Breastfeeding is ... Rules and main principles, the benefits of breastfeeding for a child

Doctors constantly tell expectant mothers that breast milk is important for children, especially in the first year of life. At this time, immunity and important vital functions are established. Breastfeeding is a necessary condition for the proper healthy development of the newborn, it contains all the substances necessary for the baby.

The benefits of breastfeeding

The key to the proper development of the newborn is natural feeding.

The benefits of breastfeeding are as follows:

1. This is the best food for the baby, as it has a balanced composition of nutrients and trace elements, is well absorbed, and is easily digested. It also does not cause constipation, contributes to the development of beneficial microflora, visual and brain cells, the nervous system.
2. It is the basis of health, as it gives impetus to the development of immunity, transmits antibodies to certain diseases. Children who were breastfed are less sick and recover faster, more easily tolerate infectious diseases.
3. A breast-fed baby feels a special connection with his mother, which gives him a feeling of warmth and security, provides the baby with the correct mental development.
4. Sucking forms the right bite in the baby.
5. Breastfeeding allows a woman to quickly restore her physical condition after childbirth by producing a hormone that stimulates uterine contractions.
6. Breastfeeding prevents a woman from falling into postpartum depression due to the production of endorphins.
7. In most cases, the production of prolactin during breastfeeding prevents the occurrence of a new pregnancy and serves as a prevention of breast cancer.

Comfort for baby

Since breast milk is the only full-fledged product for a newborn, the expectant mother must psychologically prepare for this process in advance and know some features.

In order for the baby to be comfortable, it is necessary to fulfill the following requirements:

1. It is better to put the newborn to the breast immediately after birth. It is good if the baby and mother will be in the same room from the very beginning.
2. During feeding, the baby is removed from the breast only after full saturation, when he himself will let her go. If mom needs to leave for a while, she can pump milk into a bottle. In this case, the correct selection of the nipples is important - it should repeat the shape of the breast, be elastic and have holes so small that the milk has to be sucked out.
3. During breastfeeding, the first three months, you can not give water to the newborn - mother's milk completely covers all the needs of the baby, including the need for fluid.
4. If it’s hard for mom to sit, then the process is performed lying down. If feeding occurs in a sitting position, a pillow is placed under the arm on which the baby's head rests. Without support, the hand may get tired, which will prevent the continuation of feeding.
5. During feeding, it is necessary to ensure that the position of the newborn's body is comfortable.
6. In order for the process to be successful and not create painful sensations for a woman, it is necessary to teach the newborn the correct capture of her mother’s chest.
7. It is possible to apply a child to the second breast only after the complete emptying of the first, since the last milk is more nutritious.
8. After breastfeeding, the first seven to twelve minutes of the baby must be held upright to let out the air that he swallows while sucking.
9. Once every seven days you need to weigh the baby in order to track the adequacy of weight gain and whether he has enough milk.

Absolutely not necessary on the advice of old grandmothers:

• put the newborn to sleep on a thick soft pillow - in order to avoid abnormal development of the spine;
• lubricate the nipple with honey - so as not to cause an allergic reaction;
• drink sweet tea with a newborn - so as not to spoil your appetite and not cause iron deficiency (anemia).

Features of breastfeeding for mom

Breastfeeding has its own characteristics that mom should know.

They are as follows:

1. At first, colostrum will not be enough, but this should not be scared - at first the baby will have enough, and the digestive system of the newborn will be prepared for breast milk.
2. Every mother should develop a baby feeding system for herself. Previously, doctors had recommended strict adherence to the clock. Recently, pediatricians have advised breastfeeding after childbirth at the request of the newborn, this process can reach 12 times a day. Thanks to frequent application, milk production is increased.
3. To keep the process of natural feeding as long as possible, you do not need to water the baby through the nipple. If you need to give him water, medicine or complementary foods, you need to do this with a spoon or pipette, and only after breastfeeding.
4. For hygiene, after and before each feeding, the breast must be wiped with furatsilinom, a weak solution of potassium permanganate. Reviews of breastfeeding confirm the fact that hygienic procedures prevent the formation of acidic residues that can harm the baby.
5. If there is little milk, then after each feeding session you need to fully express the breast. If the child is saturated, then this is not necessary - with time, when the newborn will suck out more, more milk will also form. Decantation will prevent coarsening of the mammary glands and stagnation of milk in them.

Night feeding

The first months of life, the baby needs frequent feeding, including at night. Mom's milk is rich in substances that help the baby fall asleep, and sucking soothes. Breastfeeding up to 6 months will be the best solution, as it benefits the newborn, and the mother develops stable lactation.

There is no need to worry that the mother does not have enough strength to get up at night, nature worried about it - after the birth of the baby, the woman’s endurance increases five times, which helps her withstand the difficult first months. Mom needs more responsibility at night, as for feeding you need to wake up completely and not crush the baby during sleep.

