In most cases, it's safe or even helpful to continue breastfeeding if you see blood in your breast milk. This can sometimes be a sign of health problems for the mother, but it's not dangerous for babies. Some mothers find that blood in the breast milk causes babies to spit up more, but this is rarely cause for concern.
Occasionally blood in breastmilk is caused by one of the following: Mastitis: An infection of the breast that can cause a bloody discharge from the nipple – read more here. Papillomas: Small growths in the milk ducts which are not harmful, but can cause blood to enter your milk.
If you can, continue breastfeeding (it is quite safe for baby to feed on a bleeding nipple). But if it's too painful, you may need to take your baby off the breast for 24 to 48 hours, rest the nipple and feed your baby expressed breast milk.
If your nipples are so sore when you're breastfeeding that they're cracked and bleeding, it probably means that your baby is not latching on well. Breastfeeding shouldn't hurt, although your nipples and the area around them (areola) may feel tender while you're getting used to it.
Abstract. Breast milk can occasionally transmit serious viral and bacterial infections to preterm infants. We present three cases of late-onset neonatal sepsis, including one that resulted in death, occurring in preterm infants. The likely source of the microorganisms in all three cases was expressed breast milk.
A little blood in breast milk is not harmful to your breastfed baby and is a common occurrence in the first week or so after a baby's birth. Reasons for short periods of blood in breast milk include rusty pipe syndrome, cracked bleeding nipples, broken capillaries in the breast or an intraductal papilloma.
Three viruses (CMV, HIV, and HTLV-I) frequently cause infection or disease as a result of breast-milk transmission. Reasonable guidelines have been pro-posed for when and how to avoid breast milk in the case of maternal infection.
Assuming that you've made sure your pump equipment is clean, after pumping or expressing some milk, smell it and taste it. Does it smell or taste sour, or does it smell fine and taste a bit sweet? If it does smell or taste sour, then it indicates the presence of rancid fats and chemical oxidation.
Harmful germs can grow in breast milk (or its residues) and you need to disinfect your pump properly. Infants have become ill from contaminated milk due to bacteria grown on pump parts that were not cleaned properly.
When milk is still good, it easily mixes with a gentle swirl of the baby bottle. If your breast milk remains separated or chunks float in it after attempting to re-mix, it has likely gone bad and it's a good idea to toss it.
A newborn should be put to the breast at least every 2 to 3 hours and nurse for 10 to 15 minutes on each side. But rather than worry about duration, it's important to know that the best way to ensure that the baby is getting enough breast milk is by feeding frequency, wet and dirty diapers, and weight gain.
How Long Does Nursing Take? Newborns may nurse for up to 20 minutes or longer on one or both breasts. As babies get older and more skilled at breastfeeding, they may take about 5–10 minutes on each side.
Pink, Red, or Rust
You may have a small amount of blood in your breast milk. Don't panic! Having blood in your breast milk is typically caused by a rupture in a blood capillary or cracked nipples, and is not harmful to your baby. In most cases, the bleeding will go away on its own in a few days.
Breast milk can turn into a pinkish color due to colonization by Serratia marcescens, a species of rod-shaped gram-negative bacteria that produce a reddish-orange tripyrrole pigment called prodigiosin1 that has been related to a variety of diseases and even newborn deaths.
If your sore nipples are causing you so much discomfort that you feel like you need to take a break from breastfeeding, don't worry! You can still use a breast pump to express your milk. This will give your nipples a rest, while allowing you to continue to give your baby all the benefits breastmilk can provide.
As well as being frustrating and distressing for your baby, a poor breastfeeding latch can give you sore nipples. It may also mean your baby can't drain your breast effectively, leading to poor weight gain, reducing your milk supply, and putting you at increased risk of blocked milk ducts and mastitis.
If your nipples are cracked or bleeding, it's okay to continue breastfeeding your baby. To help relieve your discomfort, use the care tips given above. Call your doctor or a lactation consultant if you find it too painful to breastfeed or if you've tried home treatment for 24 hours and it doesn't help.
If you get sore nipples when breastfeeding, it's usually because your baby is not positioned and attached properly at the breast. It's important not to stop breastfeeding. With help, feeding should quickly become more comfortable again.
The latch is comfortable and pain free. Your baby's chest and stomach rest against your body, so that baby's head is straight, not turned to the side. Your baby's chin touches your breast. Your baby's mouth opens wide around your breast, not just the nipple.
With your baby's head tilted back and chin up, lift him or her to touch your nipple. The nipple should rest just above the baby's upper lip. Wait for your baby to open very wide, then "scoop" the breast by placing the lower jaw on first. Now tip your baby's head forward and place the upper jaw well behind your nipple.