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Tag: breast

  • Breast feeding crucial to babies’ growth, says expert

    Breast feeding crucial to babies’ growth, says expert

    Nursing and expectant mothers have been enjoined to breast feed their babies exclusively for the first six months to protect them from childhood diseases, such as diarrhoea, pneumonia and ear infections.

    This, according to the Project Coordinator for Colostrum International, a non governmental organisation, Dr Bunmi Ogundimu, will ensure the babies have sharp brains and healthy bodies.

    Mrs Ogundimu, who spoke on a breast feeding project for the World Breast Feeding Week with the theme: Close to mother, said breast feeding decreased from 48 per cent in 2006 to 17 per cent last year.

    “The contributory factors are ignorance, schedule of working class mothers and some nursing mothers’ resolve to keep their breast in shape,” she added.

    “The drop in breast feeding may be having adverse effects on the infant mortality ratio of 108 per 100,000 births. Practical parenting starts with taking vital decisions on behalf of the baby to ensure it gets the required nutrients for growth. Babies should be breast fed until they are two years old,” she added.

    She said breast feeding was one of the practical ways of parenting as social evolution through child care begins with it.

    Dr. Ogundimu said breast milk was produced to meet specific nutrients need of the baby at any particular time.

    She said nursing mothers should get more than four months of maternity leave, stressing that many women have lost their jobs because they chose to have babies.

    “The moment some employers hear a woman wants to have a baby. They simply lay her off,” she added.

    She said: “Women should not deny their babies colostrum, which is the first breast milk women produce after childbirth. Colostrum helps babies fight diseases and clears their bowel. No one drop of it should be allowed to waste. Colostrum quantity is between five and 10 millilitres and it is yellowish. It is called ‘witch milk’ in Yoruba because it’s a powerful substance, which is why they throw it away out of ignorance,” she said.

    Mrs Ogundimu said the Child Rearing Bill (CRB) which was proposed to the Lagos State House of Assembly is to support breast feeding mothers.

    She said her organisation ws in need of sponsors to continue with baby programmes to enlighten the public on the benefits of breast feeding.

    There will be award presentation on August 6 for people who have shown they received quality care during childhood, Mrs Ogundimu said.

     

  • What can I do to have bigger breasts?

    Aunty, I’m in my 20s but I have small breasts and I have had to be using padded bras to hide my shame. What can I do to have bigger breasts?

    How to make small breasts look bigger

    By Ben Rubenstein Ideally, every woman should be happy and comfortable with the body she has. Unfortunately, many women are not. If you’re unhappy with your breasts and want to make them appear larger and firmer, read on for tips and tricks on how to achieve that without surgery, pills or the Boob Pop product.

    •Practice good posture. This is by far the least expensive and fastest way to make your breasts look bigger. Hold your head up, shoulders rolled back and down, chest forward and spine straight. This alone can make your breasts look bigger and perkier, as well as making you look slimmer and taller.

    Build up your upper pectoral muscles (working out lower pecs will actually decrease your bust size). Increasing the bulk of the muscles beneath your breasts will make them appear firmer and more rounded. Regular push-ups are one way to achieve this; build up slowly until you can manage to drop and do 15 push-ups all at once. There are also many weight training exercises you can do to build chest muscles.

    •Focus on your waist. Slimming and shaping your core (the muscles around your waist and ribs) will make your breasts appear larger by comparison, without actually adding any breast tissue. Try yoga and pilates exercises that can help you burn calories while simultaneously strengthening your core muscles.

    •Wear the right bra size. Sadly, most women wear incorrect bra sizes because they’ve never been appropriately measured. The right bra should sit snugly beneath your breasts and cup all of the tissue closely, as well as making it easier for you to stand up straight. Measure your bra size yourself, or go in for a free professional fitting at a department store. (Don’t feel shy about being professionally fitted––usually the ladies who do fittings are chosen for their warm and accepting demeanor. Remember, she’s probably seen it all.)

    •Know how to put on a bra correctly. Once you’ve been properly sized, check that you’re putting on your bra in a way that will achieve maximum lift and comfort. Slip the straps over your arms, facing forward, so that the unhooked clasps are at your back. Bend over so that all of your breast tissue falls forward, and maneuver the bra over your breasts. Still bent over, reach back and clasp the bra. Adjust the band and straps as necessary.

