Hi everyone
I am sorry it has taken me so long to get around to answering this post
and the others on Japanese breast massage.  In 1992 I lived in Japan at
the time of my first pregnancy.  I went to a free standing birth center
in Tokyo.  This clinic taught its own breastfeeding preparation classes.
These classes started about the fifth month and were twice a month for 3
months and then became every week.  I must say that I only attended a few
of the classes because I found them silly and embarrassing.  In these
classes we expectant mothers would sit almost stripped to the waist with
a breast in our hand following the instruction of the nurse.  We did
nipple exercises, pull left 1-2, pull right 3-4, pull up 1-2 and down 3-4.
Roll to the left 1-2-3-4, to the right 1-2-3-4.  We did exercises to
strengthen the muscles of the chest to support the breasts.  We also did
some massage that reminded me of my monthly breast exams only a little
more agressive.  We also were handed a cloth and told to rub the nipple
so it would toughen it up.  Suggestions about creams, ointments, herbs
and vitamins to rub on the breast to help prepare them was done but I did
not pay attention.  Since I had read in the Womanly Art of Breastfeeding
that preparation of the breast and nipples was not really necessary I
decided not to follow through with the classes.  I will look for my book
that I was given so that I can give you a book title or at least some
more information on how to do the massage.

Some were wondering just how breastfeeding is accepted in Japan and what
the norm is for most Japanese mothers.
The Japanese mother is expected to breastfeed at first but there is not a
lot of pressure for continued breastfeeding.  Most Japanese mothers stay
in the hospital or clinic for 5 to 7 days after birth.  The colostrum was
until recently thought to be useless so it was pumped or expressed off
and discarded.  The mothers will breastfeed a couple of times a day to
get the baby used to them and then express the rest of the day and bottle
feed.  When the milk comes in the mothers are assisted by the nurses at
getting the babies attached and helping with expressing so that they are
not engorged.  Also in the majority of Japanese hospitals the mother and
baby are separated for 24-72 hours for observation in the nursery.  The
mother is brought to a breastfeeding room by chimes over the PA and all
the mothers march down to the breastfeeding room and sit in a circle with
1 or 2 nurses helping them to get latched on.  These feedings are set up
on a 4 hours schedule.  Rooming in is RARE.

Culturally it is not generally acceptible for a new mother to go out with
her new baby for the first month so you never see any breastfeeding moms
with newborns.  It is also the Japanese way to try to keep the baby very
calm and quite for the first 3-4 months so mothers do not go out very
often.  Most women go to their mother-in-laws or mothers for the first
month to 2 months after the baby is born.  The mothers help them with any
breastfeeding problems.  Japanese mothers are instructed by the
pediatricians to start juice at 2 months and to add soup by 4 months
(this is a clear broth), solids of cereals by 6 months and then
everything else.  They are not as nervous about feeding young babies eggs
and milk products as we Americans are.  They also like to feed young
children hard candies very early. (this got very irritating every where I
went they were giving my 9 month old candy).  For you information there
are only to types of formula widely available in Japan, SMA and Infamil.
The others are available at American grocery stores (one in Tokyo).  They
are really REALLY expensive.

Moms do go out with their breastfed children.  It is wonderful in Japan.
They have Mothers and Babies rooms in all the department stores.  It is
not just a sofa in the bathroom.  There are cribs, changing tables, toys,
play areas, vending machines with disposable diapers, baby juice, solids
or all types, cereals, wipes, bibs 100% juice boxes for mom or an older
child.  Some of these rooms are even equiped with a little resturant for
children with high chairs and booster seats.  There are pots of hot water
for sterilizing thens and pots of water just hot enought to mix cereal or
formula.  They also have private breastfeeding booths and open areas with
comfortable chairs to breastfeed in.

I must end for now I will finish later


On Sat, 24 Jun 1995, Kellie
Richardson RNC, IBCLC wrote:

> I would like to have a description of this Japanese br massage.  We teach all
> of our bf moms to do breast massage but I would be be interested in learning
> more about this  Respond to [log in to unmask]
>
> Kellie Richardson
>

Becky Hanson, BA, LLLI, AAHCC, ICEA & MOM X 2