Baby Skin: Skin is the most important factor, despite their adaptability to new conditions. The skin is red, which offers irritation and infection at each contact. Therefore, it is best for washing fabrics with special detergents. Children’s skin loses moisture quickly, and it takes time to absorb and retain moisture when necessary. Therefore, leave the child with a cold or warm bath everyday perfume is indicative, but may, on the days other alternative. New Born Baby-Care soft so it needs special treatment. This is the best way to protect children against bacterial infections using napkins child at home cleaning and diapers for less.

Umbilical cord blood: before and after the fall, the area around the umbilical cord should be clean with a soft cotton sanitary alcohol enforcement.

Attn: Chief conductor very sensitive to soften the hair to keep clean using only natural skin baby shampoo in May of the same product. The meat of the scalp is an area protected from abuse if no padding around it.

Heat rash (skin rash on the baby) and baby sunburn: the skin learns to adapt to new surroundings and that there is nothing to fear. Some keep their children away from direct sunlight for long periods should be avoided as far for care for a child from exposure to heat. Adequate protection of children, perhaps cheaper clothing for children climate is a useful, if the mother.

Acne and cradle for baby caps: Baby Acne can be the consequences for the first two or three months, but less to treat those infected. It is under the protection of child domestic baths and regular maintenance of natural therapies. Cradle cap should be consistent with a soft brush to clean the use of certain herbal moisturizer. It is better to use natural products of child avoid synthetic products such as powder, supplemented with organic Skincare treatments to prevent dry skin.

Caring for newborns, not all that easy for everyone. The newborn baby care skills to parents, especially mothers, to learn how to care for newborns.

The common condition these people share is lactose intolerance. That means they don’t properly digest lactose, which is milk sugar found in all milk products. This problem is usually due to a shortage of the enzyme lactase, which normally breaks down milk sugar in the small intestine into simple parts that can be absorbed into the bloodstream. The end result of this lactase deficiency may be gas, stomach pains, bloating, and diarrhea. The severity of the symptoms varies from person to person.

Who is lactose intolerant? It’s not an equal opportunity problem. It affects some ethnic groups much more than others. The National Institute of Diabetes & Digestive & Kidney Diseases estimates that 75 percent of African-American, Jewish, Native-American, and Mexican-American adults and 90 percent of Asian-American adults have this condition. Only about 10 to 15 percent of adult Caucasians are lactase deficient, says David Alpers, M.D., a professor of medicine and chief of the Gastroenterology Division at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. Though you may not fall into any of these categories, keep in mind that as we get older, we all lose some of the ability to digest lactose in milk.

Some people figure out that they are lactose intolerant on their own; for others, it takes a trip to a doctor to pinpoint the problem. “Among the black or Asian community, it’s kind of folk ? wisdom that these people don’t do well with milk, so they tend not to drink as much,” says Alpers. On the other hand, he says, “There’s also a significant number of people who are having symptoms from milk sugar and really have no idea of what the problem is.”If you suspect you may be lactose intolerant but you’re not sure, it may be worth a visit to a physician to rule out other possible problems. Once you know that you are indeed lactose intolerant, you may want to follow these helpful tips to ease your symptoms:

Determine your level of lactose intolerance. The degree of intolerance differs with each person. The easiest way to do this is first to get all lactose out of your system. “That means having no dairy food and no lactose for about three to four weeks,” says Jane Zukin, author of The Dairy-Free Cookbook and editor of The Newsletter for People with Lactose Intolerance and Milk Allergies. Then start with very small quantities of milk or cheese. Monitor your symptoms to see how much or how little dairy food you can handle. Once you know your limits, management becomes a little easier.

Stick with small servings. While you may not be able to tolerate an eight-ounce glass of milk all at once, you may feel fine drinking a third of a cup in the morning, a third of a cup in the afternoon, and a third of a cup at night. “If you have ‘x’ amount of lactase enzyme in your body that can only digest `x’ amount of lactose, it will be easier if you take in less lactose over a longer period of time than if you overload,” says Zukin.

