Summarize the following:
Massaging your breasts will help you relax and prepare you in case you need to manually express milk for the baby. The massage should be gentle and not painful. Start above the breast and stroke with a circular motion while moving towards the nipple. Then move again to the outside of the breast in a different area and repeat, moving towards the nipple. Do this until you have moved around the entire breast. Do not "rough up" your nipples by scrubbing them roughly with a towel. This will remove the natural oils that your breast produces and may make them sore. Some women have inverted, or flat, nipples which appear to have an indentation in the middle. You can determine whether your nipples are inverted using the pinch test: Pinch your breast between your thumb and forefinger on the areola, the dark area about an inch above and below the nipple. If your nipple becomes erect, it is not inverted. If it retracts into the breast, it is inverted. Women may have one inverted and one protruding nipple. The degree of inversion can vary from slight to severe. Your doctor will also be able to tell you whether your nipples are inverted or flat. Many women with inverted nipples are able to successfully breastfeed without a problem. However, there are devices you can buy and techniques you can learn about to prepare in case your baby has trouble: Push your nipples out with breast shells. Breast shells are plastic devices which press on your breast making the nipple pop out. You can prepare your breasts by wearing them before the birth and then after the birth for about 30 minutes before feeding time. Use the Hoffman Technique to stretch your nipple and make it easier to pop out. Put both thumbs on either side of your nipple and press into your breast while also spreading your thumbs apart. Work your way around the nipple. Start doing it twice a day and work up to five times per day. Continue doing it after birth. Use a breast pump to pull out your nipple right before feeding. Try an Evert-It Nipple Enhancer. This device uses suction to pull your nipple out. Stimulate your nipples to make them erect before feeding. Massage them between your thumb and forefinger until they protrude. You can also, very briefly, apply a cold compress, but do not numb it. This will make milk less likely to flow. As your baby latches on to drink, squeeze your breast or pull the skin back towards your chest. This will help the nipple protrude. Try a nipple shield in consultation with a lactation specialist. This is worn over the breast and allows milk to flow through a hole to the baby. If the baby has difficulty gripping the breast in its mouth, the shield may help. But do not use it without professional help to make sure it is done properly. Washing your breasts in clear water will be sufficient to keep them clean. Lotions and lubricants are not needed unless your nipples are very dry. If you have psoriasis or eczema, talk to your doctor about what medications you can use while breastfeeding. Wash your hands before breastfeeding or expressing milk. Adoptive mothers can often breastfeed by stimulating their breasts to produce milk. Stimulate your breasts through pumping every 2-3 hours around the clock before the baby comes. Use a Medela Supplemental Nursing System or a Lact-Aid Nurser Training System to feed your baby additional milk while he or she stimulates your body to increase its milk supply. The quantity of milk adoptive mothers can produce varies greatly. It may still be necessary to provide some formula.

summary: Massage, but do not "rough up," your breasts. Determine whether you have inverted nipples. Do not worry if you have inverted nipples. Keep your breasts clean, but do not use harsh soaps. Use a breast pump to induce lactation if you are an adoptive mother.

Summarize the following:
Slowing down your breathing by exhaling for longer than you inhale and taking deep breaths has been shown to not only stimulate your vagus nerve, but also reduce anxiety and promote calmness. Aim to take 6 10-second breaths per minute for 5 minutes to increase vagal activity. Deeply breathe in with your diaphragm so that your stomach expands outward. Try breathing in for 5 seconds and then slowly exhaling for 5 seconds. If you're having trouble performing deep breathing exercises, try looking up helpful videos online or downloading an app that will guide you in your breathing. Studies have shown that regularly performing yoga increases the activity of your parasympathetic nervous system, which includes greater stimulation of your vagus nerve. For best results, perform at least 90 minutes of yoga each week consistently. If you're a beginner, start out with some relatively easy yoga poses, such as the cat pose, cow pose, bridge pose, and the aptly named easy pose. Similar slow exercises, such as tai chi and qi gong, have also been shown to have a stimulating effect on the vagus nerve. Don't try to do yoga that is overly difficult for you to do. Remember, yoga should be relaxing as well as physically engaging. Exercise that significantly increases your heart rate, such as jogging, walking, or weightlifting, has a number of positive effects on your mental health, including vagus nerve stimulation. Aim to perform this exercise at least every other day to receive consistent positive results. Try to engage in exercises that you enjoy doing; this will help ensure that you're able to do them consistently. Regular exercise also increases brain growth and can help reverse cognitive decline. . Progressive muscle relaxation is an effective way to reduce anxiety. Starting with your toes, squeeze the muscles in both feet to tense them, hold for 10 seconds, then release. Do this for each muscle group in your body until you reach the top of your head. Then, relax for as long as you like. Find a quiet, comfortable spot to perform a progressive muscle relaxation. Remember to breathe as you perform this exercise. Although your sympathetic nervous system will be initially heightened after being exposed to the cold, once your body becomes acclimated your parasympathetic nervous system will generate a response, including by stimulating the vagus nerve. Try splashing cold water on your face or ending your showers with 1 minute of cold water to increase vagal activity. Over time, you may find it helpful to take showers only using cold water. Simply spending some time underdressed in cold weather (e.g., wearing a t-shirt during a snowfall) can also stimulate your vagus nerve. For those suffering from epilepsy or from depression that doesn't respond to therapy or medication, there are devices (called programmable pulse generator devices) that doctors can implant under the skin that stimulate the vagus nerve with electrical impulses that may be particularly useful. Talk to your doctor to determine whether this type of device is right for you. This form of vagus nerve stimulation is generally considered safe for most people. Some side effects may include voice changes, throat pain, cough, headache, chest pain, or tingling on the skin. As of September 2018, noninvasive devices that stimulate the vagus nerve and that don't require surgery are available in Europe, but have not yet been made available in the United States.
summary: Perform slow, deep breathing exercises. Do yoga for 90 minutes every week. Engage in moderate to intense exercise 4 times a week. Perform progressive muscle relaxation Expose your body to cold water, weather, or beverages. Undergo surgery to implant a device that stimulates your vagus nerve electrically.