{"id":21,"date":"2014-12-28T14:44:39","date_gmt":"2014-12-28T14:44:39","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/healthmedicinet.com\/news\/12-surprising-facts-about-breastfeeding-new-moms-should-know\/"},"modified":"2014-12-28T14:44:39","modified_gmt":"2014-12-28T14:44:39","slug":"12-surprising-facts-about-breastfeeding-new-moms-should-know","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/healthmedicinet.com\/news\/12-surprising-facts-about-breastfeeding-new-moms-should-know\/","title":{"rendered":"12 surprising facts about breastfeeding new moms should know"},"content":{"rendered":"

Credit:Dreamstime<\/span><\/p>\n

For new moms, breastfeeding can be frustrating\u00e2\u20ac\u201d and rewarding. Here are some surprising facts that will help you understand what your body is going through.<\/p>\n

1. Breast milk isn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t always white.<\/b>
\nBreast milk is usually white or cream-colored, but it can also be green, blue, yellow, or orange. You might also notice that it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s thicker one day and more watery the next. Either way, it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s perfectly normal and nothing to be worried about, said Sara Chana Silverstein, an international board-certified lactation consultant, master herbalist and creator of the Savvy Breastfeeding app.<\/p>\n

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2. One breast will produce more.<\/b>
\nJust like one of your hands is bigger, your breasts are probably different sizes too. So one may outperform the other, but it doesn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t mean you won\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t have enough milk for your baby. Nevertheless, always start feeding on the side that you finished with last time to try to equal the two out.<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153We want the same type of stimulation to help with production,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d said Cindy Shelton, a registered nurse and an international board-certified lactation consultant at Los Robles Hospital in Thousand Oaks, Calif.<\/p>\n

3. You may feel outrageously large.<\/b>
\nIt\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s not a look you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re going for as a new mom, but get ready for your breasts to be engorged and larger than they have ever been, especially in the beginning.<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Milk increases in volume that third to fifth day and it does it with a vengeance,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Shelton said.<\/p>\n

How large your breasts get really depend on your skin\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s elasticity. And as your baby gets older and you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re feeding less frequently, they won\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t be as engorged. When you stop breastfeeding, your breasts may end up smaller or bigger than before you were pregnant.<\/p>\n

4. Breast milk doesn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t only come out of your nipple.<\/b>
\nSince there are approximately 15 to 25 milk ducts in each breast that make milk, there are several pores in each breast where milk comes out of, not just the single hole in your nipple.<\/p>\n

5. You\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll leak\u00e2\u20ac\u201d especially when you least expect it.<\/b>
\nStock up on breast pads, ladies! Especially in the beginning, when your baby (or even another baby) cries, your breasts will let down on both sides. It may also happen when you look at your baby, at his photo, or when it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s time for a feeding.<\/p>\n

6. Sex might be painful.<\/b>
\nLack of estrogen can cause vaginal dryness and make intercourse painful. Use a water-based lubricant or talk to your OB\/GYN about ways to cope.<\/p>\n

7. You could have too much milk.<\/b>
\nSome women have a strong milk ejection reflex that causes breast milk to come out quickly and spray everywhere. Some babies even choke because they can\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t keep up with the flow. Talk to your lactation consultant about techniques that can help slow down the flow.<\/p>\n

8. You might go on an emotional roller coaster.<\/b>
\nOxytocin, the hormone that contracts the muscles in your milk ducts to let down milk will make you feel calm and relaxed, even sleepy. Yet some women with a strong milk ejection reflex may also experience nausea, weakness, sweating and anxiety because of the intense hormonal shift, Silverstein said. Some women may also experience intense thirst and may need to add minerals to their water. Speak to your lactation consultant about ways to cope.<\/p>\n

9. You don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t need extra calcium.<\/b>
\nDrinking milk won\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t help you make milk, yet breastfeeding may cause your bones to shrink. The good news is that once you stop breastfeeding, experts say bone density returns. What\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s more, studies show that breastfeeding can prevent osteoporosis. The National Academy of Sciences recommends breastfeeding moms get 1,000 milligrams of calcium each day from dairy, vegetables, nuts and seeds. Weight-bearing exercises can prevent osteoporosis as well.<\/p>\n

10. An orgasm can make your breasts leak.<\/b>
\nSince oxytocin, the hormone responsible for milk letdown is the same released when you orgasm, you could spring a leak at the most inopportune time. A bra with breast pads and a sense of humor can go a long way.<\/p>\n

\u00e2\u20ac\u0153There\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s no need to be embarrassed\u00e2\u20ac\u201dmany women experience it,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Shelton said.<\/p>\n

11. You can eat more and still lose weight.<\/b>
\nYour body needs between 300 and 500 extra calories a day for breastfeeding. Yet instead of worrying that you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re eating enough, just listen to your body and the pounds should melt off in no time.
\n\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Feed your hunger and you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll find that you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re eating those extra calories,\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Shelton said.<\/p>\n

12. Your period may stop.<\/b>
\nIf you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re exclusively breastfeeding\u00e2\u20ac\u201d no bottles (even with pumped milk) or pacifiers\u00e2\u20ac\u201d and you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re feeding on demand, chances are you won\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t have your period, Shelton said. Some women will get their periods back six weeks after delivery, when they start to wean, or not until they\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve stopped breastfeeding altogether. Even if you don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t have your period, it doesn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t mean you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re not ovulating so be sure to use birth control if you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re not planning to have another baby any time soon.<\/p>\n

<\/i><\/p>\n

Julie Revelant is a freelance writer and copywriter specializing in parenting, health, healthcare, nutrition, food and women\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s issues. She\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s also a mom of two. Learn more about Julie at revelantwriting.com.<\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Credit:Dreamstime For new moms, breastfeeding can be frustrating\u00e2\u20ac\u201d and rewarding. Here are some surprising facts that will help you understand what your body is going through. 1. Breast milk isn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t always white. Breast milk is usually white or cream-colored, but it can also be green, blue, yellow, or orange. You might also notice that it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-21","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/healthmedicinet.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/healthmedicinet.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/healthmedicinet.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/healthmedicinet.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/healthmedicinet.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=21"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/healthmedicinet.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/healthmedicinet.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=21"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/healthmedicinet.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=21"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/healthmedicinet.com\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=21"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}