Don’t eat dairy foods alone. If you eat some cheese or drink a little milk, plan to do so with a meal or a snack. “Having more in your stomach to digest slows the digestive process and may ease your symptoms,” says Zukin.

Color your milk chocolate. A study by researcher Chong Lee at the University of Rhode Island in Kingston found that 35 lactose-intolerant people digested more lactose when they drank milk with?cocoa and sugar added than they did when they drank plain milk. They also experienced less bloating and fewer cramps. No one is sure why this is so, but Alpers says it may be because “chocolate delays the emptying of your stomach.” A slower emptying rate may mean fewer symptoms.

Supplement your diet. Lactase-enzyme supplements can supply your body with some of what it lacks. They’re sold in tablet or liquid form, without a prescription. The tablets are chewed with or right after you consume a dairy product; you add the drops directly to milk. “These work quite well for some people,” says Zukin. You can also try lactose-reduced milk.

Try yogurt. “By and large, lactose intolerant people tolerate yogurt pretty well,” says Alpers. This holds true, however, only for yogurt with active cultures, which you may have to buy in a health-food store. If you can tolerate yogurt, it’s to your advantage to include it in your diet, because this creamy food is a great source of calcium.

Choose hard cheeses. If you find yourself drawn to the cheese aisle at your grocery store, pick hard, aged cheeses such as Swiss, cheddar, or?Colby, advises Elyse Sosin, R.D., Supervisor of Clinical Nutrition at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York. They contain less lactose than soft cheeses.

Avoid processed foods. Lactose is used in a lot of processed foods where you might not expect to find it. “It’s best for people to stick to as much fresh food as possible, and skip the cans, frozen foods, and stuff?that comes out of a box,” says Zukin. One added benefit to this strategy: You’ll be eating a healthier diet.

Get calcium from other foods. Lactose intolerant people, especially women and children, should make sure their calcium intake doesn’t plunge. Green, leafy vegetables, such as collard greens, kale, turnip greens, and chinese cabbage (bok choy), as well as oysters, sardines, canned salmon with the bones, and tofu, provide lots of calcium. If your diet is calcium poor, you may want to take calcium supplements; talk to your doctor for a recommendation on proper dosage.

Watch out for medications. Lactose is used as a filler in more than 20 percent of prescription drugs (including many types of birth control pills) and in about 6 percent of over-the-counter medicines. This may not matter to someone who takes medication only occasionally, but Zukin says, “for the person who takes medication on a regular basis, this can be a problem.” Complicating matters is the fact that lactose may not be listed under the inactive ingredients on the label. To find out if what you’re taking contains lactose, Zukin advises first seeking help from your doctor. You might also check with your pharmacist or write directly to the drug manufacturer.

Everybody handles excess stress differently. ?Some people develop an ulcer, some people develop high blood pressure, and some people grind or clench their teeth.

Stress, it’s now believed, is the major cause of grinding and clenching, say dental researchers. In the past, a malocclusion (the way your teeth fit together) got the blame, and dentists would grind the teeth down, trying to readjust the bite.

In a small percentage of cases, sleep patterns are responsible, says Daniel M. Laskin, D.D.S., M.S., professor and chairman of the Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery and director of the TMJ and Facial Pain Research Center at the Medical College of Virginia in Richmond. The reasons children grind remain unclear.

The problem with bruxism, as the habit of grinding and clenching is called, is the wear and tear on your teeth. “It can wear away tooth enamel, causing decay and sensitive teeth,” says Laskin. Expensive dental work can get destroyed in the process, too. “And, you can get aching jaw muscles, which may be confused with pain in the joint and the symptoms of temporomandibular [jaw] joint disorder [TMJ],” Laskin adds.

Prolonged grinding may damage the jaw joint enough to cause osteoarthritis, says John D. Rugh, Ph.D., professor in the Department of Orthodontics and director of research for the Dental School at the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. And it can increase bone loss in periodontal (gum) disease, although it does not actually cause gum disease.

