Benefits of Breastfeeding

WHO quotes that “Breastfeeding is an unequalled way of providing ideal food for the healthy growth and development of infants; it is also an integral part of the reproductive process with important implications for the health of mothers”. There are many health benefits of breastfeeding for both the baby and mother. Here is a list of few important benefits of breastfeeding.

Benefits of Breastfeeding for the Baby

• Breast fed babies have stronger immune system and doesn’t fall prey easily to infections than formula fed infants
• The cholesterol and unsaturated fats in the breastmilk promotes the good development of brain and nerve cells early in the life.
• Due to the immunity conferred by the breastmilk, breast fed babies experience less episodes of diarrhoea and constipation.  
• Breastfeeding has also been proved to be preventive against a few types of childhood cancers.
• Breastfed babies have 36% reduced risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)
• There is 15-30% reduction of adolescent and adult obesity rate in children who were exclusively breastfed during infancy.
• Babies fed with formula or cow’s milk tend to have more allergies than breast fed babies.
• Researchers have concluded that breast fed babies have a significant better cognitive development than formula fed babies.
• Sucking activity improves the muscle strength of the jaws and in turn to better orthodontic development.
• The Human milk are less likely to have fever after immunization

Benefits of breastfeeding for the Mother

• Initiating breastfeeding in the first hour after childbirth helps the uterus to contract and reduce the post partum blood flow
• Mommies who breastfeed their infants have found to have lesser percentage of ovarian and breast cancer later in life
• Post partum depression was found to be less in mommies who breastfeed their baby
• The Mother Baby bond is strengthened by breastfeeding and the mom feels more reassured of the baby care
• Breastfeeding also reduces the risk of Type 2 Diabetes and rheumatoid arthritis in the future

Author Bio

I am Dr.Hemapriya, a.k.a the “Doctor Mommy”. I am a medical doctor by profession, no longer into active medical practice as my two little moppets keep me pretty much busy. But, this has not stopped me from putting my medical knowledge to good use.

How to get your Newborn to Breastfeed?

As a new mom, you must be tired aftermath of childbirth and to coax your new born to breastfeed is both tough and challenging. The job of introducing breastfeeding may be arduous that you might be tempted to start your baby on formula.

This is where most of the moms go wrong and introduce formula milk denying their baby the first nutritious milk or the colostrum.

Hope these below tips help in getting your newborn to nurse.

Proper Positioning

Do not put the baby on the lap and lean in to feed the baby, sit upright and hold the baby in the arms so that his body is parallel to yours.

Latching difficulties

After sitting in the proper position, the next step is to latch the baby’s mouth to the breast. Put your clean forefinger and thumb at the edges of the areola ( thumb top with forefinger below) and guide the nipple to the baby’s mouth and ensure firm latch. It will take a few tries to get it right, and the baby to find the right way, please try to be patient till then.

Breastfeed Frequently

It is advisable to feed at least 8 to 12 times a day in an interval of 4 hours so that the sucking will stimulate the neural centres and will facilitate more milk production.

Nipple Care

Any nipple deformities or diseases may prevent the proper latching of the baby to the breast. Talk to your doctor about treating those problems.

Early Breastfeeding

Initiate breastfeeding in the first hour after childbirth as that is the time when the suckling instinct of the baby will be high.

Knowing the milk requirements

The new born’s stomach can hold only 5 to 7 ml of milk and initially the breast milk is of the same quantity to suffice the baby’s needs. But many moms think that the milk is not enough and start with formula.

Hope the above tips were useful for getting your newborn to breastfeed. If you are not to able to breastfeed even after trying these tips you can take the help of a lactation consultant.

Author Bio

I am Dr.Hemapriya, a.k.a the “Doctor Mommy”. I am a medical doctor by profession, no longer into active medical practice as my two little moppets keep me pretty much busy. But, this has not stopped me from putting my medical knowledge to good use.