5 Most Common Problems You Will Encounter When Weaning From Breastfeeding – And How To Solve Them

Just like when you were first getting the hang of breastfeeding, the journey into weaning from breastfeeding also brings with it problems, especially when weaning is being done abruptly. This article will talk about the 5 most common problems moms encounter as they wean their babies from breastfeeding.

Engorgement
This happens because your body is producing and storing more milk than what your baby is drinking. If you skip a feeding, towards your next feeding, you’ll notice that your breasts will feel full, hard and uncomfortable, even painful.

The best way to relieve engorgement is to breastfeed or to express a little milk. If you are trying to stop breastfeeding, then you should express only as much as you need to feel comfortable, but do not empty the breast. Emptying the breast will signal to your body to produce more milk.

One way to soothe pain from engorgement is to put chilled cabbage leaves on your breasts. You may also want to talk to your doctor about taking pain relievers and low-dose birth control pills to help with engorgement.

Plugged Ducts
This happens when some milk calcifies and blocks the milk ducts, so the milk from those plugged ducts cannot get out. The area where the clog is found is usually hard to the touch, swollen and sometimes, even reddish. This is common among moms who are weaning because the breasts are not being emptied of milk as often and as much as before.

The best way to relieve plugged ducts is to empty the breasts. If you are not breastfeeding, you may want to consider expressing milk. Massage the area frequently and firmly. Placing a warm compress over the affected area while expressing or breastfeeding also helps.

Mastitis
Mastitis is an infection that requires medical attention. In some cases, it may be accompanied by fever. This happens when germs from your baby’s mouse, nose or throat enters the milk ducts through fissures and openings in your breast. It may also happen when plugged ducts are not immediately resolved.

When weaning, mastitis will usually need some medical intervention in order to be resolved because you are not emptying your breast as often and as completely as before. You doctor will prescribe antibiotics to treat the infection. You will also need to rest and to eat well to boost your resistance.

Nipple Confusion
When baby is used to being breastfed by you, they may initially refuse to feed from a bottle. This is called nipple confusion.

Some moms address nipple confusion by making sure that the things that are associated with breastfeeding are taken out when the bottle is being introduced. For example, instead of feeding in the place where you would normally breastfeed your baby, feed the bottle in a different area of the house. Or if your baby is used to being breastfed by you, you might want to try having somebody else give the bottle. That way, the baby isn’t confused by your presence and insist on breastfeeding.

The most important thing to note is that drinking from the bottle is different from breastfeeding. Your baby needs time to adjust and to learn this new way of feeding. So if your baby doesn’t immediately take to breastfeeding, don’t worry. With a little coaxing, they’ll be able to learn it eventually.

Allergies
When babies are being switched from breast milk to formula, and even to solid foods, allergies may occur. This is because, unlike your breast milk which is the perfect food for your baby, your baby’s body may not be able to tolerate some of the components of formula and some solid food.

This is why it is always best to check with your doctor to find out what alternatives you should give your baby when you decide to wean them from breastfeeding. Keep a close eye on your baby whenever new food is tried. When trying new food, it pays to introduce 1 kind of food at a time, over a period of 3 to 5 days so that you can be certain that your baby is not allergic to that kind of food. Only when you are certain that they will not cause allergies to your baby should you combine foods to give to your baby.

Weaning isn’t as simple as just stopping breastfeeding. To know more about how our bodies work and how to wean gently and safely, I recommend Wendi Blaire's “Hello Milk, Bye-Bye Milk: An Expert Mom's Ultimate Guide to Breastfeeding and Weaning”. Her book deals extensively with the problems moms might encounter during the weaning process, and includes a host of expert tips and advice on how to go through this phase with the least amount of discomfort and pain for you and your baby.

You can learn more about her book here: Hello Milk, Bye-Bye Milk

Smoking Before or During Pregnancy

If you are a smoker and are thinking of becoming pregnant, the first step you must take is to stop smoking. If you're like most smokers, you may have thought of or tried to quit before. However, if you are pregnant or trying to conceive, it is now necessary not only to think about your health but the health of your unborn child. Smoke can effect both child development and future growth.

About 13% of women in the United States smoke during pregnancy. This is a shocking number when you consider that there would be an estimated reduction of 10% in infant mortality, if these women had quit.

Cigarette smoke contains thousands of chemicals - some 2,500 chemicals have entered your baby’s bloodstream with every puff of a cigarette. Nicotine, tar and carbon monoxide are the most dangerous and toxic to the fetus, affecting the most critical stages of development, while inside the womb.

