1. What is happening to the body during this phase?During Breastfeeding, breast milk is formed in the acinar or alveolar cells of the mammary glands. With the delivery of the placenta, the level of progesterone in the mother’s body falls dramatically, stimulating the production of prolactin, an anterior pituitary hormone.
Prolactin acts on the acinar cells of the mammary glands to stimulate the production of milk. In addition, when an infant sucks at the breast, nerve impulses travel from the nipple to the hypothalamus to stimulate the production of prolactin- releasing factor.This factor stimulates further active production of prolactin. Other anterior pituitary hormones, such as adrenocorticotropic hormone, thyroid- stimulating hormone, and growth hormone, probably also play a role in growth of the mammary glands and their ability to secrete milk. Milk flows from the alveolar cells where it is produced through small tubules to reservoirs for milk, the lactiferous sinuses, behind the nipple.
As the infant sucks at the breast, oxytocin, released from the posterior pituitary, causes the collecting sinuses of the mammary glands to contract, forcing the milk forward through the nipples, thus making it available for the baby.In pregnancy, blood volume increases, there is also pseudoanemia, clotting factors increases, corpus luteum is active, and there is increased growth of the uterus, there is progressive softening of the cervix, there is an increase in white discharge present in the vagina, lordosis is very much seen affecting the musculoskeletal system, glomerular filtration rate also is increasing, there is glycosuria. In pregnancy, the peristalsis is also very slow while there is an increased in metabolic rate. Amenorrhea or the absence of menstruation occurs with pregnancy because of the suppression of follicle- stimulating hormone.Under the influence of estrogen, the vaginal epithelium and underlying tissue become hypertrophic and enriched with glycogen; they loosen from their connective tissue attachment in preparation for great distention at birth. This increase in the activity of the epithelial cells results in a white vaginal discharge throughout pregnancy.
Subtle changes in the breasts that occur as a result of estrogen and progesterone production. Ovulation stops with pregnancy because of the active feedback mechanism of estrogen and progesterone produced by the corpus luteum early in pregnancy and the placenta later in pregnancy. As the uterus enlarges during pregnancy, a great deal of pressure is put on the diaphragm and, ultimately, on the lungs. This crowding of the chest cavity causes an acute sensation of shortness of breath in pregnancy.
2. What are the common malnutrition problems of this group?There is problem with vitamin needs, especially the iron intake. There is imbalanced nutrition, due to increased physiologic needs and nausea and vomiting every morning. There is also health seeking behaviors related to determining best food choices in pregnancy.
Some pregnant women have this IDA or iron deficiency anemia. A fetus at term has a hemoglobin level of 17 to 21 gram per 100 mL of blood, a level that is necessary to oxygenate the blood during the intrauterine life.Women with low incomes may find it difficult to eat adequate iron- rich foods, because the foods richest in iron are also expensive. Fluid needs are also one of the important malnutrition problems due to nausea and vomiting those pregnant women experiences every morning. While in breastfeeding, the mother is transferring nutrients to the baby.
So therefore the mother should taken in proper vitamins and supplements in order to sustain the necessary intake that is needed for her body as a lactating mother.