    •Wear bras that enhance your breasts. There are many options available, so the best way to work out what gives you your desired effect is to go and try lots of different types on. The following types of bras are the best for women wanting bigger breasts:

    Push-up bras are designed to push your breasts up (as the name implies), and move the breasts closer together, creating more cleavage. They push the breasts up using padding usually made of foam. The best known brand for making push-up bras is Wonderbra. However, most lingerie stores supply some variety of push-up bra.

    Padded bras, like push-up bras, contain foam padding in the cups. They are designed to give fuller-looking breasts to small-chested women, but don’t lift them or create extra cleavage.

    Gel, air or water padded bras are the same as padded bras but are designed to look and move more naturally, and to give a more noticeable enhancement. The only downside to these is that they often cost more money. Also, air padded bras often need the padding replaced as the air leaks out.

    •Wear clothes with a detailed neckline. Lace, ruffles and jewels, gathered material, pleats, ruching and twists are some examples of neckline details that enhance breast size appearance. These sorts of details provide a visual boost and help to make the breasts appear larger. When wearing ruffles, be careful that they are not so big that they overpower the size of your breasts; this risks going the other direction and making them look smaller!

    Stay away from low V or low scoop necklines, as give the appearance of shrinking the size of your breasts. Instead, wear moderately high, asymmetrical, crew or gathered necklines. These are the most flattering for women with smaller breasts as they enhance their shape and make them appear bigger.

    •Avoid wearing tight-fitting clothing. Obviously, such clothing reveals all––what is and what is not there. Loose, roomy tops and layers are a better choice when you don’t want to draw attention to smaller breasts.

    •Live with the reality. Small breasts aren’t the burden they may seem to you. For starters, not everyone loves large breasts. Indeed, it’s an exaggeration that men only like women with large breasts––everyone has their own preference. Moreover, small breasts tend to hold up best over time, and gravity tends to be lot kinder to the small-breasted woman as you age; you’ll sag a lot less than your big-breasted sister. As long as you are healthy, try to be happy with your body.

  • Breast milk and breast feeding

    Major types of Human Breast milk

    Colostrum;

    This could appear, yellowish and thick. It begins to flow almost immediately after the placenta is expelled. About 60 to 100mls may be produced per day and under normal conditions, flow lasts for a period ranging from 4 to 5 days

    The foremilk colostrum is produced by the breast immediately after a mother has her baby. It is rich in minerals and antibodies. The hind milk colostrums is produced at the beginning of breast feeding. It has high fat sugar content, but has a high concentration of sugar. Colostrums is rich in protein

    Colostrums is replaced by transitional milk which is light, more plentiful Full milk production is expected to start flowing by day 5 , up till the 8th day but normally by the 2nd week mature breast milk will have begun to come steadily. It is not uncommon for mature breast milk to appear much later. It is usually grayish white or bluish white in colour.

    Components of Human breast milk

    Water—86%, Fat—-3.5% Lactose–7-9% Protein—-0.8—0.9% Ash–0.2%

    Others include , growth factors—insulin like growth factors-1, scatter factor etc, breast milk contains bile salt lipase, glycoconjugates, long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids, monovalent ions-Na, and k . citrate, phosphates and micelles of casein are also present. These are all necessary for the proper growth and normal development of a child.

    The developing brain requires plenty of omega 3 oils to properly build and interconnect the nervous tissue. These are present in amount and conformation specific to humans. With regards to intelligence, ability to read, understand and recall, settle down and solve mathematics, Children growing on breast milk irrespective of age, sex, race and given similar opportunities and background will do better than those fed with artificial, non human milk.

     

    Can a mother produce Acidic breast milk?

    PH is a measure of acidity or alkalinity (potential of Hydrogen). It is available on a scale of 14, where 7 is taken as neutral, equivalent to the PH of pure water . Increasing values represent a tendency towards alkalinity as opposed to decreasing values which signify tendency towards acidity. The normal PH of Breast milk falls within the range 7.35 -7.45 and is alkaline. This favours the growth of the lactobacillus bacterium. Excessive intakes of caffeine, not caffeinated beverages have been implicated in breast milk, Ciga and very strong cigarettes can have similar effects. Heavy exercise leave the blood stream with high levels of circulating lactic acid. When this occurs, breast milk which is formed from blood takes it’s share of the acidity. Diets which exclude fruits and vegetables but heavy on meat and fats have also been implicated. In these situations, babies may not accept breast milk with expected or sustained enthusiasm, and are likely to lose weight. The alkaline PH of normal breast milk favors the growth of lactobacillus but kills off pathogenic bacteria

    Common Conditions Where Mother Cant Breastfeed Her Baby.

