity hospital, they try to explain to each mother that it is necessary to breastfeed the baby, and his development and health entirely depend on this. But, unfortunately, there are situations in which breastfeeding is prohibited, or it should be temporarily suspended. So when can and when can't you breastfeed your baby? After all, any mother sincerely wants not to harm the baby. What situations are we talking about? [1]

When should you not breastfeed your baby?

Insisting on the preference for breastfeeding, experts focus on the fact that mother's milk is the best food and drink for the baby. Its composition is balanced by nature itself: the optimal ratio of proteins, fats and carbohydrates, a rich vitamin and mineral composition, as well as some hormonal substances and antibodies that can counteract infections. What better than this can be offered to the baby? The answer is obvious: mother's milk cannot be fully replaced by anything. But sometimes it happens that it is impossible to breastfeed, so as not to harm the baby. Can breastfeeding be contraindicated? Alas, it is. For example, it is strictly forbidden to offer your baby your own milk in such cases:

• if a child suffers from a certain type of enzyme deficiency from birth, or complex metabolic pathologies - for example, galactosemia, valinoleucinuria, lactase deficiency, phenylketonuria;
• if the mother is diagnosed with HIV infection, syphilis (when infected in the third trimester), or there is an open form of tuberculosis infection;
• if the mother has especially dangerous infectious lesions, such as tetanus infection, anthrax;
• in decompensated conditions of the cardiovascular, urinary, respiratory system in the mother;
• with advanced purulent mastitis;
• if the mother suffers from acute mental disorders;
• during chemotherapy, antibiotic therapy;
• if the baby has a hemolytic disease during an immune failure.

The last factor can be called relative, since with hemolytic disease, the ban on breastfeeding can last only 1-2 weeks, depending on the specific case. Other relative (temporary) contraindications are:

• prematurity of the child with a score of less than 6 points on the Apgar scale;
• violations of the sucking and / or swallowing reflex in the baby;
• the presence of maxillofacial defects that prevent normal breastfeeding and feeding.

In the situations described, the doctor himself will indicate to the woman the impossibility of breastfeeding. Fortunately, this doesn't happen very often. More common cases in which mothers doubt the possibility of continuing breastfeeding will be discussed below. [2]

Is it possible to breastfeed at a temperature?

An increase in temperature in a lactating woman is a reason to see a doctor, because this symptom can be caused by many reasons, including those that exclude the possibility of breastfeeding. If the temperature rises for such common reasons as inflammatory processes and infections, then it is possible to feed the baby, and it is not necessary, as previously thought, to express and boil milk. The only contraindication may be the mother taking medications that are undesirable during lactation.

An increase in temperature during illness is a kind of protection of the body from an infectious agent. At the same time, the hypothalamus stimulates such an increase, due to which the processes of producing antibodies are launched in the body (and they, in turn, penetrate into breast milk and then to the baby). If you stop feeding at an elevated temperature, then this can cause serious harm - both to the mother and the child. Why?

An abrupt cessation of feeding can lead to lactostasis, which, against the background of weakened immunity and elevated temperature, is easily complicated by mastitis. The baby, meanwhile, will stop receiving the protective antibodies present in the milk, so it can be “attacked” by the infection.

A high temperature is not a reason to stop feeding. The main thing is to find the cause of the disease and take appropriate measures after consulting with the doctor.

Is it possible to feed milk with a cold and runny nose?

Colds, runny nose and even coughing are not a reason to refuse breastfeeding. The only important condition: a sick mother must wear a medical bandage while applying the baby.

Scientists have proven that within a couple of hours from the onset of the disease, specific antibodies appear in breast milk that protect the baby from infection. If the disease progresses in the mother, there are other signs of deterioration, then you should seek medical help. As a rule, breastfeeding continues in this case, because doctors prescribe medications that are allowed for nursing women. They talk about stopping or suspending feeding only if medications that can harm the baby are prescribed (this despite the fact that other, safer drugs cannot be used).

Can you breastfeed with the flu?