In the first month, the baby may need up to three times a night. Most pediatricians agree that not only during the day, but also at night, you must adhere to the regime on demand.

The benefits of feeding a baby at night are as follows:

• the child’s body grows at night, so the intake of nutritious mother’s milk at this time is especially important;
• normalizes the functions of the digestive tract of the baby;
• makes sleep calm.

Breastfeeding at night is a difficult process, so most mothers during this period prefer to sleep with their baby. You can buy a special side-mounted child seat - it is small in size and is located close to the parent's bed or move the standard children's bed with the sidewall removed. In this case, the mother is directly next to the baby and can quickly respond to his needs.

Breastfeeding

Successful breastfeeding is the key to the development and growth of the baby. In order for this process to take place painlessly for mother and baby, it is necessary from the very beginning to teach the baby to correctly grasp the chest.

The following points should be considered:

1. Before feeding, the mother should sit comfortably, deploy the baby face to her.
2. Next, you need to make sure that the head and neck of the newborn is on the same line - straight. This situation ensures the free flow of milk into the stomach.
3. Then it is required to bring the baby's mouth closer to the nipple - the baby will instinctively open it.
4. Place the chest in the mouth with your hand so that not only the nipple, but also almost the entire halo is placed in it. In this case, less air will be absorbed when eating, and painful cracks will not form on the nipple. If the process of applying to the breast is not debugged, the breast-fed child may refuse to breast, and the mother will have a number of problems - lactostasis, mastitis.
5. If the baby is passive and does not open his mouth, then you can touch his lips with a part of the halo under the nipple.
6. After the baby has taken the breast, its position is adjusted so that it does not cover the baby’s nose and is supported by hand for convenience.
7. If milk from the chest beats with a strong stream, then it can be decanted a little to relieve the tension of the breast and the baby will not choke.
8. If the baby does not grab the breast correctly, you need to release the nipple with your finger, slightly pressing near the lips, and repeat again.

Proper natural feeding

Sometimes it’s much more convenient for mom to feed according to a certain schedule. This does not harm the child, as his body learns to live in this mode.

Inexperienced young mothers are interested in the problem of how to carry out breastfeeding for months. To answer this question, you can use the special table, which is intended for those parents who do not apply feeding on demand.

Indicative table of the diet and the amount of milk up to two months of age:

It must be remembered that the approximate table of breastfeeding (how much milk is needed) contains averaged values. Each child’s body is unique, therefore only a mother can determine which feeding regimen will be comfortable for her baby.

On-demand feeding, duration

Five to six years ago, pediatricians convinced mothers that feeding by the hour was the only correct action. Modern experts convince that an individual approach to feeding infants is a necessity.

Over time, the opinion of doctors has changed, and now mothers have the right to decide for themselves what kind of breastfeeding they will adhere to - according to the temporary regimen or according to need. The latter means that the mother must listen to the needs of the baby and satisfy them when necessary, that is, on demand.

It means:

• to offer the baby a breast should always be when he whimpers, is naughty or is looking for a source of food with his mouth;
• no need to consider the time that has passed since the previous feeding.

Over time, the baby himself will establish a schedule suitable for him. On-demand feeding creates psycho-emotional comfort for the newborn, makes it calm and balanced.

The duration of breastfeeding is a variable that depends on many factors.

This parameter is affected by:

• the development of a sucking reflex in a baby;
• the efforts that the child makes when sucking;
• the correct position of the chest in the mouth of the newborn;
• satiety of the baby.

The average duration of feeding is thirty minutes. It is believed that time should not be limited by force - the baby itself will release the breast when it is full. Such a relatively long meal time is due to the fact that the child first sucks out less calorie, watery milk, saturated with carbohydrates and minerals. Only five minutes later, more nutritious milk rich in proteins and fats begins to stand out.

Often, the baby does not require breasts to saturate, but to calm down, to feel that mom is nearby. Thus, after breastfeeding, the invisible bond between the baby and mother is strengthened. Over time, the newborn will find other methods of contact, and moments of breast sucking will be less common.

How old is the feed

It is believed that the longer the mother breastfeeds the baby, the better. Five to seven years ago, some doctors advised to continue breastfeeding for at least a year, others for up to three years. Today, everyone agreed that it is best to continue this process for one and a half to two years. The unanimous advice of specialists is that breastfeeding in the first month should be carried out unambiguously.

According to pediatricians, a sufficiently long breastfeeding brings the following benefits:

• children are less prone to allergic reactions;
• the use of whole milk and infant formula is postponed to a later date, which is useful for the digestive system of babies, as they contain foreign proteins;
• the immune system is strengthened - children are ill little and easily tolerate infections;
• breast milk is an excellent prophylactic against intestinal diseases;
• milk enzymes stimulate the development of brain cells and the digestion of food;
• psychological contact is established between mother and child;
• kids adapt more easily in kindergarten teams, have developed intellectual abilities.

