Every mother wishes the best for her baby. You’re here for learning the best in detail. Our topic here is the importance of breastfeeding. Our first purpose is having healthy generations in the future. And I promise, you will have the key for this, after reading this article. And only one important message must be in your mind: “If there is no important medical reason, until 6 months only breastfeeding is the best for your baby and you should never give water,infant formula, nor any other fluid other than breast milk” .
İçindekiler
The properties of breast milk:
The breast milk is a very special ,unique and live fluid, it’s d’s miracle, is one of the most important gift to mankind. It provides healthy development of the baby. It generates a unique bond of love between mother and helps baby to feel safe on the mother’s breast. Breastfeeding is the most economical, even free of charge way of baby nutrition.
The breast milk is a live fluid because it contains white blood cells, biochemical substances such as Antibodies and lysosime, that fights microbial agents. Breast milk is ready anytime-anywhere, is always clean and has the right temperature.You don’t need to heat or sterilize it.Perhaps this may sound funny now, but when you start to introduce solids after 6 months, you’ll understand more, how precious were these three words (Ready-Clean-Hot), and then you’ll agree with me.
The infants fed only with breast milk for the first 6 months, are less susceptible to infections such as diarrhea, pneumonia, otitis and allergic diseases. And these babies complain less frequently from digestive problems such as constipation,vomiting and reflux.They become more intelligent, and also have a better vision acuity. It supports speech and chin development. And also it prevents adult’s otoimmune diseases such as diabete, rheumatoid arthritis,Multiple Sclerosis and also cancer, heart disease etc…
QUESTION: How does breast milk prevent diseases in adulthood?
Because breast milk provides a very stable functioning immune system. The balance of immune system is very important, it musn’t be neither more nor less. If the immune system is too strong, allergic diseases and autoimmune diseases such as diabetes, rheumatism, Hashimoto tiroiditis, multipl sclerosis are seen more common, if it is too weak, infections and cancer are more common.
The benefits of breastfeeding for mothers
I know that you read this article, first of all for the health of your baby. Now for a bit more motivation, I want you to think for yourself.
- Mothers who breastfeed can loose the pregancie’s weight easier. Because nursing is a serious caloric and fluid loss. If you dont take more than extra 500 calories, and regularly continue to breastfeed your infant, you’ll notice that you loose gradualy the weight.
- Mothers who breastfeed recover from childbirth more quickly and easily. The hormone oxytocin, released during breastfeeding, acts to return the uterus, to its regular size, more quickly and can reduce postpartum bleeding.
- Studies show that women who have breastfed, experience reduced rates of breast and ovarian cancer later in life. Some studies have found that breastfeeding may reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, and cardiovascular disease, including also high blood pressure and high cholesterol.
lden Breastfeeding Tips
There are 5 lden tips for starting and maintaining an healty breastfeeding. They are so precious that thousands of babies are deprived of breastfeeding because of the lack of these informations.
First lden tip: Begin breastfeeding as soon as possible
After the birth, within one hour the baby must be started to be breastfed.Your doctor or nurse can provide it even in the the delivery room.We musn’t waste this very precious period where the baby is so awake-alert and wish to suck her or his mother.Even after a cesarean section, you’re sleepy, someone else can help you and your baby to ensure this early breastfeeding.
Second lden tip: Correct breastfeeding position
Breastfeeding positions is a very important issue. A false nursing position can cause not only malnutriton of the baby, can cause also sore nipple or fissure.For understanding a od breastfeeding position, first of all we must learn about the anatomy of the breasts.Milk pouchs are not located in the nipple but under the brown tissue . So all the brown tissue must be exposed to sucking pressure of baby’s mouth. The true position is: The baby’s mouth is wide open, lower lip should be extrovert, baby’s chin should touch the breast. The majority of the brown tissue must be in the mouth of baby.(Picture 1)
The false position is: Baby’s mouth is not wide open and lips are like whistling, the lower lip is introverted and baby’s chin dosn’t touch to the breast. In this case the majority of the brown tissue is out of the baby’s mouth.
Third lden tip: The optimal intervals and frequency for breastfeeding
For providing an optimal milkreflex, you must breastfeed 2 breasts for 5 minutes in the first day, 10 min in the second day, 15 minor or longer after 3 th day. Start by the breast you finish at the last breastfeeding session.
In the first week, infants should be breastfed every 2-3 hours. However, some babies may desire to be brestfed even every 1 hour. That doesn’t mean that the baby is hungry. Please check the other sign, and ask to your doctors before giving any other foods such as infant formula.
Premature and low birth weight infants should be breatsfed every 2 hours,for preventing hypoglicemia. These intervals may be more frequent than 2 hours, but not less.
Frequently breastfeeding have so many evidence-based benefits. This is like a 2 way highway.The sensors on the mother’s breast are stimulated by the baby’s sucking, this stimulation helps to relase some pituitary hormones such as oxytocin and prolactin. These hormones provide milk production and secretion.So if baby is breastfed more frequntly, you’ll have more milk to give. Because of that reason any liquid other than breast milk, compromises seriously this natural mechanism of Milk Factory(Picture 2)
4 th lden tip: Breastfeeding is a very natural process …
It is very important to know that, this a psychological rule. Relax, this is not a very difficult thing. Mother learns the true position while the baby learns how to hold the breast. All the rest are provided by the instinctreflexes of newborn.
These 3 reflexes are:
· Searching-finding reflex:When you touch the baby’s cheek,the head turns, the baby opens his mouth and if something touchs the lips, the tongue is extended forward and down.
· Sucking reflex:The touch of the nipple to the palate will trigger your baby’s reflex to suck.
· Swallowing reflex:When the baby’s mouth is full of milk the baby swallows.
5 th lden rule:I’m sure, my milk is enough to feed my baby…
This is also a psychological rule. This positive thinking is a very important factor that increases the milk amount.
When a baby has had enough,he relaxes and es to sleep easily.(Except serious infantile colic). He/She has at least4-5 times pee diapers in a day.
The most quantitative evidence of milk sufficiency ise the baby’s growth assessment and that must be evaluated by your doctor.
A well fed baby gains 150-250 gr. per week in the first 6 months.He/she doubles the birth weight at 5th month, and triples at the first age.
The height increases 8cm every 3 months,within the first 6 months and 4 cm every 3 months ,within the second 6 months. The average height increase is 25 cm within the first year. So one baby who was 50 cm at birth, becomes 75 cm at 1 st year old. Head circumference grows 1cm per month in the first year. These are average values, please don’t compare your baby with others. Because genetically every baby has a different individual growth potential. The height and weight must be evaluated togeather, single measurement is not enough.On this issue, the master is your doctors who follows regularly your baby.
You can watch below, the video of a board Certified Lactation Consultant, Melisa Kotlin, “How to Breastfeed a Newborn”