Influenza is a viral disease that is accompanied by the most unpleasant symptoms, including a runny nose, cough, sneezing, and high fever. Of course, the least of all mothers want to “reward” their babies with all this. Is it worth it to continue breastfeeding, will it not contribute to the infection of the baby? No, it will not, if the mother takes measures to prevent infection, namely, she will wear a medical bandage with a mandatory change of it every two hours.

Do not forget that almost any infectious lesion, including the flu, has its own incubation period: usually its duration is 1-3 days. It can be said with absolute certainty that during this entire period the mother was in contact with her child and breastfed him, because she was unaware of the disease. Therefore, stopping feeding at the first symptoms of the flu will not work. On the contrary: by this time, the antibodies necessary for the baby are already present in breast milk, which will protect him from the disease. Drinking such milk for a baby is not only possible, but also necessary.

Is it possible to breastfeed a child with mastitis?

Mastitis is an inflammatory reaction in the mammary gland, which often develops as a result of stagnant processes, lactostasis. And what best helps to overcome lactostasis? That's right: regular feeding of the baby, ensuring a constant outflow of milk. In this case, the baby should drink just from the sore chest, to improve the resorption of seals.

In cases where a woman is required to take antibiotics, they are prescribed from the list allowed during lactation. This is done in order to take the treatment without stopping breastfeeding.

If the inflammatory process has gone too far, and a purulent infection has joined, then the doctor should decide whether it is possible to continue breastfeeding. The decisive factors for the suspension of feeding are severe pain during attachment and an increased risk of purulent secretions entering the baby's body. You should not worry: after the successful treatment of mastitis, breastfeeding can be fully restored.

Can you breastfeed if you have rotavirus?

Rotavirus infection is diagnosed quite often - especially in winter. What to do if a viral disease is found in a lactating woman?

Experts are sure that continued breastfeeding is extremely important for the baby, and this can be explained by such factors:

• with breast milk, infants receive immunoglobulins that can overcome pathogenic bacteria and viruses (in this case, rotavirus);
• milk will create specific protection for the baby, and also give him an energy boost to strengthen immunity;
• abrupt weaning is a strong stress for the baby, so the cessation of feeding negatively affects the general condition of the child's body, as well as the quality of its immunity.

Of course, with a diagnosed rotavirus infection, it would be wiser to consult with your doctor. However, most experts clearly advise against stopping breastfeeding.

If you have a sore throat, can you breastfeed?

A sore throat can be caused by a variety of reasons, such as:

• laryngitis - inflammation of the larynx;
• tonsillitis, or tonsillitis;
• pharyngitis - pharyngeal inflammation;
• fungal infection of the mucous tissues of the throat.

Refusal of breastfeeding for sore throats is undesirable, and unreasonable: there are no such good reasons to deprive the baby of essential nutrients, antibodies that will help him survive various diseases.

It is imperative that you visit a doctor. If the cause of the pain is a sore throat or a fungal infection, then you will have to undergo treatment to avoid complications. The doctor will prescribe medications that are compatible with breastfeeding, so in any similar situation, you should not stop feeding.

Can you breastfeed if you have herpes?

Herpes is a serious viral infection, and its peculiarity lies in the fact that the virus is almost impossible to "expel" from the body. The only way out is to strengthen the immune system and reduce the frequency of relapses of the disease.

Most breastfeeding mothers try not to breastfeed their baby when herpes recurs, mistakenly believing that in this way they will prevent infection. This statement is true only when the foci of infection are located directly on the mammary glands. With the localization of the rash in other parts of the body, it is necessary to breastfeed, and there is no need to deprive the child of useful substances.

The question of prescribing antiviral drugs and immunostimulants during lactation is decided by the doctor. He must carefully weigh the complexity of the disease and the likelihood of a negative impact on the baby, and only after that choose the medication and its dosage. Self-medication for nursing mothers is unacceptable categorically.

Can you breastfeed if you have diarrhea?

If a nursing woman has digestion, diarrhea appears, then this will not affect the well-being of her baby in any way - even if the malaise is caused by an intestinal infection. Such an infection can really get to the child, but not through milk, but through unwashed hands or objects. Diarrhea is a symptom associated with a malfunction of the digestive system, or is a consequence of other processes that do not affect the organs responsible for milk production. Therefore, you should not worry about the qualitative composition of milk with diarrhea, and in this case it is impossible to infect a baby through milk.