Even if you do not smoke, the child may be affected by a mother who is often exposed to cigarette smoke. Passive smoking can be just as harmful to both mother and baby. A woman who smokes or is exposed to frequent second-hand smoke is more likely to have a baby born with low birth weight and stunted growth. The sooner a woman quits or stays away from passive smoking, the greater the chances of good health for her and her baby.

Smoking has been associated with a higher risk of ectopic pregnancy, which is when the embryo is implanted in the fallopian tube instead of the uterus. When this happens, medication must be taken to remove the embryo or in the worst case, the tube is removed surgically. Smoking can also increase the risk of stillbirth, miscarriage and vaginal bleeding, which is sometimes severe enough to harm the child.

Smoking during pregnancy can make the child develop more slowly, increasing the risk of low birth weight and the risk of preterm birth (the baby is delivered before 37 weeks of gestation) by 30%. You may also see an abnormalitiy such as cleft lip, cleft palate or other congenital defects. Also, infants born to smoking mothers are more likely to die from SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome), and can have a higher probability of developing asthma, behavioral problems and learning disabilities due to the slowdown in growth development.

It is clear that smoking during pregnancy - or being exposed to second-hand smoke,while pregnant can seriously affect you and your baby during pregnancy and early years of his life.

To learn of other important factors that can affect your pregnancy and ability to get pregnant, read the international best selling ebook, Personal Path to Pregnancy. 

Folic Acid and Pregnancy

One of the first things your doctor will tell you if you are trying to conceive or if you have recently discovered that you’re pregnant is you should take more folic acid. Folic acid can be found in a number of foods, including cereals and dark leafy greens. It’s very difficult to get adequate folic acid from food, so it’s important to take a good multivitamin containing folic acid to prevent serious birth defects such as spina bifida.

Before conception, it can be extremely easy to take folic acid for the health of your baby and a better pregnancy.

So what is folic acid? 
Often called folate, it is a B vitamin that can be found in green leafy vegetables like kale and spinach and orange juice. If you receive 400 micrograms of folic acid, or 4 milligrams of folic acid before conception, it can significantly reduce the risk of some types of neural tube defects.

One of the most common birth defect is spina bifida, which is an incomplete closure of the spinal cord and column. Taking folic acid can help reduce this problem significantly.

In addition, anencephaly, which is a serious underdevelopment of the brain, and encephalocele, which is when brain tissue protrudes through an opening in the skin abnormally, can both be reduced through the intake of folic acid. And all these anomalies occur in the first month of pregnancy, which is usually well before a woman knows she is pregnant. Therefore, intake of folic acid before the woman is pregnant is of utmost importance.

Only about 50% of pregnancies are planned, so intake of folic acid is important for anyone who wants or is considering conception in the future. Although the reasons why folic acid is so great at reducing the risk of these birth defects has not been explained, we know that it plays an important role in cell growth and development.

Learn more about folic acid and pregnancy plus all the other important vitamins necessary when trying to conceive by reading Personal Path to Pregnancy, the International best-selling fertlity guide.

How to use the Conception Calendar

Menstrual cycles vary from one woman to another. Many women have shorter or longer cycles. An average cycle takes 28 to 32 days. Since these cycles vary, some women may have miscalculated their cycle.

Ovulation tracking is an efficient method of determining whether you are pregnant. Giving birth is an influential event to every human being. Evolution of technology has made this event important by analyzing menstrual cycles of women. Those with shorter cycles of 28 days can calculate their fertility by adding 14 days to the initial period of menstruation. A point to note is that those with irregular periods may find it difficult to determine ovulation times.

Advanced Women's Calendar is a conception calculator that estimate a conception date and due dates for the baby.

The calendar gives guidance on:

Birth Control

Calculating a woman's safe days can be easy when you are not on the pill. This program calculates these days by analyzing your periods. This software calculates your safe days by displaying them using a color coded grid. Your unsafe days will take a different color coding.

Conception

Chances of conception are high when you are ovulating. Remember that this software is supposed to calculate the likelihood of getting pregnant. You only need to enter the relevant information, and it will calculate the fertile period and any information about your menstrual cycle. After the calculation, this calendar will display the results through a color coded calendar. The sex of the baby can also be predetermined using this software.

For more info and/or to download The Advanced Women's Calendar, click here !

