Breastfeeding

The Breastfeeding Basics

Breastfeeding is the natural way of feeding of an infant or young child with breast milk directly from human breasts. Babies have a sucking reflex that helps them to suck and swallow milk. Most mothers can breastfeed for six months or more, without the addition of solid food.

Breastfeeding is the most nutritious method for feeding your baby. Breastfeeding your baby from birth will aid in proper growth and development. Breastfed children are less susceptible to illnesses and generally recover from sickness sooner than formula fed babies.

Human breast milk is the healthiest form of milk for human babies. There are few exceptions, such as when the mother is taking certain drugs or is infected with tuberculosis or HIV. Breastfeeding promotes health, helps to prevent disease and reduces health care and feeding costs.

Proper Latching

The better your baby is at latching on to your best, the more milk he or she will receive. Here is the ideal way that latching occurs:

  • Your baby's mouth is wide open before being moved to your breast.
  • Move your baby toward your breast, touch your baby's top lip against your nipple.
  • Move your baby's mouth away slightly.
  • Touch your baby's top lip against your nipple again, then move away again.
  • Repeat until your baby opens wide and has tongue forward.
  • Run your nipple along the baby's upper lip, from one corner to the other, until your baby opens wide.

Hunger Cues

Identify these cues to know when to feed your infant:

  • Smacking lips
  • Opening and closing mouth
  • Sucking on fingers or fist
  • Turning head to the side when mouth is touched

Nursing Positions

Mother's posture

  • Sit with straight, well-supported back
  • Tuck facing forwards, lap flat

Baby's position before feed begins

  • On pillow can be helpful
  • Nipple points to the baby’s upper lip or nostril

Baby's body

  • Placed not quite tummy to tummy, but so that baby comes up to breast from below and baby's upper eye makes eye contact with mother's

Breastfeeding Reduces a Mother’s Risk of Developing

  • Ovarian cancer
  • Breast cancer
  • Osteoporosis
  • Urinary tract infections

Breastfeeding is the great method for feeding your baby because it provides your baby unparalleled nutrition while also benefiting your health substantially. This natural method of feeding also provides many psychological and emotional benefits to you and your baby that formula feeding is unable to offer.

Breast Milk Contains:
  • Carbohydrates
  • Fats
  • Minerals
  • Proteins
  • Antibodies

Benefits of Breastfeeding

Breastfeeding provides various benefits to both baby and mother. The transition of the newborn from the womb to breastfeeding will help to create a unique bond between mother and baby.

The increased nutritional value of your breast milk will reduce the chance of your infant developing ear infections, SIDS, allergies, obesity, and gastrointestinal or respiratory infections. In the long run breastfeeding protects your child from developing chronic diseases and aids in the maturation of his or her immune system.

Benefits for the Infant

Breast milk contains several anti-infective factors such as bile salt stimulated lipase (protecting against amoebic infections), lactoferrin (which binds to iron and inhibits the growth of intestinal bacteria) and immunoglobulin.

Breastfeeding reduced the risk of acquiring urinary tract infections in infants up to seven months of age. The protection was strongest immediately after birth.

Breastfed babies have better arousal from sleep at 2–3 months.

Breastfeeding appears to reduce the risk of extreme obesity in children

Benefits for Mothers

Breastfeeding is a cost effective way of feeding an infant, and provides the best nourishment for a child at a small nutrient cost to the mother. Frequent and exclusive breastfeeding can delay the return of fertility through lactational amenorrhea, though breastfeeding is an imperfect means of birth control.

Mothers who breastfeed longer than eight months also benefit from bone re-mineralisation and breastfeeding diabetic mothers require less insulin. Breastfeeding releases oxytocin and prolactin, hormones that relax the mother and make her feel more nurturing toward her baby.

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