In addition, with an intestinal infection, specific antibodies will be delivered along with milk to the child, protecting it from the disease.

The only thing that a nursing mother needs to take into account is the increased risk of dehydration during diarrhea. During lactation, this condition is especially undesirable, so you need to take measures to correct digestion and drink enough liquid to replenish lost moisture reserves.

Is it possible to breastfeed with angina?

Angina is often severe, with a pronounced deterioration in well-being, fever. But even such unpleasant symptoms are not a reason to protect the child from breastfeeding. Mother's milk is a unique natural product that benefits the baby even when the mother is sick.

Do not forget about the incubation period of angina: it can be 12-48 hours. And during this time, the mother continues to feed the baby, unaware of the disease. Therefore, if the child is destined to become infected, then this may well happen at the stage of incubation, and there is no point in further cancellation of feeding. Moreover: drinking the milk of a sick mother will allow antibodies to enter the child's body and actively counteract the infection. If you interrupt breastfeeding, then the flow of antibodies will stop, and the child may not only get sick, but get sick with complications, because his own immune defense is not yet able to give a qualitative rebuff to the disease.

There is only one condition that any lactating woman who has a sore throat should remember: it is important to wear a medical bandage in any communication with the baby, as well as during feeding. The dressing is changed every 2 hours.

Can I breastfeed after an x-ray?

The question of the possibility of breastfeeding after an x-ray would hardly bother lactating women if it were not for the fact that this type of examination is a source of radiation. However, modern medicine assures that there is no reason to wean the baby from the breast on the day of the X-ray examination. Mother's milk does not change its characteristics under the influence of diagnostic radiation, so a woman can safely feed her baby when she comes home.

It is quite another matter if the examination is carried out with the use of radiopaque substances. Such special substances are used to improve the visualization of cavities, blood vessels, etc. Despite the fact that the bioavailability of the drugs used through breast milk is theoretically reduced to zero, experts advise stopping feeding within a day after the study. It is optimal to express the required milk dose in advance and feed the baby with it until the end of the dangerous period. A day later, breastfeeding is resumed.

Can you breastfeed while vomiting?

Vomiting is considered one of the signs of food poisoning: other symptoms may include diarrhea, abdominal pain, weakness, and fever.

With food poisoning, it is almost difficult for pathogenic microorganisms to penetrate into mother's milk. But the protective antibodies produced by the female body are essential for the baby. Experts explain: theoretically, a child can become infected from the mother. But this happens not through the use of milk, but through unwashed hands, food, contaminated objects.

Therefore, you should not stop feeding. The main thing is to adhere to well-known hygiene rules:

• wash your hands after going to the toilet, after walking, before eating, before feeding, before taking the baby in your arms, etc.;
• wash toys, nipples and pacifiers, boil if necessary;
• do not give the baby food or drink from the mother's dishes, do not use one spoon, etc.

If the baby has similar painful symptoms - for example, vomiting, loose stools, then a doctor's consultation should be followed.

Can I breastfeed after anesthesia?

If a breastfeeding mother requires surgery and anesthesia, in most cases the surgeon will recommend stopping breastfeeding. There are many reasons for this:

• lack of conditions for joint stay in the hospital of a woman with a baby;
• a woman taking a number of drugs, in addition to anesthesia (analgesics, tranquilizers, anti-inflammatory drugs, antibiotics, etc.).

As practice shows, many doctors simply do not know whether this or that drug for anesthesia will affect the lactation process and the well-being of the baby, so they advise stopping lactation.

How is it really? Anesthetics used for general anesthesia do not affect the process of breastfeeding and almost do not penetrate into mother's milk. They are excreted mainly by the kidneys, liver, respiratory system. And the proportion of medicines that still ends up in breast milk is practically not absorbed in the baby's digestive system. Therefore, most anesthetics can be considered safe for use in the lactation period.

