Wednesday, 7 November 2012

How Breastfeeding Can Help Your Baby Become Strong

If you are first time pregnant, you must be confused over how to feed your baby. It’s always helpful to know the facts about breastfeeding, so as you can make the right choice. Reading about breastfeeding is lot different from the actual experience. Issues arising during breastfeeding are common, but new mother should not be disheartened. With patience and practice, a new mother will be able to overcome the challenges.

Not only breastfeeding is the super food for the baby, it has other benefits as well, especially for the nursing mother. The World Health Organization (WHO), the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), and the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) all encourage mothers to breastfeed their baby for at least six months after giving birth.

Benefits for Baby

Breastfeeding provides numerous health benefits to both mother and the baby. A special bond is created between mother and child. Breast milk contains all the necessary nutrients including calories, nutrients, and fluids that a baby requires. It is thinner, easy to digest and contains the perfect combination of sugar, fat, water, and protein. Breast milk protects the child from various infections including gastrointestinal, respiratory, pneumonia, bronchiolitis, and meningitis.

Benefits for Mother

Mother milk is easily available and costs nothing. It burns mother’s calories and helps her return to pre-pregnancy weight. A contact between the mother and child during breastfeeding boosts a mother’s levels of oxytocin, which causes the woman's uterus to contract and aids in milk flow. Breastfeeding can also delay the return of menses for three months after delivery. In addition, it can reduce a mother’s risk of getting premenopausal breast or ovarian cancer. Furthermore, breastfeeding increases the emotional bonding between a mother and her child.

Apart from various advantages, breastfeeding can produce some challenges for new mothers including sore nipples, difficulty in feeding the milk, de-shaped nipples, inflammated breasts and plugged ducts. Barring these issues, breast milk is always recommended for newly born. It is obviously, the best food for your baby.

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