Photo by Sophie, scol22, sxc.hu

It’s a known phenomenon that breastfeeding provides pain relief. Nursing also provides a welcome distraction from the injury, and comforts the child through the rhythmic sucking and through close contact with the mother.

I had the unfortunate opportunity to be reminded of all this the other day. My 8-month-old was standing up on the carpeted bathroom floor and holding on to the side of the bathtub. She lost her footing and struck her upper lip on the side of the tub! I couldn’t tell the extent of her injuries, but I could see blood in her mouth as she cried. I latched her right on and she quickly calmed down. Soon she had settled enough for me to get a peek inside her mouth. Not only did she have a fat lip, she also had a tear in what Dr. Google tells me is the “upper labial frenum” — the bit of skin that connects the gum to the upper lip. There was quite a bit of blood, enough for my daughter to be disturbed by it, and nursing definitely comforted her. I doubt the sucking aggravated the bleeding given the location of the injury, and I know that breast milk has antimicrobial properties that help injuries heal! So, it was win-win-win with an easily soothed baby, a swift means to assessing the injury, and breast milk to help heal the wound!

Has nursing ever come to your rescue?

Post from: Breastfeeding 1-2-3

One simple–and free–option is to breastfeed an infant while the shot is administered, a technique advocated by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

On a friend’s advice, Jennifer Astman of Santa Monica, Calif., decided to nurse her 2-month-old son while he was given three vaccinations earlier this year. She told the nurse about her plan, and the nurse was fine with it, she says. “I was so focused that I didn’t get a chance to get upset,” says Ms. Astman, who was very nervous going into the appointment, “and as a result the baby was more calm.”

Chernova, Yuliya. “Just a Spoonful of Sugar…” Wall Street Journal. B9-B10 (April 3, 2007).

I first learned of this technique from my childhood friend Jen (remember the “Cheap and Easy” one?) I’m sorry to say though that when I attempted to nurse my baby while shots were administered, the nurse barked a stern warning at me, “She’ll bite you!” Why I listened to her I’ll never know. It’s highly unlikely my avid nurser would bite and even less likely she’d break the skin. Lesson learned and I will use that memory to remind myself to speak out in favor of breastfeeding and to stick up for what’s best for my baby.

The notion that breastfeeding helps with pain management is rooted in science. The BBC reports that breastfeeding relieved pain from a needle prick for blood testing better than swaddling, using a pacifier or giving a placebo.

The researchers say that the key to the effect of breastfeeding may be that an infant simply draws comfort from the close proximity of its mother.

Alternatively, breastfeeding may help to divert attention away from the pain of a needle prick.

They also suggest that the sweetness of breast milk may be a factor.

Another theory is that breast milk contains a high concentration of a chemical which could ultimately trigger the production of natural painkillers called endorphins.

“Breastfeeding ‘kills baby’s pain.’” BBC News. (July 19, 2006).

Post from: Breastfeeding 1-2-3