Let's take a look at the anesthetic drugs separately:

• funds like Halothane, Isoflurane, nitrous oxide, Thiopental, Etomidat, Fentanyl, Lidocaine, Naropin, Marcain are considered the safest, since breastfeeding is allowed almost immediately after recovery from anesthesia;
• preparations such as Dormicum or Midazolam are excreted from the body longer, therefore it is better to express milk after using the medication, and breastfeed the baby no earlier than 4-5 hours after the administration of the drug;
• diazepines - for example, the well-known drug Diazepam or Relanium - are distinguished by long-term excretion and enter the mother's milk, so a woman should express herself and start feeding her baby no earlier than 8-9 hours after taking the drug;
• preparations such as Procaine, Articaine, Mepivacaine, Benzocaine, Levobupivacaine, Remifentanil have not been studied on this issue, so feeding should be suspended during their use.

Each nursing mother should especially carefully monitor the behavior of the baby after he is breast-fed after anesthesia. Symptoms such as drowsiness, shortness of breath, poor sucking should alert and become a reason for urgent medical attention. Similar signs are possible if large doses of drugs were used during anesthesia, or such drugs were administered repeatedly.

Can I breastfeed after a cesarean?

After a caesarean section, breastfeeding may be difficult at first, primarily for some physical reasons (it is difficult for the mother to get up, there are pains, etc.). Both because of the intervention itself and because of the use of anesthesia, milk often comes a little later - about a week after the baby is born. However, regardless of this, it is better to attach the baby to the breast as early as possible, if the drugs administered to the woman before, during and after the operation allow this. As a rule, all medicines should be compatible with breastfeeding, but it is better to clarify this point with the doctor.

Even in the absence or small amount of milk, the application of the baby must be repeated at least eight times a day. This will stimulate milk production. Of course, it is better not to give the baby water or mixtures. But, if the doctor insists on the use of mixtures (for example, with a large weight loss of the baby), then they are given necessarily after breastfeeding, but not before it.

In most cases, the necessary supply of milk will improve already on the second or fourth day after the regular application of the baby.

Can I breastfeed while on antibiotics?

Antibiotic therapy is prescribed for lactating women only in exceptional cases, with special need. For example, taking antibiotics can be indicated for purulent tonsillitis, pneumonia, pyelonephritis, etc.

Antibiotics have different kinetic properties: some of them fully penetrate into mother's milk, while others are not found in it at all. The most harmless drugs include antibiotics of the penicillin, cephalosporin, macrolide series, as well as some fluoroquinolone drugs (in particular, Ciprofloxacin). Treatment with these drugs is allowed in the lactation period, while there is no need to stop feeding the baby.

If the doctor has to prescribe another antibiotic that can fully penetrate into mother's milk, then during the entire therapeutic course the child must be fed with mixtures. If subsequently a woman wants to resume breastfeeding, then she will need to express regularly so as not to disrupt milk production: if this is not done, then it will become almost impossible to restore lactation.

Can I breastfeed after Dostinex?

Dostinex is a popular remedy designed to complete lactation. Thanks to this drug, women relieve their well-being, get rid of milk tides, avoid stagnation and, as a result, mastitis. But many do not think that the independent use of Dostinex is prohibited, since it can cause a number of adverse effects.

The essence of the action of this medication is to suppress the production of prolactin, a hormonal substance responsible for milk formation. Dostinex does not belong to hormonal agents, but one of its properties is the blocking of dopamine receptors synthesized by the pituitary gland, and this is already a serious physiological change in the body.

Dostinex acts very quickly: a rapid decrease in prolactin levels is observed within three hours after taking the first dose. During this period, symptoms such as low blood pressure, dizziness, nausea, tingling in the limbs and chest may be disturbing.

Feeding a child after taking this medication is undesirable for several reasons. Firstly, the very process of feeding and even pumping can lead to a repeated surge in prolactin production, which will require the introduction of a new dose of Dostinex. Secondly, no one has conducted studies on whether the drug passes into breast milk, and whether it is safe for babies.

Some experts say that you can feed the baby, but not earlier than a day after the dose taken. Others do not advise doing this earlier than 10 days later. Still others insist that taking Dostinex implies a complete rejection of lactation, therefore it is better not to practice feeding after treatment at all. How to act in such a situation, the attending physician will tell you. One thing is important: in any case, it is not necessary to risk the health of the baby.

