Breastfeeding

Breastfeeding your baby is one such precious moment that will last for a lifetime. The feeling that your little one depends totally on you for its diet is great. It seems like a miracle how a baby knows how to take its food from day one.
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that babies be breast-fed for six to 12 months.
Some get scared of breastfeeding as they feel that it may be painful. During eighth month of pregnancy, my doctor advised me to use nipcare ointment, which helps in easy nursing.
What is the right position for feeding? How often should one feed? What is the right diet while feeding? How to express breast milk?

Advantages of breastfeeding: When it comes to nutrition, the best first food for babies is breast milk. Breast-fed infants have lower rates of ear infections, diarrhea, rashes, allergies, and other medical problems than bottle-fed babies. Human milk contains just the right amount of fatty acids, lactose, water, and amino acids for human digestion, brain development, and growth.

More info on this can be found here

http://medicalreporter.health.org/tmr0297/breastfeed0297.html

If you are still skeptical, here are 101 reasons to breastfeed.

http://www.promom.org/101/

Important points to note:

• The small amount of colostrum (the sticky yellow fluid that comes out of the breast before the milk “comes in”) is perfect for his newborn system to digest, and provides important antibodies. Colostrum is often called “baby’s first vaccine”.
• Newborn babies should nurse at least eight times in 24 hours.
• Usually newborns nurse 10-12 times or more.
• Nursing often is the best way to increase the milk supply.
• A mother’s breast is the best pacifier for the baby when it is hungry, tired, bored, lonely and scared.
• The food a mom eats gives different flavours to the milk.

Positioning: My doctor recommended me to sit and feed my baby. When we lay down and feed, there is a chance that the milk may cause problems in the lungs of the baby. Taking a back support while nursing gives comfort to the back bone. Interesting videos about postioning can be viewed here. http://www.breastfeeding.com/helpme/helpme_video.html
How often: Usually babies feed at least 8-12 times per day. They should be fed with a gap of 1.5 to 2hrs. Also feeding them on demand is a good idea. Keep your finger near their lips. If they start sucking it, it is a sign that they are hungry.
Diet while breastfeeding: The amount of milk a mother produces also depends largely on the quality of food. Food rich in carbohydrates like bread, fibre cakes, wholegrain cereals, rice and pasta should be taken. Garlic is very good for milk production. Atleast 600ml of milk is advised to be taken daily. Fluid is very essential for adequate milk supply. Plenty of water (8 glasses per day) should be taken. Also it is good if one glass of water is taken after each feed. Click here for a sample meal plan http://au.health.yahoo.com/041101/25/1v0d.html
Contrary to this, some latest research also says that mother’s diet has nothing to do with the quantity of milk. The best way to keep up with sufficient quantity of milk is to nurse frequently.
Expressing breast milk: Breastmilk can be expressed or pumped and stored by refrigerating. This facility is a boon for mothers who want to get back to work, but yet give their best to their babies. The following points should be noted:
Use sterilized bottles for storing brestmilk. Never store milk from a bottle from which the baby has drunk.
Freeze the milk if it is not being used immediately in the coldest section of your freezer. Do not place the bottle or bag up in freezer door.
Never microwave breastmilk. Bring it to room temperature by keeping the bottle in warm water.

Above all, do not feel guilty if you are unable to breastfeed because of lack of milk. A mother's bond with the child always will remain the same.

The best articles about breast feeding can be read at

http://www.breastfeedingbasics.com/