You may inherit the tendency to grind, says Rugh. Three times as many women as men brux, says Thomas F. Truhe, D.D.S., co-director of the Princeton Dental Resource Center in New Jersey. Bruxism is most common in those between 20 and 40 years of age.

Ironically, the regular grinder may do less harm than the intermittent grinder?sort of like the weekend athlete who’s not in shape for intense activity. The regular grinder can wear down teeth, but his or her muscles get stronger from the habit, says Laskin.

Clenching may do more harm than grinding, adds Laskin. “Your jaws are constructed for bruxing, or chewing, but clenching loads the joint isometrically and can end up causing degenerative changes in the joint.”

People who grind are usually aware of their habit, too, says Laskin. They wake up with a stiff or tired jaw, or their spouse hears the noise during the night. Clenchers, on the other hand, may be ignorant of their problem. “If you notice the pain gets worse as the day goes on, then you’re doing something in the daytime,” says Laskin.

Here’s what you can do to try to stop bruxing and to cope with discomfort until you do:

Wear a night guard. Your dentist can make a plastic or acrylic appliance for you to wear at night. It will redistribute the forces from grinding and protect your teeth from damage. “It’s a little like banging your head against the wall and putting a pillow between your head and the wall so it doesn’t hurt anymore,” says Rugh. Opinions are divided as to whether it will actually keep you from grinding. Your dentist will want to see you regularly to check for any tooth movement or cavities that might result from wearing such an appliance. Keep in mind, however, that in order for the night guard to do any good, you must remember to put it in.

Keep your lips sealed, but your teeth apart. Your teeth should be touching only when you’re chewing or swallowing. Drop your jaw and feel the muscles relax?then try to maintain that feeling.

Take a warm bath before bedtime. You may temporarily relax your jaw muscles, although they may not stay that way, says Laskin.

Exercise. Your body, not your jaw, that is. A walk or other mild exercise may help relieve some of the tension and stress that’s causing bruxism, says Rugh.

Remind yourself. If you’re a daytime clencher, you can put a red dot on your phone, stickers on your wristwatch, or even a string on your finger to remind you to keep your jaw relaxed, says Rugh.

Relieve stress. “Change jobs, get a divorce, get married, move the kids out, but if you can relieve stress, you can relieve the bruxism,” says Rugh.

“Don’t forget that good things as well as bad things can cause stress,” says Laskin. “I’ve had patients say they don’t have any stress, then they go on to say they’ve got a wonderful husband, two kids, a great job, they’re active in the PTA, they do this and that, and it’s all good, but it’s overload.”

Learn coping skills. See a psychologist or psychiatrist. Take an assertiveness training course. Practice techniques such as progressive relaxation or guided imagery or self-hypnosis. Listen to relaxation tapes. In other words, find something that helps you to better handle the stress in your life.

Take a mild analgesic. Ibuprofen, for example, can dull the pain and help relax stiff muscles.

Apply heat. Warm, moist heat is best. The simplest method: Soak a washcloth in hot water, wring it out, and hold it up to your jaw. You can use a heating pad, although moist heat will penetrate better. A hot shower’s nice, too. “Think of these muscles like the baseball pitcher treats the sore muscles in his pitching arm,” suggests Truhe.

Massage. It works for the rest of your body, so try a gentle massage to your jaw muscles.

Give your jaw muscles a break. Avoid the steak, the hard-crusted bread, and the popcorn for a while. “Your muscles aren’t able to tolerate that much activity,” says Laskin. Chewing gum’s a no-no, too, if your jaw muscles ache.

Before you pick up a cotton swab or car key to wage war on the wax in your ears, you need to know which side of the battle you’re on.

Earwax is formed in the outer part of the ear canal. Normally, earwax is good for the skin in the outer ear canal. It becomes a problem only when the ear canal is almost completely blocked by wax, preventing the entry of air and sound and preventing the escape of trapped fluid. Here’s how to deal safely with earwax.

