Breastfeeding tips for mothers and infants with diabetes

Breastfeeding offers innumerable health benefits to the baby and mother, more so in babies of diabetic mothers. Hence, she should definitely breastfeed. Insulin or other anti-diabetic drugs can affect blood sugar levels in the mother. Most of them do not enter breastmilk, so they don't affect the baby. Insulin plays an important role in breastmilk production. In diabetes, either insulin is not produced (Type 1) or impaired response to insulin (Type 2).There can be some delay in Stage 2 Lactogenesis, when breastmilk production increases. This can be managed by early skin to skin contact with the baby, early and frequent breastfeeding and careful monitoring of the infant. · Breastfeeding improves glucose metabolism during the early postpartum period and helps in maintaining normal blood glucose levels and early remission in gestational diabetes. · Breastfeeding reduces insulin or oral anti-diabetic drug requirement. · Breastfeeding reduces risk of developing Type 2 diabetes in cases of gestational diabetes by seven times. · Breastfeeding helps in losing weight. Nearly 500 calories per day are burned by exclusive breastfeeding and thus helps to achieve better glucose control. · Breastfeeding reduces the risk of breast cancer and ovarian cancer. · Breastfeeding helps to lower postpartum blood loss, delay menses. · Breastfeeding releases the oxytocin hormone, which is known to elevate mood and reduce stress. · Helps in reducing obesity which is a great risk for developing diabetes and other metabolic disease. · Reduces chances of developing Type 2 diabetes by 33 per cent. · Protects against diarrhea, respiratory infections, ear infections. · Protects against certain childhood cancers such as leukaemia, lymphoma. · Helps in better brain development. Breastfed babies have higher IQ by 6 points than non-breastfed ones. · Increased risk of developing low blood sugar levels in babies born of diabetic mothers. · Mother-Baby separation, since newborns are often kept in NICU as they have a high chance of developing low blood sugar level. This can delay initiation of breastfeeding. · Overzealous use of formula or top milk in newborns due to risk of developing low blood sugar levels. · Insulin is very important for breast milk production and so diabetes can affect production of milk initially. · Raised blood sugar level in mothers can predispose her to risk of developing bacterial breast infection, that is, mastitis or fungal breast infection or thrush. · Fluctuating blood sugar levels in the mother and chances of hypoglycaemia or low blood sugar levels. Give the baby plenty of skin-to-skin contact, which helps in maintaining temperature, blood pressure and heart rate in the newborn. It reduces birthing stress and helps to stabilise the infant's blood sugar levels. Initiate breastfeeding as early as possible as this will help in achieving better latching and also maintain sugar levels. Offer expressed colostrum to the baby if direct latching is not possible. Regular monitoring of sugar level in mothers is recommended. Breastfeeding is known to improve glucose metabolism and hence requirement of insulin or other oral drugs reduce with breastfeeding so work out the dose modification of insulin and other oral drugs accordingly. Regular monitoring of baby in initial days after birth.Keep a count of urine output, activity level. Observe for latching and effective transfer of milk .Supplement with expressed breastmilk if latching is suboptimal. Monitoring of blood sugar level in baby. Also, make sure to have healthy, low-carb meals at regular interval. Keep some healthy snacks by the bedside. (The writer is MD Pediatrics, CLEC (California),IBCLC.) DailyhuntDisclaimer: This story is auto-aggregated by a computer program and has not been created or edited by Dailyhunt. Publisher: The Indian Expresshttp://holocaustmusic.org/UserProfile/tabid/57/userId/822925/Default.aspx