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Breast Care Basics
Paying Attention Is Important to Breastfeeding Success By Teri Brown
Perhaps the most important part of breastfeeding your baby is, well, the breast. How well you care for your breast during breastfeeding, especially those critical first few months, is crucial to your ultimate breastfeeding success. So what exactly does breast care entail and what can happen if you put it off?
Susan Illis of Marietta, Ga., suffered with cracked nipples for quite some time before the problem was taken care of. In retrospect, she feels that she could have been more aggressive in finding a solution to the problem. "I would have sought medical help sooner, instead of suffering," she says. "I'm 34 weeks pregnant and planning to do it again. However, if I have problems again, I will be far more proactive in finding a solution!"
Ignoring pain can be an invitation for a serious infection. Sometimes the lack of breast attention and care can result in any of the following:
- Cracked nipples often caused by incorrect positioning of the baby during feeding, or improper breast care.
- Clogged ducts also can be caused by incorrect positioning problem or occasionally the result of a poor-fitting bra.
- Mastitis caused by blocked ducts and/or lowered maternal defenses from things like stress and fatigue.