Respect its role. The skin in the ear canal has special modified sweat glands that produce earwax. This wax acts as a trap for dust and other particles that might find their way into your ear and cause injury, irritation, or infection. It also contains enzymes to help fight bacteria. In addition, it “waterproofs” the skin of the ear canal, protecting it from water damage, which would make the skin susceptible to infections such as swimmer’s ear. Earwax doesn’t need to be removed under normal circumstances?it’s there naturally as a barrier against injury and infection. Only when there is evidence of hearing loss or discomfort should it be attended to. “This is certainly an instance when the old adage holds true: ‘If it’s not broke, don’t fix it,” says Daniel Kuriloff, M.D., associate director of the Department of Otolaryngology?Head and Neck Surgery at St. Luke’s?Roosevelt Hospital Center in New York. In fact, without wax, or with a diminished amount of it, the inside of your ears would become dry and itchy.

Wipe it out. Usually, wax accumulates a little at a time, gradually dries up, and rolls out of your ear on its own, carrying all the foreign matter with it. Sometimes, however, the wax moves to the outside of the ear canal more slowly. In this case, you can simply wipe off the wax once it becomes visible. “If you look in the mirror and see little dried-up bits of yellowish matter, you should take a piece of cotton moistened with water to wash it away,”?advises Jack J. Wazen, M.D., associate professor of otolaryngology and director of otology and neurotology at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons in New York.

Use your elbow. One bit of wisdom that has been handed down through generations is: “Never clean your ears with anything smaller than your elbow.” Unfortunately, most people never think twice about cleaning their ears as often and with the?same vigor as they wash their face. Cotton swabs?are the most popular tool, but an endless list of “cleaning” utensils have been employed, including toothpicks, paper clips, and pencil tips. “The point is, don’t try to clean your ears at all. You may harm the delicate lining in the ear canal or poke a hole in your eardrum, either of which will lead to infection,” says John W. House, M.D., associate clinical professor in the Department of Otolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery at the University of Southern California at Los Angeles. “Most important, you are almost certain to poke the wax deeper into your ear canal, even up against your eardrum, where it will interfere with hearing.”

Don’t rush out for softening drops. Different people form different amounts and types of earwax, and in some cases, the wax may accumulate to such an extent that it interferes with hearing. If you suspect that earwax is hindering your hearing, however, don’t use over-the-counter drops to soften the wax?at least not until you check with an ear doctor. These drops, although effective for some benign external ear conditions, are generally not recommended until the exact source of the hearing loss or ear discomfort is determined by a doctor. In fact, the drops can actually exacerbate certain ear problems, says Kuriloff. Wax buildup that is causing symptoms must be removed by an ear doctor. Likewise, if your ears are tender to the touch, reddened in an area that you can see, or draining fluid, don’t use any kind of ear drops or medication before consulting an ear doctor.

For most people, diarrhea is nothing more than a minor inconvenience. But for the very young and the elderly, it can be life threatening, even fatal.

Why is it so dangerous for these groups? “Young children have a much smaller blood volume,” explains Harry S. Dweck, M.D., director of the Regional Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Westchester Medical Center in Valhalla, New York. What constitutes “a small fluid loss in an adult can make a big difference in an infant.”

Dehydration can take days to occur in an adult, hours to days for a child, and seconds to minutes in a newborn. Dweck emphasizes. That’s why diarrhea has been such a killer of children in many countries around the world.

If your child has diarrhea, “call the doctor right away, with the first loose stool,” Dweck stresses.

Diarrhea may be harder to recognize in infants. “Newborns may have up to 6 to 9 bowel movements a day,” Dweck says. “And if they’re breast-fed, it’s a more liquid stool.” But parents generally learn fast what their baby’s normal stool looks like. If it becomes more liquid, if it’s explosive, or if the odor changes, it’s probably diarrhea. “The best way by far to prevent diarrhea in infants is to breast-feed,” Dweck points out. The colostrum, the special kind of milk produced during the first few days of the baby’s life, “is loaded with antibodies and white blood cells” that are absorbed directly into the baby’s gastrointestinal tract, which will help prevent gastrointestinal infections down the road.

