Breast Feeding

 

Importance of Breast Feeding for Your Baby

Why breastfeeding is important? What does WHO say?

WHO & UNICEF recommends that a baby should be exclusively breast fed for six months. After six months, safe & proper additional foods and liquids should complement nursing to satisfy the nutritional needs of a young child up to the age of two years.

Why breast milk is best?

Breast milk is Mother Nature's gift to the baby! There are quite 200 constituents of breast milk known to science.

About 80 percent of live cells in breast milk are made from macrophages that kill bacteria and viruses

Breast milk is sterile and free from pollutants

Breast milk within the first few days called Colostrum. this is often called Liquid Gold for the baby. Colostrum contains antibodies to guard the newborn against disease, also as being lower in fat and better in protein than ordinary milk.

Who can Breastfeed?

Any woman who has born will have the power to breastfeed. it's very rare to ascertain some physical problem for the mother preventing her from nursing . Size of breasts doesn't have any effect the quantity of breast milk production. Even with inverted nipples, women are going to be ready to breast feed with some help. Amount of breast milk production will increase as your baby continues to suckle. Even mothers who have had cesarean delivery , Breech baby and twin babies also can breast feed comfortably with sufficient milk.

What are the advantages for the baby?

Nature has designed the breast milk in such how that it's the right combination of proteins, fats, carbohydrate, and fluids that newborn babies require. The composition of the breast milk changes as per the baby's requirement in order that baby gathers maximum nutrition. No formula can ever substitute breast milk during this manner

Breast milk is full of antibodies which help the baby fight against infections. Hence the baby is has less chances of ear infection, diarrhoea & respiratory infections. Breast fed babies will have much less visits to the doctors for illnesses.

Hormones released during nursing will increase bonding between the mother and therefore the baby. This results in the fulfillment of the baby's emotional and physical needs.

Breast milk also has future health benefits. It reduces the prospect of kid hood obesity; high blood pressure; high cholesterol level; eczema; type 2diabetes; leukaemia; asthma in later life.

What are the advantages for the mother?

Breast feeding is free and simply available.

Breast feeding stimulates the secretion of beneficial hormones called, prolactin and oxytocin. Pro- lactin ( pro lactation) Helps the mother to relax and facilitates bonding towards the baby. Oxytocin causes uterus/ womb contraction and reduces bleeding and anemia. Thus, nursing helps the uterus to return back to the pre pregnancy size and reduce the prospect of post delivery bleeding risk and anemia

Breast-feeding uses up about 500 extra calories per day. So, it's easier to reduce after parturition if you're breast-feeding.

Breast feeding reduces the danger of pre menopausal carcinoma , ovarian cancer, type 2 diabetes, Osteoporosis (less breakage of bones ) and postnatal depression

It is very convenient and no hassle of sterilizing/ boiling the bottles. there's no preparation time needed.

How to ensure adequate breast milk?

Take pre-natal vitamins, specifically vitamin D supplement is suggested for all breast-feeding women and for breast-fed babies. Iron and Calcium supplements also are beneficial. Please consult your doctor.

Increase protein intake within the diet - include Dals, Milk and Eggs daily in your diet.

Begin nursing within the primary hour of birth. Breast prey on demand. this may help regulate the fat content within the milk.

Eat lot of fresh fruits to urge vitamins and micronutrients.

Ensure adequate intake of fluids including water and milk. nursing can cause you to thirsty.

What are the steps of breast feeding?

Hold the baby's whole body close with the nose at the extent of the nipple - " nose to the nipple". Let the baby's head tip back a touch to permit baby's upper lip to brush against the nipple - this helps baby to open mouth wide. When baby's mouth is wide open, the chin is in a position to the touch the breast and with the top tipped back the tongue can reach out and grab the maximum amount as breast as possible. Once chin is touching and nose is obvious with mouth wide open encircling the nipple, baby starts to suckle and cheeks appear full and rounded as baby feeds. After baby has been fed, hold them upright on your shoulder to wind (burp). Breast fed babies have less problems with wind over bottle fed babies.

Please await the subsequent signs to form sure your baby is feeding well:

The baby's chin is firmly touching the breast.