Can you breastfeed with chickenpox?

Chickenpox, or chicken pox, is a viral infectious pathology, which is usually classified as a “childhood” disease. However, adults also get sick, so nursing mothers are no exception. A woman can become infected in any public place, in transport, a clinic, etc.

Only a doctor should diagnose chickenpox, as well as deal with its treatment. It is strictly forbidden to be treated on your own, especially since this disease in adulthood is especially often and dangerously complicated - damage to the respiratory system, liver, kidneys develops, arthritis, disorders of the heart and nervous system appear.

Breastfeeding a baby during chickenpox is not prohibited. It is believed that the symptoms of the disease appear in an adult only a few days after infection, so the virus could already be in the child's body, and depriving the child of mother's milk will further aggravate the situation. During breastfeeding, the baby receives not only viruses, but also antibodies that protect him and contribute to the creation of specific immunity. The only option in which doctors will insist on stopping or suspending lactation is if the mother takes antibiotics that are incompatible with feeding. Typically, such drugs are prescribed in the presence of complications, or at a high risk of their development. In such a situation, the doctor will warn the woman in advance.

Is it possible to breastfeed with thrush?

No one is safe from thrush - neither the mother nor her baby. In this case, a fungal infection can appear almost anywhere, and even on the mother's breast.

The fungus Candida is present in every human body - usually in the intestines. It does not harm in any way, and only under a certain set of favorable conditions, the fungus begins to multiply intensively: thrush develops.

During lactation, candidiasis often affects the oral cavity of the infant and the nipple area of the mother's breast. At the same time, the baby becomes restless, up to the refusal of the breast. Treatment must follow without fail: it is prescribed by a doctor, both for the mother and the baby (even if signs of thrush are found only in one of them).

Breastfeeding with thrush during treatment is continued. However, milk expressed during an illness cannot be stored or frozen - it will have to be disposed of. If you drink it to an already healthy baby, then he can become infected with candidiasis again.

Is it possible to breastfeed with lactostasis?

Lactostasis is a phenomenon associated with the stagnation of milk in the milk channels. Feelings of lactostasis are extremely uncomfortable: the mammary glands become dense, painful, hot; one gland or both may be affected. There can be many reasons for such a violation, but most of all women are interested in the question: should I continue to breastfeed my baby if lactostasis develops?

Let's say right away: if the baby is applied correctly, then it is possible and necessary to feed him. Breastfeeding is considered the best way to remove excess milk that accumulates and clogs the milk ducts. Pumping will not be able to achieve such emptying of the breast, which can be done by the baby when sucking.

The baby is fed first with the affected gland, and then with the healthy one. Long intervals between approaches should not be maintained: the baby is fed on demand, as soon as he asks, you should give the breast. To improve milk flow and facilitate sucking, immediately before feeding, warm the mammary glands in warm water, or by placing a warm compress or heating pad. If the breasts are swollen and excessively compacted, then instead of warming them, on the contrary, they should be cooled - for example, apply a cabbage leaf with a temperature of about 16 ° C.

If other symptoms appear, you should consult a doctor.

Is it possible to breastfeed with staphylococcus aureus?

The detection of staphylococcus in breast milk is, of course, not a reason to stop lactation. And if a woman and a baby do not have any symptoms of a staphylococcal infection, then there is no need to rush into treatment. Why?

Staphylococci can be present almost everywhere: on the skin and mucous membranes, on objects, on clothes and even in the air. Therefore, when taking an analysis, bacteria can appear in milk from anywhere - for example, from the hands or from the breast itself. At the same time, it must be understood that microbes in the biological product itself do not multiply, but enter its stream, for example, from the skin or from a sore on the nipple.

If a woman, or a baby, or both of them show signs of a staphylococcal infection, then you should consult a doctor who will prescribe therapy and assess the need to refuse breastfeeding. In most cases, the child is given general treatment, the mother is given topical therapy, and breastfeeding is continued.

However, we repeat that this issue is decided individually in each case.

Is it possible to breastfeed with sinusitis?