There’s also less chance of contamination with breast-feeding, since bottles don’t have to be washed. And formula itself can cause allergic reactions that include diarrhea.

Diarrhea is less serious in children over 18 months of age, but diarrhea still warrants a call to?the doctor. Your physician will tell you how to treat your baby and what to give him or her to prevent dehydration and electrolyte imbalance. Once kids reach the age of eight or so, you can follow the same recommendations for treating diarrhea as you would for adults.

The elderly can’t stand to lose much fluid, either, but that’s because their circulatory system has changed with aging. Hardening of the arteries occurs throughout the blood vessels in the body; lowered blood pressure that occurs when fluid is lost means there’s not enough pressure to force blood to circulate.

“That puts them at a high risk for stroke, heart attack, or kidney failure,” explains Richard Bennett, M.D.

But when the elderly have diarrhea, it’s often difficult to know when they’re becoming?dehydrated. “They don’t recognize thirst as well,” says Bennett. “Or maybe they can’t get around well enough to get a drink when they are thirsty.” Changes in the skin that signal dehydration also aren’t apparent in aged skin. The best clue: Are they still passing urine every hour or two?

If you’re older and in good health but have a history of congestive heart failure and/or are taking diuretics, you should call your physician as soon as the diarrhea starts. “The doctor may want to change your dosage of diuretics, since these drugs cause you to lose fluid,” says Bennett.

Ironically, medical care can lead to some cases of diarrhea in the elderly, says Bennett. They’re more likely to be on antibiotics, which can have diarrhea as a side effect. They’re also prone to constipation and may self-medicate or have a physician recommend several types of laxatives, which can end up responsible for diarrhea. About half of the cases of diarrhea in the elderly are probably due to infections, the majority of which are viral.

Are cloth diapers or disposable diapers better at preventing diaper rash? The issue is far from clear-cut, but do take into account the results of the following studies when making your decision: A 1990 study conducted at the Department of Design at Colorado State University in Fort Collins found that diapers labeled “super absorbent” kept the skin drier and retained more moisture than cloth or conventional disposable brands. In most cases, the regular disposables were less effective than cloth diapers at keeping the skin dry. Among cloth diapers, the most effective were those that contained an inner layer of nonwoven fabric, the researchers wrote.

Another study conducted at the Department of Dermatology at the University of Rochester in New York found that babies who wore diapers containing substances to absorb urine and make it “gel” had significantly less diaper rash than babies who wore regular disposables.

There’s not too much to say about how to recognize diaper rash?if your baby’s got a red, sore bottom underneath his or her diaper, that’s a pretty conclusive diagnosis. The good news is, you can cure that rash within a matter of days. And with some conscientious care, you can say goodbye to it forever.

The following are sure cures for diaper rash. Luckily, the same principles apply to the prevention side of the coin. In other words, the very things that make the rash go away are also what keep it away, so keep on doing them. Good riddance!

Get rid of the diaper. As its name implies, diaper rash is caused by a diaper. Say goodbye to the diaper, and?voila!?no more rash, says Gregory F. Hayden, M.D., a professor of pediatrics and an attending pediatrician at the University of Virginia Health Sciences Center in Charlottesville. “If the baby has a rash. take his diaper off whenever practical,” says Hayden. “This way, stool and urine won’t touch the skin.” To keep any mess to a minimum, you can put the baby on a rubber mat covered with a washable cloth while you air out his or her bottom.

Change the baby often. The best way to avoid diaper rash or to cure an existing rash is to make sure that the baby is always clean and dry, says Jeannette M. Pergam, M.D., a pediatrician and assistant professor of pediatrics at the University of Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha. “The moist, warm environment under the diaper is one that is very conducive to causing skin infections,” she says.

