Dr Kabita Keyal
Breastfeeding is a blissful & natural act. Breastfeeding the best nutrition for all babies on earth can save millions of life every year.
It’s the greatest wonder of the world & is a true love about caring & nurturing a new life.
It is also an art that is learned day by day. The reality is that almost all women can breastfeed & has enough milk for their babies & learn how to overcome problems.
It is simply a matter of practical knowledge & not a question of good luck.
So, all the mother should be encouraged & prepared to breast feed their baby, right from her antenatal visit. Any problem related to her breast and nipple should be sorted out and she should be emotionally supported. She should be happy and taking proper nutritious diet, with extra calorie to meet the demands of her new born baby.
Breast feeding should be started within half an hour of normal delivery and 3-4 hours of caesarean section. Prelacteal feed with honey water, grape water, sugar water or any other liquid should be strictly avoided.
Mothers first milk (Colostrum- rich in protein and immunoglobulin’s), thick yellowish milk is very important for the baby so it should not be thrown and should be feed to every baby.
There are some factors that play an important role for mother & baby bonding which further helps to maintain proper lactation.
i.e: Rooming in- keeping baby and mother together in the same bed close to each other, Mothering in- keeping baby on the mother’s abdomen or close to her chest.
While breast feeding both the mother and the baby should be relaxed, in comfortable position and in an appropriate room temperature. With this simple act breastfeeding can be a wonderful feeling both for the baby & a mother.
There is no hard and strict rule for timings regarding breast feeding. It can be a demand feeding (as when ever your baby feels hungry). Roughly it could be every 2-3 hourly. No extra water, animal milk, other liquid or food is required till 4 months of age. Add on with supplemental feeds in form of weaning from 4-5 months of age and continue breastfeeding till 2 years of age.
Advantage : Breast milk – Natures perfect food; is a complete nutrition for all the pre term & term babies. It is easy for the baby to digest because of the nutrients present in milk which is in right amount (i.e: fat, sugar, protein, water, other micro nutrients and trace elements). It helps in babies’ growth and development (body & brain). Breast milk contains several anti-infective factors, immune-protective components & antibodies which provide early protection from infection in babies and thus lower the risk of infant morbidity and mortality. It also helps in the babies jaw development/strengthening; & helps in easy teething. There is decreases risk of allergies, diabetes & obesity in later adulthood of breastfeed babies.
Basically breastfeeding satisfies three important demand of a baby’s
Warm: in the arms of mother
Food: from mother’s breast
Security: in the presence of mother.
In mother: It helps in uterine shrinkage, decreases risk of breast cancer, post partum depression, and osteoporosis.
Above all it’s less expensive than formula milk & is available at right temperature, hygienic with less chance of contamination.
Breastfeeding is a natural super power that all mothers’ is blessed with.
Thus, there is no substitute for mother’s milk & Breastfeeding is an act of true love from a mother to her baby.
(Dr Keyal is Consultant Pediatrician at Sumeru city hospital & Vayodha hospital)
