What You Should Know About Exclusive Breastfeeding
Exclusive Breastfeeding is
very essential for new born babies especially during the first six month after
delivery, it contains the basic
nutrients needed by babies to grow faster. Some women have come to question the
all-important attributes attached to exclusive breastfeeding.
Exclusive breastfeeding will continue to
be the best food for any baby in the first 6 months of life because:
1. Breast milk contains all the
nutrients a baby will ever need in the first 6 months.
Breast milk is very rich in
protein, minerals, lactose (a carbohydrate), fat and water in the proportion
that is absolutely best for the baby. Another good thing is the nutrients in a
mother's breast milk change proportionately to the nutritional needs of the
baby as the months go by. This simply means that breast milk initially contains
high quantities of protein and minerals which the baby needs more than the
other nutrients in the first month, and towards the 4th month and onwards when
the baby needs more of lactose and water, its nutritional contents change to
meet this need. Breastmilk alone is the
best food and drink for an infant for the first 6 months of life. No other food
or drink, not even water, is usually needed during this period.
2. Breast milk protects the baby against
infection.
Breast milk contains
colostrum which is secreted in the first 4 days after delivery. Colostrum has
high quantities of antibodies from the mother, and breastfeeding the baby
within 30 minutes to 1 hour after birth and continuing this for 6 months
without adding any other food or water ensures he or she gets every single drop
of this colostrum. This passes some of the mother's antibodies in the colostrum
to the baby, protecting him or her against infections.
Infants who are not breastfed
are at an increased risk of illness or dying from illness. Breastfed babies can
receive protection from illnesses through the mother’s milk. Breastfeeding is
the natural and recommended way of feeding all infants, even when artificial
feeding is affordable, clean water is available, and good hygienic conditions
exist. Breastfeeding helps protect babies and young children against dangerous
illnesses. It also creates a special bond between mother and child.
3. Diarrhoea is less common in babies
who are exclusively breast-fed
Breast milk contains a
particular chemical substance that works in a unique way to decrease the rate
of invasion of the baby's intestine by disease-causing microorganisms that are
associated with diarrhoea. Also, giving a baby other foods in addition to
breastmilk in the first 6 months can lead to diarrhoea because of the inability
of the intestine to properly absorb some of the food at this stage of life. And
exclusive breastfeeding prevents this.
4. Exclusively breast-fed babies seem to
have higher IQs than those who are not when they grow up
Evidence is emerging from
some medical research studies that exclusively breast-fed children have higher
intelligence quotient when compared to those who received mostly or only infant
formula feeds; these studies excluded all other factors that may determine
intelligence during growth and development to arrive at their findings. Babies
who are breastfed are generally healthier and achieve optimal growth and
development compared to those who are fed formula milk.
5. Oxytocin
released during the process of breast milk secretion quickens the return of the
womb to its non-pregnant state, reducing the amount of blood loss experienced
by the mother after birth. So exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months
will hasten this return and save the woman from excessive blood loss.
6. Mothers who exclusively breast-feed
have a lower risk of developing breast and ovarian cancers
Studies comparing mothers who
did exclusive breastfeeding and those who didn't have found out that exclusive
breastfeeding confers a form of protection against breast and ovarian cancers
before menopause. These studies also found that the longer the mother
breast-fed her baby the lower the risk of having these two cancers compared to
mothers who don't breast-feed for that long.
7. Exclusive breastfeeding helps the
mother lose her pregnancy weight
If appropriate care is not
taken, some women can go on to become overweight and even obese by the time
they are through with having children. But exclusive breastfeeding has been
shown to lower the likelihood of this because of the high nutrient demand it
places on the mother. And if a woman does exclusive breastfeeding for all her
children, the chance of her becoming obese is significantly reduced. A woman
employed away from her home can continue to breastfeed her child. She should
breastfeed as often as possible when she is with the infant and express her
breastmilk when they are apart so that another caregiver can feed it to the
baby in a clean and safe way.
Sometimes, you may be too
busy or tired to breast-feed as a nursing mother. You should express your
breast milk for times like this. You can express the breast milk by hand or use
of a breast pump. Ensure you wash your hands thoroughly with soap and warm
water before expressing the milk. Also, make sure the breast milk container is
sterilized each time you want to express milk. Mothers are advised to initiate
breastfeeding within 30 minutes to 1 hour after birth. Also, newborn babies
should be given to the mother to hold immediately after delivery. They should
have skin-to-skin contact with the mother and begin breastfeeding within one
hour of birth.
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