Avoid commercial baby wipes. Many brands of store-bought baby wipes contain alcohol and other chemicals?that can dry and irritate your child’s skin, says Pergam. Wet, soapy wash?cloths are best for?cleaning baby’s bottom, she says. Be sure to rinse thoroughly with a clean, wet cloth or plain water to remove any soap.

Dry that bottom. When you change your child’s diapers, make sure you dry the area thoroughly with a towel, says Pergam. She also advises leaving the area exposed to air for a few minutes before putting on a new diaper. An old-fashioned way to keep baby’s bottom dry is to brown a little cornstarch in a frying pan and apply it to the child’s bottom, according to James E. Bridges, M.D., a specialist in family medicine in Fremont, Nebraska. He adds that commercial cornstarch baby powders probably work just as well.

Choose an ointment and use it. Many pediatricians recommend using a diaper-rash cream or ointment, such as A and D or Desitin, every time you change your baby. These heavy creams create a block so that stool and urine won’t irritate the skin, says Hayden. “Some people worry that the ointments will keep moisture in,” he says, “but they work pretty well for most skin.” A cotton ball dipped in baby oil will usually take the creams off without scrubbing.

Try baby powder, but be careful where you shake it. Dusting the baby’s bottom with baby talcum powder may be another way to protect your child’s skin against irritants, according to Hayden. However, studies have shown that if babies inhale the powder, it can be dangerous, even fatal.

Cornstarch-based powders may pose less of a threat, Hayden adds. When using any powder, try shaking some into your hand?away from baby’s face?and then sprinkling it onto the diaper area.

Hang the diapers out to dry. “There’s an old wives’ tale that if you hang your baby’s diapers out to dry instead of putting them in the dryer, they won’t cause diaper rash,” Pergam says. Although she has no explanation for the efficacy of this tip, she swears that it worked for her own children. If you have a place to hang them, you may want to give this a try to see if it helps.

Fight back against yeast. Sometimes, what appears to be an innocuous diaper rash can really be an infection of yeast, also called Candida albicans. It may be hard to tell the difference between the two, Hayden says, although a yeast infection may appear as little white specks dotting an area of red irritation. To cure a yeast infection, try using an over-the-counter antiyeast medication, such as Lotrimin, or see your pediatrician for a prescription.

Try vinegar solution. Urine is an extremely alkaline solution, says Bridges. It can burn the skin the same way that acid can. To balance out the equation, try adding half a cup of white vinegar to your rinse water when you wash the baby’s diapers. he suggests. “That neutralizes the ammonia,” he says. Pergam recommends wiping baby’s bottom with a solution of eight parts water to one part vinegar?the theory is the same.

Avoid plastic pants. Plastic pants worn over a diaper keep moisture in and may cause irritation or worsen an existing infection, Hayden says. “It’s better to let things evaporate and dry out.”

The Texas researchers studied eight infants who were experiencing life- threatening respiratory and gastrointestinal symptoms. All of the babies had previously been given a premixed colic medication containing Dramamine, a popular antihistamine used to relieve motion sickness, and Donnatal, a drug prescribed for irritable bowel syndrome and other intestinal disorders. Donnatal contains, among other things, phenobarbital, a barbiturate used as a sedative. In an article published in the journal Clinical Pediatrics, the researchers wrote that the possibility that the drug can lead to respiratory and gastrointestinal problems in certain infants “requires serious consideration and further evaluation.”

The generally accepted medical definition of colic is a young infant who is otherwise healthy and well fed, but who has bouts of irritability, fussing, or crying lasting for a total of more than three hours a day on more than three days of the week, according to William B. Carey, M.D. Sometimes, doctors add the stipulation that the baby’s excessive crying continue for a period of more than three weeks to be considered colic.

Carey emphasizes this simple point: Normal babies cry?a lot. So don’t assume that just because your child is putting up a fuss for three hours a day, he or she is abnormal. More than likely, it’s just your baby’s way of letting you know that he or she is healthy, energetic, and alive. Lastly, take solace in the fact that by three months of age, you’re likely to have a lot more peace and quiet around the house.

