Immediately after birth a naked baby be placed on the chest of the mother providing skin to skin contact . This helps in emotinal bonding, temperature control and early breastfeeding.
Immediately after birth a naked baby be placed on the chest of the mother providing skin to skin contact . This helps in emotinal bonding, temperature control and early breastfeeding.
Human breastmilk has a fairly constant composition, and is only selectively affected by the diet of the mother. The fat content of breastmilk varies somewhat. The carbohydrate, protein, fat, calcium and iron contents do not change much, even if the mother is deficient of these in her diet. Maternal nutrition is more important to maintain good health and well-being of the mother.
Artificial feeding is when the mother feeds her baby milk other than breastmilk. It could be fresh animal milk or powdered formula.
Mixed feeding is when the mother feeds breastmilk and the artificial milk to her baby.
The World Health organisation recommends Optimal feeding that includes exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months and continued breastfeeding for two years or beyond along with appropriate complementary feeding after six months.It helps babies grow healthy and strong. Breastfeeding helps in the protection of the baby from many illnesses. The mothers also gets protection from breast cancer and ovarian cancer as well as type 2 diabetes if they breastfeed their babies longer.
Two hormones- Prolactin and Oxytocin play important roles in production and supply of breastmilk. Prolactin is necessary for the production of milk. It makes milk in the breast glands and depends on suckling of the baby. Oxytocin makes the milk flow from breast to the baby’s mouth. It depends on mothers’ state of mind. When a mother is confident, happy, thinks about the baby oxytocin release is much better and hence the flow of milk.
It is a perceived problem not a disease. Question one has to ask a mother if a baby is getting enough or not. It needs investigation. If a baby is passing urine about 6 times a day and gaining weight adequately, these are good indicators of enough milk going to the baby. If for example the mother is infrequently feeding, baby is not attached effectively to breast , or mother is anxious or in pain, milk does not flow well creatinga sense of not enough milk.
The best is to give demand feeding, meaning just feed the baby when she/he demands. Sometimes babies feed more frequently and some other times, they may be sleeping for a longer time. Both are okay. But you have to look for the urine output of the baby which should be 6 or more times in 24 hrs.
Research shows that exclusively breastfeeding mothers tend to burn on an average 500 additional calories daily that is almost equal to calories burnt during a 45–60 minutes of medium-intensity physical exercise. So the mother comes to her original weight much faster if she is exclusively breastfeeding.
Breastfeeding is the most natural and ecological way to feed your baby. Breastmilk does not contain any preservatives or risk of contamination and is not processed in any way. Breastfeeding also saves energy as it is available at body temperature. You could say that breastmilk is a renewable resource. Feeding at the breast also reduces waste – from production to feeding, no products are needed, just mom and baby’s bodies. Bottles and packaging take energy and resources to manufacture, promote, and recycle. So, whenever and for however long as possible, feeding directly from the breast is most efficient in terms of reducing waste and saving energy. Breastfeeding does not emit CO2 gases, breastmilk substitutes emit a lot.
According to WHO, Powdered milk formula is not a sterile product. It requires safe preparation and discarding of left over milk otherwise there is risk of serious infections especially to newborn babies. But, if you decided to formula feed your baby, you should make sure that you pay careful attention to safe preparation of your baby’s milk. Babies who are fed formula have increased chances of getting pneumonia and diarrohea.
Yes it is much expensive option. A 400 gm pack of formula milk for infant costs about Rs 300-400 or even more and lasts for only 10-15 days.
Recent World Bank Study in South Asia revealed that most pregnant women missed any discussions about feeding their babies during pregnancy. If pregnant women received information and counselling support by dedicated skilled counsellors during antenatal period, recent research in India has shown doubling up of early breastfeeding rates at birth. The W.H.O. has recommended that counselling on breastfeeding is an important step during pregnancy. The WHO’s Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding and Indian Law (IMS Act) to protect breastfeeding emphasises a discussion on the importance and management of breastfeeding with pregnant women and their families. It guides that breastmilk substitutes should not be used unless there is a medical indication.Therefore, all pregnant women should be counselled by a trusted source on benefits of breastfeeding, technique of breastfeeding including correct latching, risks associated with breastmilk substitutes, and the services she requires to be successful.
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