Sinusitis - inflammation of the maxillary sinuses - can be caused by various microorganisms - bacteria, viruses and even fungi. Therefore, the treatment of the disease is also correspondingly different. Antibiotic therapy is usually carried out in the acute form of sinusitis caused by gram-positive or gram-negative rods, streptococci, smtaphylococci, anaerobic microbes.

As a rule, breastfeeding with sinusitis is not stopped, since treatment is carried out, either without the use of antibiotics, or with the use of drugs that are compatible with lactation.

Most often, for the treatment of sinusitis in lactating women, Flemoxin, Amoxiclav are prescribed - these medicines are not contraindicated during lactation, so it is not necessary to stop feeding while taking them.

Incompatible with breastfeeding:

• tetracyclines (can inhibit the development of the baby, have a toxic effect on the kidneys and liver);
• Metronidazole, Tinidazole (may cause a violation of the digestive process in infants);
• sulfa drugs (negatively affect the work of the heart);
• Levomycetin (toxic effect on the bone marrow and liver of the baby).

If the doctor insists on taking any of the above drugs, the child is transferred to the mixture, lactation is suspended for the entire period of treatment.

Can you breastfeed with colic?

If a baby has colic after breastfeeding, then almost any woman will have a question: what is wrong with my breast milk? Is it worth it to continue feeding, or is it better to transfer the child to the mixture?

In fact, breastfeeding is possible and even highly recommended. However, a few adjustments will need to be made:

• Mom must follow a special diet, with the restriction of fatty foods and the rejection of fried, smoked, spicy foods. Instead of regular milk, fermented milk products should be preferred.
• It is important to pay attention to the correct attachment of the baby to the breast. If such an application is incorrect, then the baby will swallow air along with the flow of milk, after which colic is provided to him. For proper attachment, it is necessary that the baby completely captures not only the nipple, but the entire area around the nipple.
• Almost all babies are helped by the “column” position: the baby is picked up and carried vertically immediately after feeding, until a characteristic burp appears (this is the air that enters the stomach during sucking). It is important to do this immediately after eating, since after a few minutes the air enters the underlying sections of the digestive system, and it will be impossible to expel it in this way.
• If the mother feeds the baby only with foremilk (for example, she often changes breasts), then a large amount of carbohydrates and water enters the baby's stomach. Enzymes and fats present in hindmilk remain intact. As a result, the child's digestive processes are disturbed, colic appears. To prevent this, you should feed the baby only one breast at one feeding, or express the front portion of milk.

You have to refuse breastfeeding only if the baby has lactase deficiency - that is, the children's digestive system simply cannot digest milk sugar. Hence the constant strong colic. However, only a doctor can make such a diagnosis to a child: there is no need to make any independent decisions on this matter.

When poisoning, can I breastfeed?

It happens that a nursing mother finds unpleasant signs in herself in the form of diarrhea, bloating, nausea and even vomiting. In most cases, the cause is poisoning or intoxication. A mild degree of poisoning can be completely cured at home, but with severe vomiting, tachycardia, and fever, you should definitely consult a doctor.

The question is different: in the presence of such signs, continue breastfeeding, or stop it?

With the usual poisoning of the mother, the baby is safe, because antibodies will enter the body with breast milk, preventing the development of infection in the intestines. To completely protect the child, the mother must follow hygiene rules, drink plenty of fluids.

In severe poisoning, the decision to continue feeding is made by the doctor. This is due to the fact that a woman may be prescribed medications that are incompatible with lactation. If the doctor prescribes drugs that can be taken and combined with feeding, then there is no need to wean the baby from the breast.

Is it possible to breastfeed if the child has poisoned?

If the baby has received poisoning, then you should definitely consult a doctor for medical help. As for the possibility of continuing breastfeeding, almost all experts are unanimous in their opinion: breastfeeding is allowed and even recommended. The maternal bioproduct is an ideal tool that normalizes the intestinal microflora, protecting the child's body from a wide variety of infections:

• Protein lactoferrin restrains the level of iron ions in liquid biological media. Thus, it inhibits the reproduction of microbes, stimulates phagocytic activity, interferes with the metabolic processes occurring in microbial cells.
• Carbohydrate bifidus-factor accelerates the synthesis of bifidobacteria, blocks the growth of pathogenic microflora in the intestine.
• Lactoperoxidase is an enzyme that disrupts metabolic processes and literally destroys pathogenic microbial cells.
• Immunoglobulins protect the children's body from infectious diseases, prevent the penetration of microbes, viruses, and allergic agents into tissues.