Well, hang in there. Those moments do actually exist, just not right off the bat. The problem is, many mothers give up breast-feeding in frustration because they don’t realize that things will get better with time. They also don’t realize that there are things they can do to decrease breast-feeding discomfort.

As far as what causes breast-feeding pain, it depends on what part of the breast you are talking about. Nipple pain is most often caused by the baby latching on to the nipple incorrectly. “If the baby doesn’t latch on in a way that allows the nipple to get adjusted correctly in his palate, it can be very traumatic for the breast,” says Phyllis Frey, A.R.N.P., a nurse practitioner with Bellegrove OBGYN, Inc., in Bellevue, Washington. In addition, she notes, “American women tend to experience more nipple discomfort than foreign women because we always wear bras to protect that sensitive skin. Foreign women, however, go braless more often and sunbathe topless, which toughens the nipples.” Pre-existing conditions, such as inverted nipples or nipple sensitivity that developed during the pregnancy, can also cause problems.

Pain in the fleshy part of the breast is most often caused by engorgement of the breast with milk when the milk first comes in. Engorgement may also make the breasts feel sore in between feedings.

While you can’t escape all initial discomfort from breast-feeding, there are some tips and techniques you can use to prevent or alleviate much of the pain.

Make sure the baby latches on correctly. Despite what you may have been told, breast-feeding is a learned skill, and it takes time and practice to perfect. “If the baby is latching on at the very end of the nipple, he is really mashing his gums against that tender skin,” says Raven Fox, R.N., I.B.C.L.C., a registered nurse and lactation consultant/educator at Evergreen Hospital Medical Center in Kirkland, Washington. “If this motion persists, the nipples can start to crack, bleed, and blister, all of which leaves them more vulnerable to infection,” she continues. The key is to get the baby’s mouth open wide, lift your breast from underneath, and pull the baby in close as quickly as possible. “You want to get the baby to close down on the areola (the darkened area around the nipple), rather than on the nipple itself. And if you bring him in too slowly, he will clamp down as soon as his lips touch the nipple,” Fox explains.

When the baby does close directly on the nipple, you’ll know it. “You may feel a general tenderness when the baby first latches on, or you may experience a real sharp pain, almost as if someone had pinched you,” she warns.

Use a prop. Place the baby on a pillow on your lap when breast-feeding. “Doing so lifts the baby up a little higher so that once on, he isn’t further irritating the nipple area by tugging down on it,” says Frey Go easy at first. “It’s so exciting initially to breast-feed your baby, and you often feel you don’t want to interrupt him when he’s finally latched on and gulping away,” says Frey. “But you will pay later,” she warns. She recommends limiting the breast-feeding time for the first five days of breast-feeding. Try five minutes on each breast at first. If you don’t notice yourself getting tender, you can increase that time rather quickly.

Then, nurse, nurse, nurse. Once your milk comes in, let the baby nurse as long as he or she wants to. “Babies go through a marathon nursing period right as their mother’s milk is coming in, and we recommend letting the baby nurse constantly during this 12- to 24-hour period. Just get it into your head that this will be your sole job for the next 24 hours,” advises Fox. “We’re finding that women who resign themselves to doing this are totally missing that initial engorgement period because the baby is helping to siphon off all of the excess milk the body initially produces.” After all, the body automatically makes enough milk for twins; it then gradually lowers its milk production to meet one baby’s needs if there is no twin. Fox goes on to say that if you trap yourself into feeding the baby every three to four hours and letting the baby sleep as long as he or she wants, your milk will come in and make your breasts look and feel as if they’re going to explode. “The engorgement period should only last 36 to 48 hours, but the pain makes it seem like five years,” she says.