In addition, long-term lactation reduces the risk of breast and female genital cancers for a woman.

Mom Nutrition Recommendations

In order for milk to contain enough nutrients, mom needs to eat fully. Many women are interested in which diet can be used while breastfeeding, and which can not.

Experts give a definite negative answer to those mothers who, after pregnancy, having gained excess weight, want to lose weight. A restriction in nutrition will lead to the fact that milk will be defective and will not be able to satisfy the needs of the newborn.

The nutrition of the nurse should be balanced, varied and consist of healthy food. This is important because a child receives all of these substances from milk.

The menu should be enough:

• proteins;
• calcium
• magnesium
• iodine;
• vitamin C and D;
• gland;
• carbohydrates;
• omega acids;
• fats.

To the question of whether it is possible to eat fried and smoked dishes with breastfeeding, experts give a negative answer. At the same time, products that cause gas formation should be excluded from the diet. The first six months, the calorie content of food should be at least 2650 kcal, and then up to 2600 kcal. The amount of incoming protein should be 110-115 g (animal - 60%, vegetable - 40%). The menu must include fish, meat, cereals, vegetables, nuts, dairy products.

In case of unsatisfactory intake of necessary substances with food, the reserves in the mother’s body will be depleted, which will lead to undesirable consequences over time.

Weaning

Weaning in due time is easy, as breastfeeding lasted long enough, by the time of weaning the baby receives the right amount of complementary foods.

When a child reaches ten months of age, with the timely introduction of additional solid food, he receives complementary foods three times a day and twice (usually in the morning and evening) - breast milk. Feeding in this mode is suitable for children until they reach the age of one year and even more. It all depends on the characteristics of each particular child - its constitution, weight, activity. Since breast milk retains its nutritional properties with the full nutrition of the mother, regular application to the breast stimulates its production and natural feeding along with the rest of the food can continue as long as you like.

To understand why you need to start weaning the baby from the chest, you need to determine what you need to get in the end. If mother is going to go to work, then she will have to wean from morning feedings. This is dictated by the fact that, most likely, the mother will have free evening time for her baby, when it will be possible to feed him with breast milk. If the work provides for free morning hours, then you need to stop the evening breastfeeding. In the event that it doesn’t matter of principle which breastfeeding to refuse, it is better to replace any of the daily feedings with solid food.

To start weaning before feeding, give the baby 50-60 g of the mixture (for an eight-month crumb) or baby kefir (if the baby is older than eight months), then attach to the breast and feed it. Additional food is best given with a teaspoon or from a cup. By the end of the third day, the amount of complementary foods replacing feeding should reach 110-160 g. Thus, one morning or evening feeding will be gradually replaced. Then, over time, you can undo another one in the same way.

Over time, with a gradual decrease in the consumption of milk from the breast, it is produced less and less, and at some point it completely disappears. In the case of a gradual, smooth abandonment of breastfeeding, this process can stretch for several months. If you need to excommunicate a child urgently, then you can meet within a few days.

With large milk production, some experts advise tightening the chest tightly. Others are against such a method, motivating it with the fact that it can provoke the development of mastopathy. They advise a little, up to half of the total volume at a time, to express the breast when it swells heavily. The body in this case will consider that the child consumes less milk and will reduce its production. Over time, it will cease altogether.

During the weaning period, the child needs to pay more attention so that he does not feel that the mother is moving away - play more often, pick up, hold him, talk to him. Compliance with these recommendations will lead to the fact that the abolition of breastfeeding will take place in a calm and comfortable environment for the baby and mother.

Stress Prevention Questions

Many mothers are interested in the question of whether to stop breastfeeding if the baby is sick. The answer of experts is unequivocal - no. On the contrary, mother's milk is the best and safest medicine.

Also, women are interested in whether it is possible to take medications with breastfeeding. If the mother is sick, the doctor will prescribe those drugs that are allowed during lactation and will not harm the baby. In the case of taking other medicines on the days of administration, plus another two days after its completion, the child is fed a mixture of a bottle with a tight teat or spoon.

Pediatricians do not recommend starting excommunication in the summer, especially in the heat. If this process is planned, then it is better to carry it out in the cool season.

Also, breastfeeding does not stop immediately after vaccination, since breast milk is a natural protective agent that raises immunity, and during this period the child’s body is weakened and susceptible to infections.

If the child is already old enough and does not want to give up breasts, then other adults should help her mother. Dad or grandmother can put the baby to bed, offer a mixture or kefir. To cancel feeding at night, such children will also be left without a mother for part of the night.

It must be remembered that weaning from my mother’s breast at any age and for any reason is a stressful situation. And the stronger it is, the more visible the consequences. During this period, the child needs to pay more attention so that he does not feel that the mother is moving away - to play more often, pick up, hold him, talk. Compliance with these recommendations will lead to the fact that the termination of breastfeeding will take place in a calm and comfortable environment for both.