Breastfeeding
CHIDAMBARAM
HOSPITAL
चिदंबरम अस्पताल,
ചിദംബരം ഹോസ്പിറ്റൽ
சிதம்பரம் மருத்துவமனை,
திசையன்விளை.627657
Making the decision to breastfeed is a personal matter. It's also one that's likely to draw strong opinions from friends and family.
Many
medical authorities, including the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP)
and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, strongly
recommend breastfeeding. But you and your baby are unique, and the decision is up to you. This overview of breastfeeding can help you decide.
What Are the Benefits of Breastfeeding for Your Baby?
Breast milk provides the ideal nutrition for infants. It has a nearly perfect mix of vitamins, protein, and fat -- everything your baby needs to grow. And it's all provided in a form more easily digested than infant formula. Breast milk contains antibodies that help your baby fight off viruses and bacteria. Breastfeeding lowers your baby's risk of having asthma or allergies. Plus, babies who are breastfed exclusively for the first 6 months, without any formula, have fewer ear infections, respiratory illnesses, and bouts of diarrhea. They also have fewer hospitalizations and trips to the doctor.
Breastfeeding has been linked to higher IQ scores in later childhood in some studies. What's more, the physical closeness, skin-to-skin touching, and eye contact all help your baby bond with you and feel secure. Breastfed infants are more likely to gain the right amount of weight as they grow rather than become overweight children. The AAP says breastfeeding also plays a role in the prevention of SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome). It's been thought to lower the risk of diabetes, obesity, and certain cancers as well, but more research is needed.
Are There Breastfeeding Benefits for the Mother?
Breastfeeding burns extra calories, so it can help you lose pregnancy weight faster. It releases the hormone oxytocin, which helps your uterus return to its pre-pregnancy size and may reduce uterine bleeding after birth. Breastfeeding also lowers your risk of breast and ovarian cancer. It may lower your risk of osteoporosis, too.
Since you don't have to buy and measure formula,
sterilize nipples, or warm bottles, it saves you time and money. It also
gives you regular time to relax quietly with your newborn as you bond.
Will I Make Enough Milk to Breastfeed?
The first few days after birth, your breasts
make an ideal "first milk." It's called colostrum. Colostrum is thick,
yellowish, and scant, but there's plenty to meet your baby's nutritional
needs. Colostrum helps a newborn's digestive tract develop and prepare
itself to digest breast milk.
Most babies lose a small amount of weight in the first 3 to 5 days after birth. This is unrelated to breastfeeding.
As your baby needs more milk and nurses more, your
breasts respond by making more milk. Experts recommend breastfeeding
exclusively (no formula, juice, or water) for 6 months. If you
supplement with formula, your breasts might make less milk.
Even if you breastfeed less than the recommended 6
months, it's better to breastfeed for a short time than no time at all.
You can add solid food at 6 months but also continue to breastfeed if
you want to keep producing milk.
What's the Best Position for Breastfeeding?
The best position for you is the one where you and
your baby are both comfortable and relaxed, and you don't have to strain
to hold the position or keep nursing. Here are some common positions
for breastfeeding your baby:
- Cradle position. Rest the side of your baby's head in the crook of your elbow with his whole body facing you. Position your baby's belly against your body so he feels fully supported. Your other, "free" arm can wrap around to support your baby's head and neck -- or reach through your baby's legs to support the lower back.
- Football position. Line your baby's back along your forearm to hold your baby like a football, supporting his head and neck in your palm. This works best with newborns and small babies. It's also a good position if you're recovering from a cesarean birth and need to protect your belly from the pressure or weight of your baby.
-
Side-lying position. This position is great for night
feedings in bed. Side-lying also works well if you're recovering from an
episiotomy, an incision to widen the vaginal opening during delivery.
Use pillows under your head to get comfortable. Then snuggle close to
your baby and use your free hand to lift your breast and nipple into
your baby's mouth.
Once your baby is correctly "latched on," support your baby's head and
neck with your free hand so there's no twisting or straining to keep
nursing.
How Do I Get My Baby to 'Latch on' During Breastfeeding?
Position your baby facing you, so your baby is comfortable and doesn't have to twist his neck to feed. With one hand, cup your breast and gently stroke your baby's lower lip with your nipple. Your baby's instinctive reflex will be to open the mouth wide. With your hand supporting your baby's neck, bring your baby's mouth closer around your nipple, trying to center your nipple in the baby's mouth above the tongue.You'll know your baby is "latched on" correctly when both lips are pursed outward around your nipple. Your infant should have all of your nipple and most of the areola, which is the darker skin around your nipple, in his mouth. While you may feel a slight tingling or tugging, breastfeeding should not be painful. If your baby isn't latched on correctly and nursing with a smooth, comfortable rhythm, gently nudge your pinky between your baby's gums to break the suction, remove your nipple, and try again. Good "latching on" helps prevent sore nipples.What Are the ABCs of Breastfeeding?
- A = Awareness. Watch for your baby's signs of hunger, and breastfeed whenever your baby is hungry. This is called "on demand" feeding. The first few weeks, you may be nursing eight to 12 times every 24 hours. Hungry infants move their hands toward their mouths, make sucking noises or mouth movements, or move toward your breast. Don't wait for your baby to cry. That's a sign he's too hungry.
- B = Be patient. Breastfeed as long as your baby wants to nurse each time. Don't hurry your infant through feedings. Infants typically breastfeed for 10 to 20 minutes on each breast.
- C = Comfort. This is key. Relax while breastfeeding, and your milk is more likely to "let down" and flow. Get yourself comfortable with pillows as needed to support your arms, head, and neck, and a footrest to support your feet and legs before you begin to breastfeed.
Are There Medical Considerations With Breastfeeding?
In a few situations, breastfeeding could cause a baby harm. You should not breastfeed if:
- You have active, untreated tuberculosis.
- You're receiving chemotherapy for cancer.
- Your baby has a rare condition called galactosemia and cannot tolerate the natural sugar, called galactose, in breast milk.
- You're taking certain prescription medications, such as some drugs for migraine headaches, Parkinson's disease, or arthritis.
Are There Medical Considerations With Breastfeeding? continued...
Talk with your doctor before starting to breastfeed if you're taking prescription drugs of any kind. Your doctor can help you make an informed decision based on your particular medication.Having a cold or flu should not prevent you from breastfeeding. Breast milk won't give your baby the illness and may even give antibodies to your baby to help fight off the illness.Also, the AAP suggests that -- starting at 4 months of age -- exclusively breastfed infants, and infants who are partially breastfed and receive more than one-half of their daily feedings as human milk, should be supplemented with oral iron. This should continue until foods with iron, such as iron-fortified cereals, are introduced in the diet. The AAP recommends checking iron levels in all children at age 1.Discuss supplementation of both iron and vitamin D with your pediatrician Your doctor can guide you on recommendations about the proper amounts for both your baby and you, when to start, and how often the supplements should be taken.
Why Do Some Women Choose Not to Breastfeed?
- Some women don't want to breastfeed in public.
- Some prefer the flexibility of knowing that a father or any caregiver can bottle-feed the baby any time.
- Babies tend to digest formula more slowly than breast milk, so bottle feedings may not be as frequent as breastfeeding sessions.
The time commitment, and being "on-call" for
feedings every few hours of a newborn's life, isn't feasible for every
woman. Some women fear that breastfeeding will ruin the appearance of
their breasts. But most breast surgeons would argue that age, gravity,
genetics, and lifestyle factors like smoking all change the shape of a woman's breasts more than breastfeeding does.
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