The baby features a big mouthful of breast.

The baby's cheeks are rounded throughout sucking.

Breastfeeding isn't painful to the mother - although the initial sucks are strong with mild discomfort.

There is rhythmic sucking and swallowing, with occasional pauses. there'll be cycles of short sucks and also long, deep drawing sucks.

The baby looks satisfied at the top of the feed and comes off the breast on his own.

Reliable indicators of baby getting enough milk

You will notice that the baby gains weight adequately and regains birth weight by 2wks. the opposite thanks to monitor weight gain is that the baby gains 500gms or more per month or 125gms/wk. The baby should pass light coloured urine about 6 times or more times each day by 4 days aged if the baby is exclusively breast fed. Please monitor the wet nappies.

Diet during nursing 

The mother should attempt to eat a diet . Foods which will be used liberally within the diet are fresh fruits and vegetables, soup of vegetables, milk, curd/Lassi, sprouted moong/ channa, fermented products like Idli, Dhokla, Dosa etc and albumen . Include lot of iron and protein rich food within the diet. The food items which are good sources of iron and protein for vegetarians include Legumes (Dhals), Milk, Paneer, Spinach and other green leafy vegetables, Anar ( Pomegranate), Banana and black grapes. fruit juice and Amla have many vitamin C which is vital for Iron absorption within the body. few nuts for snacking may be a good idea for creating the diet iron and protein rich for vegetarians.

Natural Galactogogues

Natural galactogogues are foods that increase breast milk production. Indian cuisine has many such food items which are utilized in everyday cooking. Some examples are Methi seeds (Fenugreek), Garlic, Saunf (Fennel seeds), jeera water, oats and Brewer's Yeast.

Common problems during nursing 

Full breasts with discomfort and pain - it's going to happen 3-4 days after delivery, breast are full, hot and hard to the touch 

Management - Baby must be attached and breast fed frequently. you'll express the milk if required. Simple pain killers like Paracetamol may help if the pain is intense.

Breast engorgement - This happens in blocked milk duct. Breast appears swollen, skin looks shiny and red. this might be accompanied with pain in breast but pain might not be as severe as mastitis. you'll also notice mild fever.

Management - Feed the baby frequently, apply warm compress or take bath with warm water. Try simple & safe pain killers.

Mastitis - hard swelling within the breast with redness and severe pain. during this condition mother will have fever too

Management - take rest, Breast feed the baby frequently, apply warm compress, take simple analgesics. you'll got to be treated with antibiotics. Contact your doctor.

Sore or fissured nipples - Pain when baby suckles. this is often thanks to excess suction on the nipples

Management - If you develop sore nipples, check the position of the baby. confirm the baby has adequate amount of breast tissue, areola and therefore the nipple within the mouth. Improve the baby's attachment. you'll try some soothing creams.

Working women & nursing 

Avail all possible leave at your credit including unpaid leave

If possible, take your baby to figure , make use of the crèche if available

Do not start other feeds before you actually got to .

Don't think "I will need to return to figure in 12wks, so i'd also bottle feed straight away". this is often the foremost common mistake the mothers do. albeit you'll brest feed for a brief period of your time , it does provide significant benefits to the baby. The baby will have received some amount of valuable antibodies during this point .

Continue to breast feed even in the dark , within the early morning, and at the other time that you simply are reception .

Express the maximum amount breast milk as you'll before you return to figure , into a really clean jar, even 1 cup (200ml) can give the baby 3 feeds/day of 60-70ml each.

Cover the milk and confine the good place that you simply can find within the house or within the refrigerator

Expressed breast milk stays in fitness for 8-10hrs even during a hot climate and up-to 24hrs within the refrigerator

Breast feed your baby after you've expressed the milk, therefore the baby will get the breast milk that you simply can't express including some hind milk.

Don't boil or reheat your own breast milk

It is absolutely not necessary to bottle feed in the least , even very small babies can feed from a cup if you opt to use a formula

Breastfeeding should begin within an hour of birth

Breastfeeding should be "on demand", as often because the child wants day and night

Bottles or pacifiers should be avoided.