Breast-feeding 

First breast-feed is like a cover of protection for a newborn baby that provides total protection and the first time when the infant sucks from the nipples of his mother is not only a feed but works as elixir for rest of his life. There is no alternative of mother’s milk for a newborn in fact it is the best feed that provides an infant complete food and helps in infant mortality rate that stands at about 45 out of 1000 for the present time. 

Most families prefer to start a feed with honey or Ghutty in India even if for the sake of keeping traditions but there is nothing better than mother’s milk that provides newborn with colostrum that contains antibodies and high protein values but almost no fat that digests easily. Colostrum good for infants because newly born babies have a very delicate digestive system. Most pediatricians advise to keep babies up to the age of at least for first six months on mother’s milk because mother’s milk contains best contents and nutrition for total requirements of the child. Mother’s milk even helps remove the remaining placenta easily and quickly.    

Mother not only provides her baby with food by breast-feeding but a relation most needed by an infant to make him feel secure with skin to skin or bodily touch. Although the mothers can continue breast-feeding to the baby up to the age of two years providing with proper supplementary diets after the age  of six months but feeding them on mother’ milk initially for the first six months has no alternative.

The mother’s milk contains properties and dietary values, which are not available in different milks available in market used as alternate for mother’s milk. However, the packed milk, which contains artificial supplements of proteins, vitamins and carbohydrate should not used unless necessary or mother’s milk not available. In addition, the milk available in market certainly has no properties that may match with mother’s milk. 

Colostrum- The elixir for infant 

Mother’s milk, yellow in color for first few days thicker compared to normal milk but changes density according to her diet and physical conditions. The milk also contains colostrum the most essential item for the wellness of a child for the rest of his life for it contains vitamins, minerals and immunoglobulin in enough quantity that help save the child from different diseases. Colostrum is the first milk secreted for initial stage after the birth of a baby full of high protein and antibody contents. Mother’s milk with the help of contents available is useful in digestion and keeping his system clean necessary for first three days. 

In case of a working mother who cannot breast-feed her child for various reasons may store her milk in a bottle to be used later up to 10-12 hours if kept in proper condition or even stored in refrigerator with the extra care of cleanliness of container to use for storage of the milk. This is advised to avoid use of feeding bottle unless must for the cleanliness reasons because bottles and nipples if not cleaned properly may cause immense harm to the infant. 

Mother’s benefits

Breast-feeding is good and healthy for mothers as the mothers who breast-feed their children for a longer time find themselves at lesser risk of breast cancer and an early next pregnancy as breast-feeding delays their monthly periods, that also helps to maintain a right difference between the ages of their children. The best benefit for the health conscious mother’s point of view is that they regain their body shape easily.  Few mothers avoid breast-feeding because they think that their figure and health may suffer or at risk of getting bad shape but that is not true in fact, they come back in their original shape and health earlier instead.  

Benefits of breast-feeding

1. The child on breast feed remains healthy for the rest of his life 
2. Mother’s milk helps child develop properly health wise as well as mentally
3. Breastfeed helps in keeping from early pregnancy naturally
4. The child gets proper quantity of sugar and other necessary protective ingredients 
5. Child does not suffer from frequent diarrhea  
6. Child does not suffer from allergies and infections frequently
7. Child does not suffer from obesity as mother’s milk protects him from imbalanced diet
8. Mother’s milk changes according to child's age as she eats differently as the time passes by
9. Children on bottle experience more diseases related to breathing than on mother’s milk
10. Other and children both feel better on psychological and physical level while in touch with each other.
11. Mother can stay safe from engorgement problem

Finally

As most pediatricians’ advice to keep an infant on breastfeed only however, the need to provide him diet supplements may arise in case of any deficiencies detected as such children need additional supplements of iron, calcium and vitamins. A timely care with help of nutritional supplements take proper care of low hemoglobin level, weak bones etc, a proper health chart and timely vaccination is all your child needs while on mother’s milk.

• Written by suni51.
• In category Nutrition.
• 12 years ago.

Hot Hits: 1796

Like it on Facebook, Tweet it or share this article on other bookmarking websites.