Health Concerns
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How to Prevent and Deal with Mastitis
Your breasts can get painful and inflamed due to clogged milk ducts or bacterial infection – this is referred to as mastitis. Once milk ducts are blocked, you could manifest flu-like symptoms like pain, redness, swelling, tenderness and fever. Further, a cracked nipple can aggravate symptoms as it allows bacteria to enter the breasts and cause infection. How do you Prevent Mastitis? Exercise proper hygiene. You should practice good hygiene especially in handling your breasts. Wash your hands thoroughly before you breastfeed. Make sure that your breasts are wiped clean too to protect from infection and to ensure safety when nursing your newborn. Breastfeed your baby on regular intervals. To…
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Is Drinking Wine While Breastfeeding Safe?
A pregnant mother who has religiously stayed away from alcohol may now be wondering about how lax the restrictions are while she is breastfeeding. Now that she has no more developing baby getting his or her nutrients directly from her, is drinking wine while breastfeeding safe? The short answer: yes, with conditions. The alcohol the mother takes in does not go directly to the baby any more–not through the umbilical cord, anyway. However, alcohol dispersed in the bloodstream still finds its way into the mother’s milk. Because of the baby’s weight and growth stage, it is dangerous for him or her to receive alcohol in any form. How Does Drinking…
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The Facts on What Not to Eat While Breastfeeding
A pregnant mother suffers from two things: diets and cravings. Pregnant women are faced with possibly the most rigorous dieting they have ever attempted. This time, something (or rather, someone) is clearly at stake: for a healthy baby, dieting is of paramount importance. Unfortunately, the end of pregnancy is not a green light to abandon your diet for your normal 10 cups of coffee, 3 bars of chocolate, and everyday sushi set. You still need to think of what goes through your milk and into your baby’s body. Because of this, it is important for you to know exactly what not to eat while breastfeeding. The Facts on What Not to…
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Does Drinking Coffee While Breastfeeding Mix?
Caffeine plays a special role in daily life. It is a pick-me-up in the mornings when you need the energy, a good way to relax on a date, a comfort food on a hard day. It gives the needed boost and wakefulness for nighttime activities, and works just as well the next day. In other words, one does not need to be a coffee-fiend to enjoy a daily dose of caffeine in whatever amount. However, breastfeeding mothers are predictably more cautious about their food and fluid intake. For a breastfeeding mother who loves her daily coffee, the overriding question is: Do coffee and breastfeeding mix? Can I drink coffee while…
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Can You Get a Tattoo While Breastfeeding?
In Australia, a Federal Circuit Court Judge passed an injunction that legally banned a mother from breastfeeding her 11-month baby because she had 2 tattoos placed while breastfeeding. The mother tested negative for HIV/AIDS in the bloodstream, but the judge stated the mother had put her baby at risk of getting blood-borne diseases. In his decision, the judge referred to guidelines set by the Australian Breastfeeding Association. Those guidelines do caution against blood-borne infections caused by multiple-use pigments, and the possibility of HIV/AIDS transmission through contaminated needles. Regardless, it drew much comment and protest. This begs the question: medically speaking, can you get a tattoo while breastfeeding? What Are the…
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Do Xanax and Breastfeeding Mix?
When women become pregnant their doctors automatically advise a diet rich in nutrients, vitamins, and minerals to help the baby’s development as much as possible. On the other hand, some are confused about which artificial drugs or medicines they can prescribe for mothers. Since the Food and Drug Authority (FDA) does not allow drug companies to ask lactating women to join studies, there are very few scientific studies that we can fall back on. However, there are some drugs we can already advise on, such as Xanax. Let us look at what happens when Xanax and breastfeeding mix. What is Xanax? Xanax is a brand name of the generic drug…
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Can You Eat Sushi While Breastfeeding?
Can You Eat Sushi While Breastfeeding? The answer is yes. However, breastfeeding mothers should pay attention to the preparation of the sushi they are eating. They should go to restaurants who only use flash-frozen fish for their sushi, and only order sushi and sashimi made of fish low in mercury. If you are a sushi-lover, the hardest thing about pregnancy will be the diet. Sushi is not encouraged for pregnant women, because of the high amounts of mercury in some kinds of fish that might harm the baby’s growth and development. While you may take some kinds of fish in moderation, the risk is high enough that some doctors still suggest…
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Is Smoking Weed While Breastfeeding Safe?
Marijuana legalization in Colorado and other states has restarted the debate on the benefits and ill effects of “weed.” Currently, medical studies show that the cannabis weed–where marijuana is drawn from–can be used as a painkiller, to manage epilepsy, and even to calm PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder) patients. At the same time, it is also known that marijuana is responsible for a “high.” That in itself becomes cautionary. Smoking marijuana increases the heart rate to twice as fast as normal for more than 2 hours. As it is smoking in general, it can lead to lung problems and infections. Dizziness is normal, as is shallow breathing, a slower reaction time in general,…