    There are some conditions that may cause a mother to not breastfeed her baby or stop doing so. Only a few are stated here;

    Mothers on anticancer agents, Methotrexate, Vinblastine, Alkaloids, etc

    Those on Some prescription drugs. Parlodel(bromocriptine), Tetracycline, Flagyl, Aspirin ,etc.

    Presence of some conditions such as, open Tuberculosis, neuropsychiatric conditions- puerperal psychosis, drug induced psychosis, herpes

    Alcoholics are usually not expected to be successful in providing any reasonable level of care to their children.

    Specific Advantages Of Human Breast Milk

    Human breast milk contains ingredients required for the proper development of the human brain. Breast milk contains high amounts of arachidonic acid (ARA ) and decosahexaenoic acid (DHA). These have been implicated in the proper development of the brain and the retina of the eyeCognition ( the mental faculty or process of acquiring knowledge by the use of reasoning, intuition, or perception) is comparatively lower in brains developed with milk other than Human breast milkHuman breast milk provides more energy with minimal metabolic waste products just as the growing child requires. Lactose concentration is 50% higher, in human breast milk .In addition, it contains the type of protein baby can easily digest, without harm to kidney, the developing brain and liver. Energy from lactose, fat and cholesterol are the good types and in the right proportion. IRON – baby gets 50% iron when given breast milk but only 10% from artificial milkAllergenecity- is lower in breast milk, parents with family history of bronchial asthma will do well to avoid Animal sources of breast milkImmunology- lactoferin, lymphocytes, macrophages, lysosymes are represented in higher percentages Common Problems Soreness and engorgement are common but harmless problems. How they can be handled are usually discussed during antenatal visits.Abscess/mastitis. When pus is present in the breast with fever, you go the Hospital so it is cut open (Incision and Drainage). Only then will antibiotics work.Pesticides, dioxins, metals, can be found in breast milk. Be careful what you swallow.Beliefs— careless talk can interfere with successful breast feeding, mind who you listen to.Can A Child Refuse Breast Milk/Fail To Suck?Child may not be well, check for fever, look at the mouth, see your DoctorNipple problemsPoor personal hygiene——bad odour distorts pheromonesAcidic breast milk —Exessive production of lactic acid from exercise, caffeine ingestion, too much acid fruits in the diet RECOMMENDATIONS Ideally, support for a woman who has doubts about breast milk or breast feeding should begin at the third trimester of pregnancy, through health education, usually by nurses and midwives, who have themselves, had adequate training. During visits for immunization, enquiries can be made with respect to bowel movement, urine making, bowel movements, and child examined by weighing Feed on demand, let baby stop feeding on one breast before you change Weaning?Don’t stop suddenly, give baby time to learn to eat and digest and your body time to get adjusted to gradual return of the see saw relationship between the principal hormones-prolactin, estrogen and progesteroneWhat not to give to children of breast feeding ageNo peanuts, fats, raw vegetables, seasoning until 3-4 years.No egg white , wait until he reaches 12 month, think of allergy.Avoid rushing to buy Antibiotics-may predispose your baby to Bronchial problems or what may be difficult to separate from Bronchial asthma.Does the child have abdominal problems, points to anywhere in the abdomen,—rule of 3—3hrs a day, 3days a week, for 3weeks. Then think of Colic-see your Doctor.

  • Option to combat breast cancer

    Last week, an article written by Hollywood actress,Angelina Jolie revealed that she had undergone a double mastectomy to lower her risk of breast cancer, which was high due to her genetic inheritance. Angelina Jolie’s revelation of her mastectomy was a welcome development in opening up the discussion of a subject matter and operation that still carries a stigma for many women.

    Breast cancer and the options that women have to combat and fight it is a subject that I am very passionate about. Several years ago, I lost a good friend to cancer. She battled with breast cancer for a relatively short time before succumbing to the dreadful disease. She was quite young, vibrant and had an extremely healthy family with children. My friend was the last person I would have thought to be diagnosed with breast cancer. After all growing up, I had always been told that women who breastfed their babies were hardly ever candidates for breast cancer. Apparently not! That devastating incident made me feel vulnerable and scared; I realized that I lacked knowledge about a disease which threatens each and every woman.

