Breastfeeding, in addition to being the best food you can give your baby during his first months of life, is a precious moment between mother and child, which helps to strengthen the love bond between them.
However, for some mothers it can become a frustrating experience , in case the mother feels discouraged by not producing as much milk as she expects.
Fortunately, there are certain steps that can be taken to enhance this experience, as has been found in a new study, which found that using a special relaxation therapy for breastfeeding could help breastfeeding mothers produce more milk .
A long time ago we shared a simple trick for nursing mothers: put a baby sock to cover the bottle of the breast pump and thus not be frustrated when you see that you do not get as much as you expect. Apparently, this trick helps to express more milk since mothers do not feel stress, something that could block the exit of milk .
Now, this new study published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition could prove that feeling less stressed would help with milk production, by analyzing the effects of relaxation in nursing mothers .
During this research, the impact that this relaxation treatment had on the psychological maternal state, the amount of milk consumed by the babies, the levels of cortisol in the breast milk, and the behavior and growth of the babies were measured.
The study was carried out with first-time mothers whose babies were born healthy at normal term and who were exclusively breastfed , divided into two groups: an experimental group, who would receive relaxation therapy, and a control group, to compare the differences at the end of the study.
The relaxation therapy included an audio recording that encouraged relaxation , through deep breathing and positive messages about breastfeeding and the bond between mother and baby.
Mothers were asked to listen to the recording every day while breastfeeding their babies or expressing milk , for a period of at least two weeks, and were encouraged to continue listening to it beyond that initial period at all times. that they felt it could be of use to them.
In addition to that, mothers in both groups received breastfeeding support through informational brochures, lactation consultant directories, and breastfeeding support groups.
At the end of the study, the experimental group showed a significantly lower stress score than the control group . In addition, the group that received relaxation therapy showed a 59% increase in milk intake in the babies, compared to a 39% increase in the control group. In addition, it was found that the babies in the experimental group slept 82 minutes more per day, compared to the control group.
The researchers conclude that these results highlight the importance of reducing maternal stress , since relaxation therapy influenced the behavior of babies, the levels of cortisol in breast milk and the amount of breast milk, benefiting the growth of babies in general. the babies.
It is proven that meditation or relaxation is something that can help in the emotional state of people, and undoubtedly, it could be very useful to improve the experience of new mothers, in this case, increasing the percentage and duration of breastfeeding .
Photo | iStock
Via | Red Tricycle
