Guidelines On Breast Feeding
Guidelines For Breast Feeding
Author: Janet Fische
The advantages of Breast Feeding
There are many advantages of breastfeeding that benefit both mother and child. There is no substitute for human milk.
As of lately there have been many clinical trials on the disadvantages of serving cow’s milk to babies. There are fewer complications associated with breast milk than with cow’s milk also. There is also the economical factor of not having to purchase formula or cow’s milk for the baby.
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That is truly a personal decision but it is recommended that babies are breastfed for the first six months even up to two years. So why is breast milk so beneficial for the baby?
Only breast milk contains colostrum which is essential for the baby to take. Commercial formula milks cannot simulate colostrum made by a mother. Colostrum is provided to the baby throughout the first few feedings and the colostrum contain natural antibodies and immune globulins which are responsible for keeping the baby free from illness for the first few months of your babys life.
When breastfeeding the baby’s feces tend to not be smelly and they don’t have any difficulty defecating compared to when a baby drinks only cow’s milk.
The process of producing breast milk is called lactation.
There are several exercises you can use to prepare your breasts for breastfeeding. One of these exercises would involve routinely pinching the nipple. Another is taking a soft toothbrush and rubbing the toothbrush back and forth across the nipple.
Personal hygiene is extremely important when breastfeeding. Mothers should avoid the use of soaps and lotion on your nipples. If you do need to use lotion due to cracking, your nipple should be wiped using a soft cloth soaked in clean water to make sure your nipple is clean before your baby feeds from it.
It takes a little practice to allow your baby to properly latch on to your nipple. Correct latching is when your baby’s mouth covers the entire areola and not just the nipples and there is no discomfort. Correct latching stimulates the “let-down reflex” of your breasts so that the milk will begin to flow down the ducts and out your nipple.
You can make use of your baby’s natural ‘rooting’ reflex to latch on. You can stimulate your baby’s cheek by placing your nipple near their mouth and their head will automatically turn towards the stimulation. Their mouth will open and be ready for receiving your nipple.
Once you have finished feeding your baby you break the latch by inserting a clean pinky finger into the side of their mouth and propping it slightly open. Your baby will stop sucking and you can remove your nipple.
You should time your feeding sessions and allow your baby to feed 10-15 minutes on each breast. Time will depend on your baby’s appetite as well as their age. If your feeding sessions are not entirely empting your breasts you can use a pump to remove the excess milk and store it in bottles.
Let your baby feed from the last breast he or she fed on the next breast feeding session, This will completely empty the milk on that breast before you move on to the other breast.
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