    Cancer, unlike a lot of other fatal diseases is one of those that is potentially in all of our bodies. It is our responsibility to educate our families and ourselves so that we can do everything possible to help anyone dealing with this venomous illness. Something as simple as regular caution and self-test could determine the line between life and death, pain or otherwise. That is why this week I would like to share some information with my readers on the causes, symptoms and treatments of breast cancer. If nothing else, I hope this article will give the information that may reduce the suffering of a husband or a daughter or even save a neighbor. Knowledge is power and for those battling with the illness, the more they learn about their options and about the cancer, the better equipped they are to handle the challenges of the disease.

    Breast cancer is an uncontrolled growth of breast cells. There are different stages of breast cancer ranging from Stage 0 all the way through to Stage 4. Stage 0 signifies non-invasive breast cancer; at stage 1, cancer cells invade neighboring tissue. When the tumor reaches stage 2, the cancer has spread to the lymph nodes under the arm. At stage 3, the tumor has spread to lymph nodes, and nodes are clumping and sticking to surrounding tissue, the tumor may have further spread to the breast skin causing inflammatory breast cancer; a very serious, aggressive type of breast cancer that makes the breast look red. Sometimes doctors misdiagnose this as a mere infection so patients must always be aware. At stage 4 the tumor has spread to lungs, liver, bone, or brain. Stages 0 through to 2 are the early stages of detection and can be cured quite easily, stage 3 is a later stage with a chance of recovery, however stage 4 is the advanced stage, here the tumor has become quite advanced and complicated.

    Since the first couple of stages can be controlled, it is pertinent for every woman to practice early detection. The goal is to find breast cancer as early as possible, when it is most curable. Women can do monthly breast self-examination by examining themselves a couple of days after their monthly period. She should do this by lying down on her back and using her palm to feel for any unusual lumps. Not every lump means cancer, but a woman will come to know her body well if she regularly performs the examination making it easier for her to recognize an alien growth. It is also important to ask a doctor if he can do a more thorough examination whenever a person goes to the hospital especially if a woman is above 40 years old. Without a doubt, regular breast self-exams, combined with an annual exam by a doctor, improves the chances of detecting cancer early.

    If a woman finds herself in a position where she has breast cancer, surgery should be her first option. There are a number of surgical options ranging from breast conserving surgery, commonly known as lumpectomy, in which only the tumor is removed from the breast, or mastectomy, an operation in which the whole breast is removed; the kind that Angelina Jolie recently had.

    Radiation therapy, available in Nigeria is a highly targeted, highly effective way to destroy cancer cells that may linger after surgery and it reduces the risk of recurrence. Despite what many women fear, radiation therapy is apparently not as hard to bear as one would imagine, and the side effects are limited to the area being treated. The most dreaded of treatments, chemotherapy on the other hand is a systemic therapy, which affects the whole body by going through the bloodstream. The purpose of chemotherapy and other systemic treatments is to get rid of any cancer cells that may have spread from where the cancer started to another part of the body. However, there are a number of side effects associated with chemotherapy because other cells in the blood, mouth, hair nose, etc will also be affected, which is probably why patients try to avoid it at all costs. It is usually one of the last options to be tried and will only be done if the cancer has widely spread. Because prevention is better than cure, the best way one is able to fight breast cancer is to have regular check ups, scans and self-examinations.

    Even better than detecting the disease on time is little day-to-day things we can do to try and prevent the disease. A person’s immunity can be enhanced if they exercised regularly, ate healthy, reduced stress level and avoided obesity. The limitation of red meat and other sources of animal fat is always a healthy option because they contain stored hormones or pesticides; instead more fruits and vegetables would be a healthy substitute. For those who smoke and drink, try to stop or gently wean yourselves at your own pace.

     

    In no way am I saying that these precautions out rightly prevents any form of cancer, but it will increase a person’s immunity and put them in a better stead to fight the disease should one be unfortunate to be struck with the disease. And again in no way am I saying that when it’s your time to die, the above will prevent you from dying. Out destinies dictate that, with or without cancer, every one of us will die when our time is up, but it is wise to be precautious about a disease that we now know enough about.

    For the vast majority of us cancer is something devastating that just happens because of defective genes, a family history, one off unexplained phenomena or otherwise? Without a doubt, it is one of the worst scourges to visit a person. When a family member is inflicted with it, it extends to the rest of the family. The one thing worst than your own death, is to witness the suffering and eventual death of a loved one.

