Breastfeeding is the best way to ensure your baby’s nutrition and survival as it provides the optimum results for both you and your baby. According to World Health Organization (WHO), fewer than half of infants under 6 months are exclusively breastfed(1).
According to CDC, only 1 in 4 infants is exclusively breastfed as recommended by the time they are 6 months old. Also, low rates of breastfeeding add more than $3 billion a year to medical costs for the mother and child in the United States(2). These facts show that even though the importance of breastfeeding is highlighted throughout the world, the actual number of proper breastfeeding has not been significantly established.
There are a number of artificial milk formulas similar to breast milk. But, none of them can be compared to breast milk. It is the naturally made feed that helps your child to grow with fewer problems.
After you give birth to your child, breast milk starts to secrete immediately. For the initial days, a yellowish color secretion known as colostrum will be seen. Colostrum contains highly dense nutrients, antibodies that will help to fight against infections, and antioxidants that will be important to your immune system(3). After a few days, regular whitish-appearing breast milk will be formed.
Breast milk contains 3%–5% fat, 0.8%–0.9% protein, 6.9%–7.2% carbohydrate, and 0.2% mineral constituents. Its energy content is 60–75 kcal/100 ml. In breast milk, the protein content is more and carbohydrates are less compared to colostrum. The principal proteins in breast milk are casein, alpha-lactalbumin, lactoferrin, immunoglobulin IgA, lysozyme, and serum albumin(4). These are either important components for the body or components that are important in immunity.
Breast milk provides adequate amounts of nutrients and protection against infection for the baby. Furthermore, it gives the baby’s digestive system a break and prevents getting long-term noncommunicable diseases like diabetes and hypertension. For the mother, frequent breastfeeding helps to reduce the risk of breast/ ovarian cancer, lose weight, reduce the risk of osteoporosis, and postpartum depression, and acts as a natural method for delaying menstruation(5). Breastfeeding also helps the mother and baby to bond with each other.
Here are 5 important facts that you should know when breastfeeding your child.
1. Immediately start after birth
According to WHO, early initiation of breastfeeding within one hour of birth is recommended. This helps the baby to bond with the mother, protects the baby from infections and early death, and helps in continuing breastfeeding throughout the initial period(6). So, keep in mind that start breastfeeding your child as early as possible.
2. Correct positioning
For your child to receive adequate amounts of breast milk, the positioning of the baby plays an important role. There are several breastfeeding positions(7).
The cradle hold is the commonest breastfeeding position and it will help you to provide a satisfactory feeding and bonding experience.
The cross-cradle hold will be useful when first learning to breastfeed and it can come in handy for small babies.
If you are suffering from engorged breasts or sore nipples, the football/rugby hold will be useful.
If you are more comfortable giving breastfeed while lying down, the side-lying position will be useful.
3. Check whether your child has had enough milk
After drinking enough milk, your child should sleep for a few hours. If the child looks irritable and awake, it shows that breastfeeding may not have been given adequately.
The weight of the baby will start to increase after the first week and with adequate breast milk, it should increase rapidly. The baby will start passing urine frequently day and start to pass feces a few times a day. The color of the feces is usually yellowish.
If these things are not seen, it is a sign that the child may not be getting enough breast milk.
4. Breastfeeding from both breasts
It is very important to remember that you should breastfeed the baby from both breasts. Some babies may prefer feeding only from a specific side because of several reasons. Some babies prefer to be on a certain side during breastfeeding and sometimes one breast may not produce enough milk.
Several problems can arise if only one breast is used for breastfeeding. The breast that is not used for breastfeeding can get breast engorgement, breast abscess, and conditions like galactoceles. And for the breast that commonly is used can get problems like cracking of nipples, mastitis, etc.
5. Do not be stressed
It is a common finding that a lot of mothers will not produce an adequate amount of milk because of stress. As a mother of a newborn baby, there are plenty of reasons for you to get anxious and stressed. Just after giving birth, you will be in a lot of pain. And at the same time, you will be in a stressful situation as everyone will expect you to produce milk immediately. Because of these reasons, you may not produce enough milk.
So, if you think you are in stress, take some time to relax, talk to people who are close to you, and talk to your healthcare team if you are in pain. These measures will help you to reduce your stress and produce more milk.
Summary
Breastfeeding is the best way to keep your children well-fed and protect them from infection leading to early death. Even though, measures have been taken to ensure proper breastfeeding, the numbers of mothers with proper breastfeeding are not significantly high. Breast milk is the most important feed for your newborn child at least up until 6 months. Most of the time, mothers struggle with breastfeeding due to inadequate knowledge and training in breastfeeding. Correct positioning of the baby, immediately starting breastfeeding after birth, and how to know your baby has had enough milk are the most important things to be noted as a breastfeeding mother. Also, reducing your stress and pain will ensure adequate breastfeeding for your child.
Resources
- World Health Organization: WHO. (2019). Breastfeeding. www.who.int. https://www.who.int/health-topics/breastfeeding#tab=tab_1
- Why It Matter. (2023, April 4). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/breastfeeding/about-breastfeeding/why-it-matters.html
- Professional, C. C. M. (n.d.). Colostrum. Cleveland Clinic. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/body/22434-colostrum#:~:text=Colostrum%20(kuh%2Dloss%2Dtrum,will%20get%20from%20your%20breasts.
- Jenness R. (1979). The composition of human milk. Seminars in perinatology, 3(3), 225–239.
- Lucia, C. A., & Hartshorn, J. (2023). The Benefits of Breastfeeding for Parent and Baby. Parents. https://www.parents.com/baby/breastfeeding/basics/the-benefits-of-breastfeeding/
- Indicator Metadata Registry Details. (n.d.). https://www.who.int/data/gho/indicator-metadata-registry/imr-details/early-initiation-of-breastfeeding-(-)#:~:text=Early%20initiation%20of%20breastfeeding%2C%20within,on%20duration%20of%20exclusive%20breastfeeding.
- Common breastfeeding positions. (n.d.). UNICEF Parenting. https://www.unicef.org/parenting/food-nutrition/breastfeeding-positions