The Key Features of "The Advanced Women's Calendar"

If you do not have plans of conceiving, the software will estimate your safe days. This is an ancient and efficient birth control method known to man. It dates back to early civilization where conventional birth control drugs were not available. Advanced Woman Calendar results can be printed out and the hard copy filed for future reference.

The key features of this software are:

• It is an ovulation predictor
• It calculates safe and unsafe days
• Calculates an opportune time for conception
• It requires log in credentials to grant access to personal files
• It can track menstrual anomalies
• It comes with reminders and alerts
• Can estimate fertility records based on the menstrual cycle.
• Color coded display for easy digestion
• The calendar can be viewed on line or printed on a hard copy
• Helps in determining the sex of the baby

The Advanced Women's Calendar lets you know when you may have made love and when you got pregnant. The baby's due date is calculated by adding 38 weeks to the ovulation date.
For more info and/or to download The Advanced Women's Calendar, click here !

The Real Cause of Infertility

Infertility can be defined in two ways: as inability to conceive after a year of regular sexual intercourse without contraception, or as repeated ectopic pregnancies, miscarriages or perinatal loss. Male and female specific factors account for about 30% of the infertility causes (individually);the combination of male and female causation leads to an additional 20% and the remaining 20% are caused by uncertain origins.

When one is dealing with infertility, as much as it is important to strictly follow the rules of the treatment, it is equally important to make sure that you have the correct diagnosis of the root cause of your condition. In this article you will find a broad outline, enumerating the various probable causes of infertility.

Why it is important to determine the causes.

Infertility may be caused due to a multitude of factors at a time, or it may be the result of perhaps the deviation of a certain single factor from its premeditated path. Since misdiagnosis can often lead to further fertility complications, the very first step of treating and curing infertility depends largely on indentifying the root cause right in the beginning of treatment.

The broad causes of infertility in females may be listed as follows:

Anovulation:
In females, ovulatory problems are the most common causes of infertility. The failure to ovulate may be due to a number of factors:

• Hormonal imbalance is the most frequent cause of anovulation; when the ovaries produce immature eggs, pregnancy becomes impossible.


• Women with polycystic ovaries suffer from a decreased secretion of FSH and increased secretion of LH and testosterone; therefore polycystic ovarian syndrome may lead to anovulation in women.


• Approximately 20% of the cases of infertility occur due to the malfunctioning of the hypothalamus, the gland which controls hormonal stimuli, resulting in immature eggs. The pituitary gland is responsible for the regulation of LH and FSH, and its malfunctioning produces immature eggs.


• Damage to the ovaries caused by previous surgeries, ovarian cysts, tumors and infections may lead to production of immature eggs as well.


• Premature menopause and follicular problems are also responsible for anovulation.

Improper functioning of fallopian tubes:
Viral and bacterial infections of the fallopian tubes are the primary cause of their malfunction.

Appendicitis and colitis are abdominal problems which lead to blockage of the fallopian tubes. Tubal damages may also be caused by previous surgeries, which render the tubes incapable of passing eggs. Ectopic pregnancy, which occurs within the tube, is a potential threat to life that also causes tubal damage. Congenital tubal defects are rare, but not impossible to come across as causes of infertility.

• Use of drugs:
  Smoking, drinking and using other drugs have been known to decrease the chances of getting pregnant.


• Problems in the Immune system:
  This problem includes autoimmune reactions in the body and the creation of antisperm antibodies which exterminate sperms. Natural killer cells, which when present in excess, can damage the embryo in the uterus. The antinuclear antibodies cause inflammation of the uterus when present in excess. The presence of antisperm antibodies in the female's body kills off the sperms before they can fertilize the egg.

Although the causes of infertility are many, they are fairly easy to overcome, especially when diagnosed in the early stages. Using a holistic approach, comprising of the prescribed medicines, following a healthy diet, regular exercise, abstinence from alcohol, nicotine and other drugs, stress management, acupuncture etc. guarantees positive results. Due to the complex and multifactoral nature of infertility, the problem can be solved permanently only by dealing with it in the holistic way, which tackles all the root causes of this condition rather than focusing on specific triggering elements.

This article is based on the book, "Pregnancy Miracle" by Lisa Olson. Lisa is an author, researcher, nutritionist and health consultant who dedicated her life to creating the ultimate pregnancy solution guaranteed to permanently reverse the root of infertility, help you get pregnant quickly and naturally and dramatically improve the overall quality of your life, without the use prescription medication and without any surgical procedures. Learn more by visiting her website, to visit, just click here

Ovulation Cycle

Knowing the science behind your cycle of ovulation may help to understand better when you can be more fertile and have the best chance of conceiving. Although it happens every month, the ovulation cycle is unique, customized for your body and influenced by what is happening in your daily life. Things like stress and big changes in your normal routine can lead to a significant change in the ovulation cycle, which can be painful when you are trying to conceive.

