Breast Feeding
Breast feeding is a skill that takes some time to master, and many mums wonder if they are feeding their babies correctly. Sometimes it’s challenging, especially in the beginning, but once you really get into it, you’ll realise how easy it really is. Breast feeding is essential for healthy development for your baby, but it’s also one of the greatest ways to bond with your infant.
WHAT IS BREAST FEEDING?
All around the world, doctors recommend parents feed their babies exclusively by breastfeeding. Not only because babies can’t yet have solid foods, but also because breastfeeding your child is the optimal method for your child to get everything he or she needs for healthy development. Breast milk provides all the energy and nutrients that a baby needs, as well as growth factors and immunological components that help protect your baby from infection. It keeps the baby developing and growing properly as well as helping to fight off disease, such as gastrointestinal and respiratory infection. It also may even ensure that the baby grows up to prefer healthy food.
Did you know that breast milk contains over 300 different components? And the most fascinating part about breast milk is that its composition changes according to the baby’s needs and follow the baby’s growth and development.
For instance, colostrum is the first form of milk your baby will try. It has a yellow or orange tint and it’s thick, rich and filled with essential nutrients and high in antibodies to boost your baby’s immune system. The colostrum is produced right after birth. Then, a few days later the composition changes to be more dilute milk and the baby will become taking larger amounts of milk than she did with colostrum.
At the same time that breast milk changes its composition to accompany the baby’s growth, it also changes its composition during the feed time. This means that at the begging, the milk starts by being more dilute, providing extra fluids to the baby, and at the end, the milk is richer in nutrients.
HOW BREAST FEEDING WORKS
During the first few days, you’ll produce colostrum, and your baby will breastfeed very often, helping you establish a good milk supply. In the following days. Your baby’s breastfeeding habits will tell your body how much breast milk to make and your milk supply will start adjusting to the baby’s needs and demands.
After about five days, when your breast milk changes from colostrum to transitional milk, you’ll feel your breasts much fuller, swollen, and heavier than before. The transitional milk phase is also referred to as your milk “coming in”. Transitional milk is the second stage of breast milk production and this stage usually takes about two weeks before your breast milk changes again to the final stage. Remember that delayed transitional milk can cause dehydration and weight loss in your baby, so if your breast milk is not “coming in”, you should see a doctor to help you correct the issue as soon as possible.
Two weeks after, your milk breast will change its composition for the last time, to the mature milk. At this point, your breast milk is completely adjusted according to your breastfeeding habits and your baby’s needs.
BREAST FEEDING BENEFITS FOR THE BABY
- Breast milk provides your baby with the ideal combination of nutrients to meet the baby’s needs. And its composition changes to follow up the baby’s development.
- Breast milk has many antibodies that help your baby fight off viruses and bacteria, which is critical in the early months.
- Breastfeeding may reduce disease risk, including middle ear infections, respiratory tract infections, colds, diabetes and even childhood leukaemia.
- Breast milk promotes and keeps the baby’s healthy weight. One study showed that breastfeeding for longer than four months had a significant reduction in the chances of a baby developing overweight and obesity.
- Breast milk may make children smarter. Breastfed babies have higher intelligence scores and are less likely to develop behavioural problems and have learning difficulties as they grow older.
BREAST FEEDING BENEFITS FOR THE MOTHER
- Breast feeding is associated with a decreased risk of breast cancer and ovarian cancer in later life.
- Breast feeding may help to lose weight. It burns more calories and after three months of lactation, you might experience an increase in fat burning compared to non-lactating mothers. However, don’t expect significant differences in your weight!
- Breast feeding helps the uterus contract. After your baby is born, your uterus goes through a process called involution, which helps it return to the previous size. The same hormone that helps in this process is the same one that’s increased during breastfeeding.
- Breast feeding impacts depression. Mums who breastfeed have a lower risk of having postpartum depression (PPD), a type of depression that develops after childbirth.
- Breast feeding saves time and money. Of course, one benefit of breastfeeding is the amount of time and money you can save. By breastfeeding, you’re not spending money on formula and not spending time on cleaning, sterilizing and preparing the bottles for your baby. Neither you have to mix and warm up bottles in the middle of the night!
HOW MUCH BREAST FEEDING?
In the first days, as your infant's tummy is tiny, he or she don’t need much to get full. Your baby needs to be fed as often as every 2 to 4 hours. This means you might need to wake your baby to feed, by patting, stroking or undressing your baby to help wake him or her up. Plus, frequent feedings help increase your milk supply and gives your baby practice.
As your baby grows, he or she will also start eating more each time. This means that over the next few weeks and months, the time between feedings will start to get longer, but you should try to continue feeding your baby every 2 to 4 hours. How often your baby feeds might change depending on the time of day. Some feeding sessions may belong, and others short. That is okay. Babies will generally take what they need at each feeding and stop eating when they are full.
From 6 to 12 months, your baby eating habits will change as now you should be introducing solid foods in your baby’s diet. This means that you won’t be breastfeeding your infant as much as you did before, neither it’s necessary but you should still breastfeeding as breast milk is still the most important source of nutrition.
Once your baby reaches 1 year old, it’s usually that breastfeeding will only happen once a day, either at night or first thing in the morning, until the baby decides he or she doesn’t need it anymore.
