Breastfeeding is basically feeding an infant with breast milk rather than chemical milk. Breastfeeding is vital for the growth of the child. It is very rich in vitamins, proteins, and antibodies. The breastfeeding experience is very special and beneficial for your child. There is a joyful bonding with the baby, and lots of health benefits are attached to breastfeeding. A nation benefits from breastfeeding mothers as it reduces the death rate of children by a great statistical figure.
Breastfeeding Tips, Information and Advice:
Breast milk is a boon to a mother. Some of the benefits of breastfeeding are:
1. The first Milk is Considered Liquid Gold:
The first thick yellow milk that comes out of the breast just after birth is very rich in nutrients and antibodies and protects babies against various diseases.
It is Very Digestible: for babies and premature babies, breast milk is very easy to digest and contains a lot of protein in it. It is very light, and that is why it is digested well by the newbie.
2. It Fights Against Diseases:
Fights against diseases like ear infections and diarrhea as it contains antibodies, cells and hormones. The chemically formulated breast milk can never match up with the unique formula of natural breast milk.
3. It can Make You Feel Great:
Physical contact with the baby helps in the bonding as well as makes you feel warm, comfortable and secure. The skin-to-skin contact with the newbie boosts the production of oxytocin levels. This is a hormone that calms the mother and helps in the proper flow of milk.
See More: Breast Reduction Exercises
4. It can Fight Against Various Health Problems in Women:
It is linked with a lower risk of following diseases like
- Type 2 Diabetes
- Ovarian cancer
- Breast cancer
- Postpartum depression
5. It Helps in Weight Loss:
Studies show that breastfeeding mothers have higher chances of weight loss than non-breastfeeding mothers.
Tips on Breast Feeding:
1. First Breastfeed After Birth:
There should be a warm touch and contact between the mother and the baby.
2. Getting Started:
The first milk is Colostrum, rich in nutrients and vitamins. The stomach of a newbie is very small and cannot hold too much milk. Feeding the baby often results in more milk supply.
3. Pay Attention to the baby’s Body Clock:
Instead o fixing the time of breastfeeding by the clock, look at the baby’s wanting and accordingly decide. Baby’s early signs of hunger are rooting, licking lips and putting hands into the mouth. In the first few weeks, it should be done 8 or more times.
If breastfeeding is well and often done, then other liquids are not at all required by the body.
See More: How Breasts Make Milk in Pregnancy
4. Production of Milk:
The more milk baby sucks, the more milk is produced as a result. During the first few months of growth spurts, more milk is required.
5. It is a Complete Food:
For the first 6 months, it is the only food and drink a baby needs. If feeding is done properly, the growth of the baby is also proper.
Advice on Breastfeeding Tips:
i) When a mother has established breastfeeding for six months and returns to work, she can express milk and store it in a container that will keep it refrigerated for three days. Refrigerate the breast milk in clean bottles and avoid warming it as it kills the nutrients that the baby requires.
ii) Sleep well. Breastfeeding is often at the cost of the mother’s sleep. So one should try to sleep at the time when the baby sleeps because once the baby is awake and hungry, you have to get up no matter how sleepy you are.
iii) Invite guests and visitors only when you feel active and ready. The breastfeeding mother often becomes tired from taking care of the baby, so she should meet others when the baby is relaxed and sleeping.
iv) Don’t be shy and always take help from your partner. He also holds a certain responsibility towards the child, after all.
See More: Breast Stimulation Tips
Breastfeeding is an important and natural way to nourish and bond with your baby. While challenging, many tips and techniques can help make the experience smoother and more enjoyable for mother and baby.
