Breast Feeding Basics For Your Newborn Baby
It is a myth that bottle-feeds and breast-feeding is
equally good. Mother's milk is the best for proper growth
of the child. There are certain nutrients in the mother's
milk that helps the baby fight illnesses while
also promoting brain development. As compared to breast
fed babies, the formula-fed babies are more prone to
illnesses.
Ideally you should start breast feeding the child within 2
hours of its birth, but do not worry if for some reason
you are not able to do so - many mothers feed their
children after a few days because of some medical reasons
and they turn out to be just fine. Apart from milk avoid
giving the child any water or pacifier because the child
is still learning to breast-feed and things like the
bottle nipple and pacifiers can confuse the baby while
nursing because milk doesn't flow as fast as it does
through bottles.
Do give the child enough time to breast-feed. Don't limit
the time. It could frustrate the baby. An average of about
10 to 45 minutes can be taken by the baby to completely
satisfy itself.
So how should you hold your baby during breast feeding?
The answer to this is that see to it that the gums of the
baby are on top of the areola because there is a chance of
nipples becoming sore if the baby just chews on the nipple
instead of taking in the areola. You can hold the baby in
a cuddling position and feed it or you can lie on your
side placing your baby facing you. Usually when the baby
has had enough milk it will let go of the nipple on its
own, but the baby takes usually half an hour on each side.
We'll now move on to another critical issue which every
breast-feeding mother needs to know about - what to eat
during the process of breast feeding. It is very important
for a breastfeeding mother to have a healthy and balanced
diet. A variety of foods are required during this period
including:
. Get lots of vegetables and fruits - try and have an
intake of 5 portions a day of fruit and veg.
. For additional energy try and take in starch rich foods
such as bread, pasta, potatoes, pulses and rice - this
will provide a good source of energy.
. Foods such as whole meal bread, vegetables, pulses,
cereals and pastas will provide fiber - women occasionally
experience bowel problems after childbirth and an intake
of fiber on a daily basis will help with
this.
. Proteins such as lean meat, fish, eggs and poultry.
. Try and get two portions of fish per week (including
some oily fish). Do not exceed 2 portions of oily fish per
week.
. Dairies such as cheese, milk and yoghurt are an
excellent source of calcium and should be included in a
breast feeding mother's diet.
. Some doctors advise taking vitamin supplements such as
Vitamin D (10 mcg per day). Your doctor will be able to
advise which supplements will be right for you.
In addition to the foods that you should eat above there
are certain food types that you should steer clear of at
this time. As above you should restrict your intake of
oily fish to two portions per week but you should
also avoid eating more than one portion of swordfish,
marlin or shark per week as these fish contain high levels
of mercury. You should also be careful with your intake of
caffeine and alcohol. It is true that some
breast feeding babies react to the foods that their mother
has consumed. Some doctors believe that it is wise to lay
off peanuts during this stage as well - approximately 2%
of the population is allergic to peanuts - however your
baby may have a higher chance of being allergic if the
mother/father/brothers/sisters have problems such as
asthma, eczema or hay fever. If you believe your baby may
be at risk due to these factors it is worth consulting
your doctor.
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