Breast Feeding
Breast is best
There are many advantages to breastfeeding your baby. It's easy. The milk is always available to the baby. The mother doesn't have to worry about heating a bottle when her baby is ready to eat. She doesn't have to worry about keeping breastmilk warm or cold when going out. And best of all, a mother can feed her baby in bed at night, allowing her to get as much rest as possible.
It's very good for your baby
- Breastmilk has antibodies in it that pass from the mother to the baby and help protect him against illness and allergies.
- Breastmilk is easily digested. Mothers don't have to worry about their babies being constipated or thirsty, because babies get an adequate amount of water from breastmilk.
- Sucking at the breast helps with good oral development.
- Breastfed babies have fewer speech impediments.
- Breastfed babies have good cheekbone development and jaw alignment. Consequently, there is less chance of needing braces and other orthodontial work.
It's also good for you
The baby's sucking at the breast causes uterine contractions right after birth. The contractions lead to less bleeding for the mother, and return the uterus to its pre-pregnancy shape much faster. Breastfeeding burns calories. A mother can lose much of her pregnancy weight faster than if she were bottle-feeding her baby. It also creates a bond between mother and baby, helping the mother learn her baby's cues and signals faster. This makes mothering her baby easier.
Baby's first year
The American Academy of Pediatrics currently recommends breastfeeding for at least the baby's first year. As solids are introduced (usually around the middle of that year) the baby will shift his primary source of nutrition from his mother's milk to other foods. Basically, you feed your baby as long as you and your baby wish to continue.
All the contributions of human milk, both nutritional and health, continue for as long as a baby receives breastmilk. In fact, as the baby takes less breastmilk, these benefits are condensed into what milk is produced. Many of the health advantages of breastmilk are dose related: the longer the baby receives breastmilk, the greater are the benefits.
- The baby nurses frequently averaging at least 8-12 feedings per 24-hour period.
- The baby is allowed to determine the length of the feeding, which may be 10 to 20 minutes per breast or longer.
- Baby's swallowing sounds are audible as he is breastfeeding.
- The baby should gain at least 4-7 ounces per week after the fourth day of life.
- The baby will be alert and active, appear healthy, have good colour, firm skin, and will be growing in length and head
Good for you; good for baby
The physical act of breastfeeding is more than the quantity of milk that is supplied, as you will find once you hold your baby in your arms. Breastfeeding is warmth, nutrition, and mother's love all rolled into one. Understanding and appreciating the signs of knowing when your baby is getting enough to eat is one of the most important things a new mother can know.
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