Breastfeeding is one of the most powerful virtues that women have. There is nothing more beautiful than feeding your baby. But in addition t...
When a woman gives birth, a series of hormonal processes are triggered that will make her able to breastfeed her baby. Many women have some difficulties maintaining breastfeeding, but trust me, it's worth the effort to try.
Nature made our biology perfect and we can feed our children without the need for any other food during the first months of life. The WHO recommends exclusive breastfeeding during the first 6 months of the baby's life and advises prolonging it for a minimum of 2 years.
Benefits of breastfeeding
If you are pregnant, breastfeeding, or have breastfed your children, you will have learned about the benefits of breast milk for your child. But in addition, breastfeeding not only favors the physical development of the baby but also provides some benefits for the mother's health.
- Breast milk provides the baby with all the nutrients it needs from the first minute of life.
- Protects the baby from diseases by strengthening their immune system.
- According to WHO and UNICEF, breast milk reduces the chances of death in the baby from diseases such as pneumonia, or diarrhea.
- Breastfeeding your baby reduces the risk of ovarian and breast cancer
Features that make breast milk "magic"
When my daughter first made me a mother, I was stunned by the sense of relief it brought me to put her on my chest every time I cried. But also, I was learning as I went about the characteristics of my milk that made my daughter grow up healthy and strong.
I saw how it changed color and consistency according to the moment, how it calmed my daughter's pain when she felt upset, and how it was an excellent ally to make my baby sleep peacefully.
1 Change its composition according to the age of the baby
So smart is our human biology that breast milk changes its composition depending on the physical requirements of the baby. According to one study, as your baby grows and requires more energy, your milk will have more fat and nutrient content.
This discards the myth that "your milk no longer nourishes it." So if you are thinking about prolonging breastfeeding, it is a great decision that you can make for the good of your child.
2 It also changes when your baby is sick
Your milk magically adapts to the physical requirements of your baby, but also identifies when he is sick. Some research shows how milk changes to the benefit of the baby when he is sick.
Experts suggest that the baby's own saliva provides this information, which will cause the milk to change its composition to generate more antibodies.
3 Help your baby sleep
In addition to changing its composition according to age and according to the health of the baby, breast milk changes according to the time of day. A study shows that the nucleotides contained in breast milk are those that help regulate the baby's sleep. These substances are found in greater concentration at night.
So the milk you give your baby at night will be ideal to help him relax and sleep soundly.
4 Prevents asthma and allergies
When you feed your baby breast milk, you reduce the chances of her getting certain allergies and asthma. This happens because milk provides greater immune protection against certain allergens.
Therefore, we can certainly say that breast milk is simply a magic potion.
Confide in yourself
It is necessary that all the women of the world inform themselves about the great benefits of breastfeeding. But also, it is important to believe in ourselves.
I have heard many women say "I did not have enough milk, so I could not breastfeed" or "my baby was hungry and was at the breast all day." And so, due to ignorance, many women choose every day to give formula milk without knowing that in fact, most of us all have the power to breastfeed.
Of course, it is not easy. And surely if you have not been able to have your reasons. But what I am saying is that it is necessary to make the effort, and for this, information is essential.
A baby just weeks old will spend hours and hours at the breast. This is not to say that you are hungry, but that it is designed to be so. The formula will be very difficult for your still immature stomach to digest, so it will probably give you the feeling that it "fills up."
And if the baby drinks less breast milk, the less the mother produces. The circle feeds on itself, and this is how many women begin to run out of milk. The solution is to put the baby all the time to the breast, and the milk will magically begin to flow.
Tips for maintaining breastfeeding
The WHO recommends certain tips so that breastfeeding is satisfactory and can be maintained exclusively during the first six months of the baby.
-Breastfeeding during the first hour of the newborn's life
-That the baby only receives breast milk and no other food, (not even water)
-Make it on demand, without clocks or advice of "15 minutes on one side and 15 on the other"
-That the aerator caps, pacifiers and bottles are eliminated
Ask for help when needed
If you find it difficult to breastfeed, ask for advice from specialized childcare providers; They can help you make your breastfeeding successful.
The best gift you can give your baby is to feed your child with your own body, where you also put all your heart. Go ahead, you can do it!
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