Thus, full and regular breastfeeding will contribute to the speedy recovery of the baby and the normalization of the intestinal flora.

Can you breastfeed someone else's baby?

Feeding a baby with someone else's, donor milk does not find approval among pediatricians. First of all, because with such a useful biological product, various dangerous diseases, such as AIDS, viral hepatitis, and cytomegalovirus infection, can get to the child. In addition, both the child and the foreign nursing woman have their own individual microflora, which can be disturbed, causing stomatitis and other inflammatory processes.

Immunologists also oppose this practice. Everyone knows that mother's milk has a different quantitative and qualitative composition, depending on the age and needs of the child. If the baby is offered someone else's milk, and even without age matching, then the immature children's immune system will be subjected to excessive stress, which can lead to unpredictable consequences. No less stress is experienced by the digestive tract of the baby.

Given all the points, doctors do not advise experimenting: if for some reason the question of using donor feeding is raised, then the best solution would be to use high-quality adapted mixtures.

Can I feed my baby with expressed breast milk?

Expressing breast milk during lactation is considered absolutely normal. However, some women have to express milk constantly, and then bottle feed the baby instead of breastfeeding. For example, this happens when the child's oral cavity is irregularly shaped, when the mother's nipple is a specific shape, when the baby simply cannot take the breast. There are many such reasons, but women want to give their child all the best, so instead of transferring to mixtures, they regularly decant and then give the baby a bottle. Is it possible to do so? Of course you can - of course, if the mother has enough patience and strength.

In order to keep lactation at the required level, pumping should be repeated at least six or seven times a day (a single serving should be approximately 110 g). It is also recommended to carry out one pumping at night, especially when the mammary glands are noticeably "filled".

How to perform the procedure, each woman decides individually. It is convenient for some to do this with their hands, for others - with the help of a manual or electric device - a breast pump.

The strained product is stored in a refrigerator for 1-2 days. More milk can be frozen: in the freezer, it is perfectly preserved for 12-16 weeks.

Is it possible to feed a baby with thawed breast milk?

If a woman expresses herself in compliance with all hygiene requirements, uses clean dishes for collection, then she may well freeze her own product in order to defrost and feed the baby if necessary.

In a freezer that maintains a temperature of -18 ° C, milk is stored for up to six months, although experts advise using it earlier - within 3-4 months.

A thawed product can no longer be sent back to the freezer. It is suitable for consumption within 1.5-2 hours at room temperature, or stored for a day in the refrigerator. The unfinished milk is poured out by the baby.

If during the freezing-thawing process the product is divided into layers, then you should not worry: just mix the layers a little later until smooth.

Thawing should take place in the refrigerator, not in the microwave or on the counter at room temperature. It usually takes about 12 hours in the refrigerator.

Breast milk does not lose its nutritional value when properly collected and frozen, so it can be safely used for feeding the baby.

Can an older child breastfeed?

It happens that a lactating woman becomes pregnant again and gives birth to a second child. She wants to breastfeed both the first and the second - after all, their age difference is small, only about a year. Is it possible to feed two children at the same time - the eldest and the youngest?

There is no single answer to this question, as the opinions of experts are divided. On the one hand, this approach allows you to strengthen the immunity of babies, eliminates the problem of children's jealousy towards each other. On the other hand, milk for an older child does not quite meet the age requirements, and double feeding also adds worries and fatigue to the mother.

However, this possibility cannot be ruled out. And if a woman decides to double-feed, then she should read the following recommendations:

• babies should be fed at the same time;
• at the next feeding, give the children a different breast, and not the one that he suckled the previous time.

As you can see, there are a lot of incomprehensible situations with feeding. However, if you know exactly when you can and when you can not breastfeed your baby, most questions disappear by themselves.