Medically reviewed by Mae Charisse Antalan, MD · General Practitioner
Breastfeeding benefits both the baby and the mother.It aids in the healthy growth and development of the newborn as well as the recovery of the mother. Here’s everything you need to know about breastfeeding.
Medical experts and various health institutions emphasize that breastmilk is the best food for babies in the first year of their lives. In fact, doctors and pediatricians encourage mothers to exclusively breastfeed their babies from 0 to 6 months old. The reason for this is that breastmilk offers a lot of benefits for the baby.
Breastmilk contains just the right amount of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats that your baby needs for healthy growth and development. On top of that, it also has vital nutrients like fatty acids that promote their eye and brain health.
Additionally, experts believe that breastfeeding benefits the baby by protecting them from various health conditions, such as:
However, if there’s one fascinating feature of breastmilk that no infant formula can match,, it is the fact that it changes over time. And these changes are tailored to accommodate what your baby needs at the moment.
For the first few days after giving birth, the breastmilk will appear thick and sticky. This is the early form of breastmilk called colostrum. Colostrum has a lot of immunological components (antibodies) capable of protecting your baby in the first days of their lives. Many doctors even consider this as your baby’s first vaccine.
Surprisingly, breastfeeding not only benefits the baby, but it also helps mommies.
The most immediate advantage of breastfeeding is faster recovery. This happens through the release of the hormone, oxytocin which encourages the return of the womb to its previous, pre-pregnancy state.
One more benefit that you may be glad about is this: when you are breastfeeding, you can burn around 500 calories daily to ensure adequate milk supply for your infant. This can lead to weight loss.
Aside from the physical benefits of breastfeeding, it also has emotional and practical benefits for the mother. Learn more about the 10 benefits of breastfeeding for mommies in this article:
After discussing how breastfeeding benefits both mom and child, let’s talk about a major issue among some mothers: lack of milk supply.
Often, no matter how much you want to continue breastfeeding, you couldn’t help but stop because you no longer have enough milk to give your infant. Good thing you can take advantage of nutrition to remedy this problem.
The following foods promote the mother’s health and might even help in increasing milk supply:
Another easy-to-acquire food that may increase milk production is malunggay. If you’re looking for ways on how to add malunggay to your diet, you can check out this article for a couple of recipes:
As much as expert mothers make it seem like an easy task, getting the best breastfeeding benefits requires a bit of learning, especially when it comes to ensuring that the baby is comfortable and attaching well.
Typically, you can guarantee attachment through proper positioning. Below are two of the best positions for breastfeeding.
Aside from these, you still have options such as the cross-cradle position and side-lying position which is great for late-night feedings.
For mommies who need to go back to work but still want their baby to get the breastfeeding benefits, they have the option to pump breastmilk in advance and store it for future feeding.
There are 3 methods in expressing breastmilk.
After expressing the breastmilk, consider the following storage tips to ensure that your baby is getting the best of the breastfeeding benefits:
While breastfeeding, you may experience some issues. Two of them are nipple thrush and itchy nipples.
Thrush is a fungal infection caused by an overgrowth of the Candida albicans bacteria. When a breastfeeding mom suffers from nipple thrush, she may experience excruciating pain during or in between feeds.
Another common issue while breastfeeding is itchy nipples. Thrush, along with other causes such as eczema and mastitis, may trigger the itch. Fortunately, there are many home remedies to manage this condition, such as switching breastfeeding positions, proper cleaning and wiping after each feeding session, and the use of nursing pads.
As much as breastfeeding benefits both mom and child, it has to end at some point. Weaning is the process of ending breastfeeding. It starts when your baby consumes solid foods several times a day and ends when they are no longer taking any breastmilk.
There are three ways to wean your baby:
The different breastfeeding benefits cover not only the physical health of both mother and infant, but also the emotional aspect such as self-esteem, confidence, and bonding. Please remember that the breastfeeding experience is different for each mom. Some may find it easy, while others may consider it uncomfortable. At the end of the day, it’s okay for mothers to seek help and guidance during this stage.
Learn more about Parenting here.
Disclaimer
Hello Health Group does not provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.
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