    Cancer doesn’t just eat up the body, it eats up hope and life, it doesn’t just affect one person, it affects everyone. One just prays that one day those scientists working round the clock to find a cure are able to achieve the seemingly impossible and save humanity from the suffering that cancer brings. But in the meantime, we do have an option to focus on our strength of mind and preservation of good health so that we can live the best life possible well into our future. For my friend it is too late but for Angelina Jolie and millions of women around the world, we have all the information at our disposal and the options to combat breast cancer before breast cancer combats us.

     

  • The bra, sagging of the breast (ptosis) and back pain-addendum

    I sent out a dissenting opinion last week end, on the report from a French study that young women can throw away their bra because they could actually develop early drooping breasts; the study had added that supporting the breasts with bra does nothing to prevent back pain.

    In addition to the arguments provided in last week end edition, I wish to add the following: The breasts in a growing prepubertal girl needs only be covered in accordance with moral, ethnic or religious prescriptions, the matter of breast support with bra comes in for those women within the reproductive

    In addition to the arguments provided in last week end edition, I wish to add the following The breasts in a growing prepubertal girl needs only be covered in accordance with moral, ethnic or religious prescriptions, the matter of breast support with bra comes in for those women within the reproductive period usually considered to be within the range of 15 to 49 years Within that period, inherited genes, hormone profile, nutrition, environmental conditions, physical activities, life style which will influence the general health status including menstrual regularity are all relevant before conclusions can safely be drawn , and for people born with small breasts(Asians),for instance,there is nothing much to talk about.

    For those with large breasts (see last edition for details), gravity can not be ignored. Science tells us that if any thing occupies space, it is likely to have weight. Beast shape and form depend purely on the quantity of fat cells present. Programmed cell death (apoptosis) occurs as a normal phenomenon in the breast.

    Outside that , any abnormal proliferation of cells in the breast is a very serious matter of interest to the Surgeons of cells in the breast is a very serious matter of interest to the Surgeons. How does the bra induce drooping without causing cellular atypia? Concerning back pain, it is for young ladies to realize that the muscle of the chest on which the breast rests, the Pectoralis Major is connected to other muscles, the serratus anterior, Obliquous externus, Serratusposterior superior, Latissimus dorsi, Trapezius, which are in turn attached to the Thoraco lumbar fascia, an amazing sheet of tissue envelope of the back. Receptors for pain are distributed every where in these muscles, skin of the back, the fascial attachments, ligaments, bones and joints, movement of any structure attached to them will be felt any where from the skull to the mid back. It must be emphasized that the human body though a living entity can be broken down to single electrically charged cells. The human body obeys the laws of physics. It will interest young ladies, in particular,the ones who wear high heeled shoes even when pregnant, that tallness on its own is a risk factor for back pain. You can then add breasts that are normal or just big to chest of a young tall You can then add breasts that are normal or just big to chest of a young tall lady ,and see how she stays without bra support and feel no pain.

    On the other hand, shortness is often associated with short neck and shorter than normal clavicle to nipple distance. Now add fairly large breasts to a 30 year old fair complexioned lady who weighs 75kg, is 1.5meters tall, and who leaves her breasts without support. The vertebral column is structured with regional curves with two bones each separated by shock absorbing discs. The spinal units are like cells that make up the human body, but are not seen, any injury to any of the spinal units provokes reaction from sites outside the point of assault. In the same way, the breasts are anterior projections of the total weight of structures borne by the spinal segments of the upper thoracic Spine. If equal and opposite reactions from the posterior, neural arch, facet(zygapophyseal joints) elements fail to oppose the shear, torsional and compressive forces from these anterior projections, the upper vertebrae would crush the lower ones. Problems may not manifest immediately but will appear in unusual symptoms like fast , shallow breathing, easy tiredness, chest pain among others.

    Irrespective of posture, back pain is felt in the posterior elements of the thoracic spine. Tall lanky ladies and short fat others with different breast size can try go around without bra support for a month and discover for themselves Basically, by removing the effect of gravity, the bra removes the tendency of the breast to pull the muscles; the clavicle, the small joints of the back and ribs which are under tension to straighten the bow of the upper back(Normal thoracic kyphosis) become less taught and back pain is minimized.

    It needs be emphasized that at times even when bones and joints are close to breaking points, they will not speak, they will not cry ;it is the muscles and ligaments attached to them that cry for help with pain and fatigue, electromyography will then give out a picture of the damage they may have undergone.

    Therefore when the matter of back pain is discussed in relation to breast support, think of the muscles, the ligaments, bony structures, your height, your weight, your race, what other things you wear how you wear them , before you throw your bra away.