The first part of the cycle of ovulation is the follicular phase. From the first day of the menstrual period, this phase continues until ovulation occurs. This part of the cycle may last 7-40 days, and may vary due to many factors such as age, stress, illness, travel, etc.

The second part of the cycle is called the luteal phase and begins the day of ovulation until the first day of your period. This is a more precise chronology and usually lasts between 12 to 16 days after the day of ovulation. With this in mind, you can try to reduce the amount of stress and changes in your routines only during the ovulation phase, because ovulation is highly influenced by these factors.

How do you know when you ovulating? One way to keep track is through the study and monitoring of cervical mucus and/or basal body temperature to determine when ovulation occurs. Once you know your particular pattern, you can monitor every month to track your times of fertility. With this knowledge, you can time your “baby-making” sessions and then look for any early symptoms of pregnancy two weeks later. Of course, how often and when will be the best time to get pregnant may be different for different people depending on their unique personal circumstances.

If the egg is not fertilized during the ovulation cycle, you will see the hormone levels drop significantly and the uterine lining begins to shed. This will be about 12 to 16 days after ovulation and is cycle day one of your period. Once this happens, a whole new ovulation cycle begins. Although this seems confusing and complicated at first, understanding your ovulation cycle will enable you to have the best chance of conceiving fast.

For detailed information to help you gain a more in depth understanding, read Personal Path to Pregnancy, the international best-selling ebook, click here for more info

Boost Your Fertility by Combating Estrogen Excess the Bane of All Infertility

Estrogen (estradiol) is the hormone that is responsible for majority of the cases of infertility in both male and female. Estrogen dominance relative to progesterone and or testosterone is the major hormonal imbalance in infertility treatment. Every other symptoms or manifestation of infertility stems from hormonal imbalance. This is exactly what most fertility doctors and reproductive endocrinologists ignore to master. You must realign these hormones in proper balance to boost fertility. For infertile women, estrogen must be balanced with progesterone while infertile men must balance estrogen with testesterone.

Both men and women consume environmental toxins in their food and drink which are loaded with estrogens. In addition, women make a lot of endogenous estrogens while men above 40 aromatize testosterone back to estrogen and dehydro-testesterone. Estrogen excess causes several known female infertility issues like fibroid tumors, uterine polyps, endometriosis, adenomyosis, endometrial hyperplasia, anovulation, primary ovarian failure, ovarian cysts (polycystic ovary disease), luteal phase defect, and tubal blockage. On the other hand, the male infertility factors like poor sperm profile is caused by lack of testesterone (stimulate sperm production) relative to dorminant estrogen (from aromatization of testosterone) which suppress male potency.

Unlike testesterone, estrogen is a group of three hormones: estriol (good estrogen), estrone (bad estrogen), and estradiol (the real bad and ugly estrogen). By the way hormones are chemical messengers that power cellular function. They are produced by endocrine or ductless glands that secret these chemicals directly into the blood stream. Hormones like estrogen and progesterone are secreted by some glands but exert their effect in other organs that has surface proteins called receptors. The receptors are like lock while the hormones behave like keys. Therefore, estrogen has its receptors in reproductive organs like ovary, uterus, birth canal, breast, and falopian tubes. Other estrogen receptors include the fat cells, liver, brain, and thyroid gland.

Estrogen can come from diet or is made from within the body (endogenous estrogens). Exogenous estrogens come from food sources like soy which has isoflavons and genistein which are forms of plant estrogen called phytoestrogen. Flax, carrot, red rasberry, black cohosh, and squash are all forms of estrogens. Other sources of estrogen are meat and dairy loaded with bovine growth hormones. Zenoestrogens are names given to estrogens from petroleum products (organophosphates), pesticides, dioxins, insecticides, herbicides, and synthetic fertilizers (especially by eating genetically modified foods).

Another source of estrogen is myco-estrogens which comes from the colon through the activity of candida. Yeast come from bread, nuts, seeds and packaged foods. Yeast crave sugars and multiply in seconds to produce estrogens called mycoestrogens. And because yeast is saprophytes, they coexist with bad bacteria (anaerobes) in the colon. The bad bacteria include bacteriodes, clostridium and E.coli. These bad bacteria produce an enzyme called glucuronidase which makes it hard to eliminate used estrogen from the liver. Therefore, they raise estrogen level indirectly.

