As your pregnancy days come to an end, you might be concerned about what happens next. With a cute little angel in your hands, having to recover and monitor the baby might leave you enervated. Far from what the initial emotions were, you find yourself struggling to feed your baby.
Be it exhaustion, trauma, or nipple rejection, not being able to feed is a real thing! Most mothers have trouble feeding their babies due to small breasts or little breast milk supply. But we all know how important it is to breastfeed your baby.
Most mothers despite prior knowledge tend to breastfeed for a few months only, rather than the six months required. This is mostly due to painful nipple trauma. What if we tell you there’s a way you can dodge this bullet? It’s the Thompson method of breastfeeding that ensures your baby gets the breast milk they need, and you’re spared of the pain.
A Thompson Method Breastfeeding Practitioner (TMBP) is a registered healthcare professional who has completed a rigorous education program and observation hours. To perform the method, hold your baby in the crook of your arm opposite the breast you’re feeding from- left arm for the right breast and right arm for the left. Support the back of the baby’s head with your open hand. The 3 golden hours refer to the immediate hours after a mother gives birth. It’s so important that mothers are allowed to be in skin-to-skin contact with their babies during these 3 hours to breastfeed their baby and form an immediate bond.
With that being said, let’s dive deep into the world of breastfeeding to understand how this method works and what it helps with.
Why Do Women Experience Nipple Trauma When Feeding?
Feeding with sore nipples isn’t what exactly you imagined. A stroke and ouch! You find yourself sobbing over the pain, but with a baby at loose, you might need to calm those nerves down and get back to feeding.
Wondering what causes this havoc? Well here are some reasons why you might be experiencing nipple trauma during breastfeeding.
Dry Nipples
Nipples are very sensitive and the skin around them can dry out. Dry irritated nipples can easily crack resulting in nipple trauma. This might lead to bleeding and pain during feedings.
Latching Issues
With the infant sucking reflex at play, you might think that latching would be easy but it sure isn’t.
One of the most common causes of nipple trauma is latching issues. As your baby adapts to the new environment, it might take some sweet time to learn the art of latching. This goes hand in hand with positioning. An incorrect position might end up with too much or too little of your nipple making it into the baby’s mouth thanks to the suction.
Thrush Or Infection
You would’ve noticed by now, how your baby leaves your nipple all wet. This is an invitation to the bacteria living in your baby’s mouth and nose to infect that area.
If you’ve experienced burning and itching over the nipples in the past few days, you might be having a yeast infection. This painful nipple trauma usually crawls up after a pain-free breastfeeding journey. Consult a doctor to help you deal with the yeast infection.
Flawed Attachment Technique
Your midwife had surely guided you about the ideal attachment that can avoid sore nipples, time to put that knowledge to use! Some important things to look out for include the following:
- Baby’s mouth should be wide open while feeding.
- Baby’s chin should maintain skin contact with your breast at all times.
- Their lower lip should be everted and more areola should be visible on the upper side.
Positioning issues
Lactation consultants might help you optimize your feeding technique. Here are a few things you might keep in mind:
- Hold the baby’s belly close to yours so that the baby doesn’t need to turn to feed.
- Try to position the baby so that his nose is aligned with your nipple.
- Stroke your baby’s cheek with your breast, to initiate the sucking reflex.
Dermatitis or Eczema
You might have an underlying skin condition that might exacerbate thanks to your feeding techniques. It could be confused with a skin infection so consult a professional if you’re suspecting so.
Milk Blister Or Engorged Breasts
If you notice a white bubble under the nipple or areola, you might have a milk blister. This could initiate much discomfort and can be dealt with in warm packs.
Tongue Tie
Often left undiagnosed, if you’ve noticed that your wee one has trouble sucking, then they might have a tongue or lip tie. With your kid not being able to lift their tongue, they might push it hard against their palate, resulting in trauma. But this isn’t just the case for kids with tied tongues but also for those with short tongues or unusual palates.
What Is The Thompson’s Breastfeeding Method?