Don’t reach for the pump. If you do get engorged, resist the urge to express milk with a manual or electric breast pump. Unfortunately, the body doesn’t know the difference between a pump and a baby’s mouth. Whenever milk is drawn from the breast, the body thinks it’s being used by the baby and makes more to compensate for that loss. So the more you pump, the more milk your body produces. “In essence, using a breast pump introduces a twin to your body,” says Fox. The only time this advice wouldn’t apply is when you are on a trip away from your baby and want to continue nursing regularly when you return, or when your baby is ill and his or her appetite is temporarily down. In these instances, you would want to pump at the baby’s normal feeding times to keep up your milk supply.

Air them out. Try to expose your nipples to air whenever possible to help toughen them up. “If you finish nursing and immediately put your bra back on with a nursing pad in it, you’re likely to get some milk leakage that will wet the pad and keep moisture against the nipple,” says Frey. “This further softens the nipple, which is not what you want.” Instead, she suggests keeping your bra flaps open (on a nursing bra) or going braless under a light T-shirt for at least 15 minutes after feeding. If you were planning to nap after a feeding, you might consider napping braless, as well.

Stand in a warm shower. This causes some milk to drip from the breasts, which can relieve some of the pressure. according to Frey. But unlike pumping the breast, this technique doesn’t cause the body to produce more milk. It just provides welcome relief as long as the water is hitting directly on the breasts. “Another way to get similar relief is to fill the sink with warm water, take your bra off, lean over the sink, and splash the water up over your breasts,” says Fox.

Try “cold storage.” Between feedings, pack your breasts in ice. and wear a bra to hold the ice in place. “My favorite way to do this is to freeze four Ziploc bags of unpopped popcorn. The popcorn holds the cold much longer than the frozen peas and carrots many people use, and it doesn’t get mushy. It also molds to the shape of your breasts so that you don’t have big, bulky ice cubes lying on you,” says Fox. “Usually, engorgement in between feedings lasts no more than seven to ten days after the baby’s birth. This is because the mother’s milk production and the baby’s milk consumption are still balancing out,” explains Harold Zimmer, M.D., an obstetrician and gynecologist in private practice in Bellevue, Washington.

Warm up for feedings. Fifteen minutes before feeding your baby, warm up your breasts. “Soak a bath towel in hot water, wring it out, and place it across your breasts with a plastic garbage bag over it to maintain the heat a little longer,” advises Fox. Then take it off and massage the breast from the fleshy part down to the nipple to encourage the release of milk into the nipple. “Latching your baby onto an empty nipple can hurt so much more than if there is milk in the nipple,” says Frey.

Try the “burp and switch” strategy. Always begin a feeding on the sorest breast or the one that seems fullest. “Once the baby is latched on, let him nurse for five minutes, and then burp him and switch him to the other side for five minutes. Continue switching him every five minutes until he is finished eating,” recommends Fox. This method ensures that the baby drains both breasts sufficiently, rather than tanking up on one and leaving the other ready to explode.

Try some tea. Placing warm tea bags on your nipples a few times a day is one of the best home remedies around for nipple discomfort, according to Zimmer. Fox stresses that it has to be black tea, as opposed to chamomile or yellow tea, because black tea contains tannin, and the tannic acid is what soothes and toughens up the nipples. Soak the tea bags in warm water for a few minutes, squeeze them out, and place them on the nipples for ten minutes.

Massage the nipples with an ice cube. “This will numb the painful area and give you some temporary relief,” says Zimmer. But he goes on to say that once the numbness wears off, the nipples will be just as painful as before. “It is not a healing remedy as much as it is a relief mechanism,” he explains.

Wear a well-supporting bra. “You want to avoid as much additional trauma to the breasts as possible, and this is one way to protect them somewhat,” says Zimmer.

Take acetaminophen if you develop a fever. It is very common to develop a low-grade fever as high as 100.2 to 100.6 degrees Fahrenheit, according to Fox. Acetaminophen should help to lower it and make you feel a little better. Be sure to check with your doctor, however, before taking any medication while you are nursing.

Take ibuprofen if you feel achy. “It is also not uncommon to feel as if a truck has run over you,” warns Fox. If this is the case, ibuprofen should help relieve some of the aches and discomfort. Once again, however, check with your doctor before taking any medications. *