Having related all these, to boost fertility and combat infertility, estrogen dominance must be controlled for the infertility to turn to conception. Estrogen elimination must take a multi-pronged approach at five cardinal places:

Liver Detoxification: 
Aggressive cleansing detoxification of sluggish liver is necessary. The Chinese believe that it is the liver that controls ovulation. Yes, if you don't make the eggs, you are not going to make the babies. You detoxify the liver with liver friendly fruits and vegetables. The chief of which is green leafy vegetables and bitters. The list include watercress, dandelion greens, cucumbers, lemon juice, lecithin, B-complex vitamins, milk thistle, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower and NAC (N-acetyl cysteine).

Colon Cleansing: 
Do a special type of colon cleanse with saline laxative like Epsom salt, olive oil and lemon juice. Added to that are anti-yeast herbs like caprylic acid, oil of oregano, and pau d'arco. More vital is to eliminate beta glucuronidase enzymes that prevents phase II liver detoxification and elimination of estrogen with calcium d-glucarate. D-glucarate breaks down glucuronidase produced by the bad bacteria in the colon. They preserve glucuronic acid which is necessary for conjugation and elimination of spent estrogen in the liver. Otherwise estrogen is reabsorbed into the circulation where it goes back and causes further harm.

Aromatization Blocker (Aromatase Inhibitors): 
Aromatization is a process of turning one hormone into another. Testesterone is responsible for both male and female libido. It is also necessary to stimulate sperm production in males. Therefore, aromatase inhibitor will prevent testesterone from turning into harmful estrogen. An aromatase inhibitor is also necessary in blocking testesterone from turning into dehydrotestesterone which is the hormone responsible for hair loss in both male and females. Dehydrotestesterone (and estrogen) are also responsible for prostate cancer in males. By the way, prostate is the male equivalent to the uterus. MYOMIN is the ultimate aromatase inhibitor. Myomin is a blend of four Chinese herbs developed by Dr. Chi who was a researcher with the Park Davis Drug Company. Myomin is also anti-inflammatory and can stimulate interleukin 6 (IL6) and tumor necrosis factor that can shrink fibroids and ovarian cysts. Combating inflammation is central to any disease management. Myomin can also blocks estrogen receptors.

Estrogen Receptor Blockers: 
You must block estrogen at the receptor sites. Without receptors, estrogens will no have any effect at the target organs. Receptors are surface proteins that modulate the internal activities of estrogens to minimize their damaging effects. Myomin is a non-selective estrogen receptor blocker. It is better than tamoxifen which is a selective estrogen receptor blocker and only works in the breast and not the reproductive organs and fat cells. By the way fat cells manufacture estrogens themselves and myomin can block this process also.

Dissolve the Tumor or Fibrosis: 
This is necessary because the causes of infertility is due to women fibrosis diseases which hamper chances of fertility. Tumors or cyst anywhere in the body is unacceptable. Excess estrogen is free radical generating, inflammatory, fibrosis-forming and carcinogenic. Myomin is also great here because it can balance hormones especially with DIIM (diindolemethane). However, the infertile surfferer need a blend fibrinolytic enzymes. Fribrin is a type of protein that cause problem and mount immune response that cause most infertility problems.

These include uterine fibroids, endometriosis, ovarian cysts, polyps and cancers. Vitalzym is the enzyme of choice. It contains a blend of proteolytic or protein eating enzymes that dissolve all these tumors regards of where they are in the body. These enzymes also clean the blood, modulate the hormones, clean out bacteria and viruses and regulate the blood PH. Myomin and DIIM can stop series of miscarriages which is a form of inflammatory response and fetus rejection. Obstetricians in Europe use myomin to stop miscarriages (regarded as a type of infertility if it occurs three or more times).

In a nutshell, to combat infertility and boost fertility due to estrogen excess, you must clean the liver and colon by aggressive detoxification, add calcium d-glucarate to the mix. You must further block estrogen at the receptor sites, use aromatase inhibitors like MYOMIN and DIIM. To cap it up, use a systemic proteolytic enzyme blend like Vitalzym to eat up any tumor or growth that is already generated by excess estrogens. Yes, hormonal balance is necessary for the man to remain potent and for the woman to conceive a baby. These five outlined mechanisms enhance the harmonious dance of steroids (sex hormones) that sets the stage for fertility and potency. Any treatment that can boost fertility can cure infertility.