Dreaming of pain-free breastfeeding? Well, this mere dream can surely turn into reality if you get your hands on Dr. Robyn Thompson’s famous method of breastfeeding.
Time to say goodbye to stressful feedings with those sore nipples, the Thompson method of breastfeeding makes sure your baby gets the nutrition they need while sparing you misery and pain. Thompson’s method of breastfeeding functions around the anatomy of the mother and the baby.
Thompson’s method of breastfeeding, proposed by Dr. Robyn Thompson, revolves around a belief that every child is unique and should be brought into the world when it is time, not because of a hospital’s policy. This method protects the rights of mothers and makes sure they get the support they need whenever they need it, thereby increasing breastfeeding rates.
While exclusive breastfeeding is essential for babies during the first six months of their lives, most mothers end up dropping the idea thanks to their bad experiencing due to painful nipple trauma. Thompson’s method makes sure that mothers can breastfeed in the best manner at the best time.
What Are the Benefits of Thompson’s Breastfeeding Method?
Why use the Thompson method of breastfeeding? Well, here are some potential benefits that might help you decide whether you want to try it or not.
Avoid Nipple Trauma
Advocating against forceful techniques, this method helps women that are planning to give birth in a hospital. This method of breastfeeding opposes the traditional yet forceful methods of feeding and approves and offers a gentler method of breastfeeding to such women.
Forceful techniques might end up damaging your nipples, but Thompson’s method of breastfeeding makes sure you’re infant is well fed but not at the price of your comfort.
Learn About Your Body And Breast Milk
It’s not just about your breastfeeding journey, but the Thompson method program helps you gain a deeper understanding of your body, while you were pregnant, during labor, and even after birth. The Thompson method aims to reduce complications by educating women about their bodies.
Additionally, it makes sure you know the physiology and anatomy of your breasts. Moreover, the Thompson method breastfeeding program helps in fine-tuning your breastfeeding methods.
Empower Yourself
Being well-informed, many women feel empowered after understanding their bodywork. It helps women feel they are in control of whatever goes down in their bodies. Along with instilling confidence, the Thompson method breastfeeding reviews show that this technique has helped mothers quickly adapt and happily breastfeed their babies.
How to Perform Thompson’s Breastfeeding Method?
Thompson’s method of breastfeeding challenges forced feeding and highlights the ever-so-important first breastfeeding. To bring about this act, hospitals and mothers should make sure that nothing delays this precious time.
Try to feed your baby as soon as you give birth, the Thompson method of breastfeeding refers to it as the 3 golden hours. This makes sure that your baby gets the nutrition it needs as early as possible and helps avoid sore nipples. With all of that out of the way, let’s see how you can take a step toward a pain-free breastfeeding journey.
- Cradle your baby.Try to make the baby comfortable by cradling them in your arms.
- Make your baby face one breast by rolling them onto one side. You can ask anyone to help you with this.
- Align the baby with your body in a way to make adequate skin-to-skin contact. No gaps should be present between the baby’s nose and your breast.
- Let the baby locate your breast by gently stroking their cheek with it.
- Fine Tuning. Help your baby tune their position and ensure both of their cheeks are in contact with your breasts.
- Let the baby initiate the suck-and-swallow reflex. Babies are born with some innate reflexes that slowly fade away over time.
- Let the milk flow all by itself. The sucking reflex would stimulate hormone release, which might help your baby get an adequate milk supply.
- Let the baby rest and digest after they’re halfway through the feeding if needed. But make sure you let them suckle as much as they want until their tummy is full. Once done, you can let them lie down on their back.
- Alternate Between Breasts. Make sure you alternate between breasts when you’re feeding. Continuously feeding from one breast only, might end up engorging the other one.
- Keep your baby upright once you’re done feeding. This speeds up digestion and avoids reflux.
Does It Work? Is It Really Worth It?
Problematic as it may sound, many hospitals force quick deliveries and abide by protocols that might even delay breastfeeding, depriving the baby of this essential time. Thompson’s method of breastfeeding makes sure that your baby gets immediate skin-to-skin contact until after the first breastfeeding has been given.
