BREASTFEEDING OUR BABIES

A woman who looks forward to breastfeeding her baby understands the benefits that are derived from offering her own nourishment to her newborn at the wee beginning of its life. 

Ideally, breastfeeding is a smooth operation with mother and baby bonding over baby suckling blissfully at the breast; however, the flow of mother's milk is not always appropriate to the baby's needs. 

For those mothers who struggle to satisfy the baby's hunger, whose flow isn't meeting the demand, Cheryl's Herbs offers a combination tea to assist in promoting breast milk flow:  

Nursing Tea-F consists of several herbs:  Anise Seed, Fennel Seed, Raspberry Leaf, Blessed Thistle Herb, Dill Seed, Cinnamon Bark, Lavender Flower, and Sweet Basil Leaf combine to create a palatable, flow-promoting tea. The amount of your milk and the baby's demand will help you determine the number of cups to drink each day.  Certainly, start with one cup and increase if necessary.  A simple cup of Alfalfa Leaf, Nettle Leaf, or Red Clover Flower tea may also be helpful.

Then again, flow can be greater than what the baby needs.  When breasts become engorged, a cup of Sage Leaf tea helps to dry up the milk.  If you wish to continue breastfeeding but with a lesser flow, start with a weak cup of Sage tea, a few sips at a time, in order to gauge its effect.  

Although we're proud and pleasured to be nourishing our babies with mother's milk, believing we're doing the absolute best for them, a baby can become colicky.  A baby's tiny, immature digestive system can be made upset by what we eat, and cabbage family plants are at the top of the list of offending foods.  Do what you can to determine if episodes of the baby's colic appear linked to anything your're eating or drinking.  And in the meantime, you may wish to consider Cheryl's Herbs' Nursing Tea-D, a pleasant-tasting combination of Fennel Seed, Catnip Leaf & Flower, and Chamomile Flower.  These herbs flow through mother's milk to soothe the baby by settling its stomach, reducing gas build up, and easing intestinal spasm.  Start with a cup a day; increase if necessary.

When nipples become sore due to latching difficulty or because the baby nurses aggressively, application of Cheryl's Herbs' Calendula Infused Oil can moisturize, strengthen, and heal sore, cracked nipples.

Marshmallow Root aids in reducing breast pain caused by engorgement, blockage, or infection.  Make a half gallon of infusion by pouring boiling hot water over two ounces of the root and letting the infusion steep overnight.  Next day, strain and reheat the infusion to a temperature as hot as your skin can bear, pour it into a sink, and soak your breasts.  Marshmallow Root opens clogged ducts and tubes, draws out infection, and eases pain.

Should mastitis occur, Cheryl's Herbs carries Poke Root Liquid Extract and Echinacea Angustifolia Liquid Extract which can be used to remove the infection.  We have directions for their use in the treatment of mastitis.

Sometimes, babies develop thrush.  In that event, mix a small amount of healthy yogurt (the kind with active cultures and no sugar) and a sprinkle of Cheryl's Herbs' Lapacho Extract Powder.  With your fingertip, swab the inside of the baby's mouth with the mixture.  Lapacho is an anti-fungal herb.   Use Calendula Infused Oil on your nipples, as it is anti-fungal, as well.  It is not necessary to clean the oil off your nipples before breastfeeding.

For some mothers, breastfeeding can be a tumultuous time, at least in the beginning.  Any consternation felt by your baby can be soothed away by application of Cheryl's Herbs' Baby's Blend.  This delightful topical product dilutes the essential oils of Roman Chamomile and Lavender in Sweet Almond Oil.  Massaging it into baby's abdomen, shoulders, and back can help bring relief from colic and tension, and bring a smile to your baby's face.

Much of the above information has come from the wisdom of herbalist Susun Weed.  I highly recommend her book Herbal for the Childbearing Year.  A woman considering pregnancy will find the book exceptionally helpful.

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