The idea of swift in and out with shortened postnatal stay, might not seem like a big deal, but statistics point towards the contrary. Early discharges are commonly associated with interventions and resulting complications.
Not only this, but Thompson’s method also helps women through their Facebook group guiding new mothers about breastfeeding and their baby’s body and needs. This provides mothers with the support they need during the first 6 months of their little one’s life. According to the Thompson method breastfeeding reviews, many women have taken on their breastfeeding journey with sheer confidence after incorporating this method.
What to Expect When Starting Thompson’s Method?
Starting the Thompson method of breastfeeding might seem like a lot, but it goes a long way. Most mothers initiate the program once they are in their third trimester to understand better how to choose good midwives.
You might receive information regarding the method during your antenatal visits. It helps guide mothers about how the hospital might be pushing them just to fit into their plan, so keep an eye out for the perfect hospital for the delivery. You might need to stand by this method if you’re planning to, even if the hospital might push you to hurry the process.
You can check out a short postnatal video to help you figure out what to do as soon as your baby is born. According to the Thompson method of breastfeeding, you have to make sure you maintain skin contact once your baby is born until after they’ve received their first breastfeeding. Communicate with your midwife if you have any queries.
Would My Supply Run Out if I Feed Gently?
A common question among many women, it’s okay if you wonder if your milk supply would run out at some point. But in most cases, mothers worry if they’ve gone dry even when they are fine.
You might experience a decrease in milk production a few days after the birth, but this doesn’t necessarily mean you’ve run out. This occurs during the first few weeks of birth, breasts are likely to get engorged but once this subsides, the supply decreases, leaving mothers in a state of worry.
Or maybe your little one needs more milk and you’re blaming yourself for it. Your baby might be going through a growth spurt, which means they require more frequent feeds rather than heavy feeds.
Is Thompson’s Method Recommended by Doctors?
Based on research, Thompson’s method has been proven to be one of the gentlest ways to breastfeed. It helps avoid the forceful techniques practiced by most hospitals and challenges them. Providing education to mothers about their bodies, Thompson’s method of breastfeeding helps empower women all around the world.
Dr. Robyn Thompson, a Ph.D. in nipple trauma, has been working to make the lives of breastfeeding mothers around the world a bit easier. Dr. Robyn Thompson’s 7-year research revolves around the practices that fuel the incidence of nipple trauma and the need for supportive care. With 45 years of experience on the table, Dr. Robyn concluded that most women experience nipple trauma due to the forceful breastfeeding practices at hospitals that leave mothers sore and affect the baby’s health as well.
What Are the Safety Tips When Introducing Thompson’s Method?
Safety first! Here are some safety tips that might help you get started with the method.
- Trust the Process – Nothing happens overnight, so trust the process.
- Approach lactation consultants rather than a family member – In case you have an issue or query, ask a lactation consultant who might help you fine-tune your breastfeeding technique.
- Ask about medical conditions – In case there is a complication, consult your doctor and let them decide. Sometimes it is necessary to opt for intervention during labor.
- Be Gentle – Try to be gentle with your approach as slowly incorporate this method into your life.
- Consult a doctor – If the pain is unbearable, they might prescribe an ointment to help ease the pain. If you’ve noticed bleeding or trauma, consult an obstetrician as soon as possible.
Takeaway
The breastfeeding journey starts as soon as your little one steps into this world. We’ve all been told about the importance of breastfeeding but what remains untold is the struggles it brings along. From nipple trauma to breast engorgement, this journey asks for a lot, but it’s all worth it.
Adequately backed up by proof, the Thompson method of breastfeeding has been proven to be a safe approach for mothers all around the world to protect their nipples from trauma and feed their babies in the best way possible.
The Thompson method of breastfeeding encourages natural delivery and skin-to-skin contact, especially during the first three hours of birth. To put this into action, make sure you have a good staff to work with and ask the doctor for minimal interventions. You can get reviews from your friends and families to know how if a hospital is suitable for the delivery.
