Breast feeding is the best feeding- 23 advantages to mother and baby !

What is Breastfeeding?

Simply, breast feeding means feeding breast milk to the young child
It is an act of feeding a young child with breast milk/human milk/mother’s milk
Breast feeding is an ideal nutrition for infant and young child
Breast feeding is also known as lactation/nursing
It should be done for the first 2 years of life (i.e. 24 months).
The duration of breast feeding can be divided as:
- Exclusive breast feeding for 0-6 months (180 days)
- Continued breast feeding along with complementary feeding up to 24 months of life or more
Every year World Breast feeding Week is celebrated from August 1-7 in order to increase awareness and practice of breast feeding

What is Colostrum?

When it comes to breast feeding, we cannot and should not forget about colostrums.
Colostrum is the first milk which is thick and yellowish in color and is very special for the growth and development of the baby
Colostrum is important because :
- It is most important nutrition for baby in the first few days of life
- It has anti-bacterial, anti-viral agents and various antibodies which protects against different infection and allergies
- It helps to release bilirubin from the child’s body which helps to prevent the child from jaundice
- Contains nutrients which promotes the maturation of the gut and thus helps in good digestion
- Also contains protein, vitamin A and other micro nutrients for the growth and development of the baby
- It also forms a protective coat in the GI tract, thus preventing harmful bacteria and allergy from crossing into the baby’s blood

What is Exclusive Breast feeding?

Exclusive breast feeding means giving only breast milk to a infant with complete exclusion of any other food/drinks, not even water
Exclusive breast feeding should be done for 1^st six months of life i.e. 0-6 months (180 days)
Although no other food items should be given during the 1^st six months; medicines, drops and syrups consisting of vitamins and minerals are allowed/can be given

Importance of Breast feeding

Breast milk contains the right balance of all the vitamins, minerals and other nutrients required for the proper growth and development of a baby
It enhances sensory and cognitive development of young child
It fulfills all sorts of nutritional need of the child for the first six months, covers 50% or more nutritional need in the second half of the 1^st year of life and covers 1/3^rd of the nutritional need during the second year of life
Breast feeding contains immunoprotective components which provide special protection to the immune system of the baby. Moreover, presence of antibodies in the breast milk fight against different bacteria and viruses
Breast milk contains all sorts of nutrients, hormones and various disease fighting compounds. Thus decreases the risk of having asthma, lower respiratory infections, diarrhea, vomiting and other allergies.
It acts as the 1^st vaccination for the child

14 Advantages of Breast feeding to the baby

It is readily available, completely sterile and safe
It is easily digestible for the infant
Protects the child against different sorts of common childhood infection and illnesses and allergies
Increases bonding between the mother and child
It increases physical, mental and psychological growth and development of a child
Breast feeding also increases the productivity and performance of a child. These child also have better cognitive development and has higher IQ
Furthermore, it reduces the risk of malnutrition along with non-communicable diseases like heart disease, diabetes, obesity etc in later stages of life
Some research also suggest that breast feeding plays a vital role in prevention of SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome)
It reduces stomach upset/gastroenteritis, diarrhea and constipation
Breast feeding also reduces the risk of ear infections, meningitis etc
Breast fed babies have better oral development due to their jaw movement. Likewise, they also have reduced chances/risk of tooth decay due to the presence of ideal nutrients in breast milk
These babies are also less likely to suffer from childhood obesity and obesity in adulthood as well
Breast feeding also increases the recovery of sick child
It also enhances vaccine response

9 Advantages of breast feeding to mother and family

Sucking by a baby during breast feeding contracts the uterus and helps it to come back to its normal size
Breast feeding also reduces uterine bleeding after birth
Exclusive breast feeding every 4-5 hours days and night acts contraception for newly delivered mothers. This method of contraception is also known as Lactation Amenorrhea Method (LAM)
Breast feeding reduces the risk of ovarian cancer, breast cancer, osteoporosis etc
Breast feeding saves the time of mother to prepare safe and adequately nutritious food for her baby
It is completely economical and reduces the resource load for the family
In most of the cases, breast feeding also helps mother to lose weight by burning extra calories and helps them to achieve their pre-pregnancy weight and figure
It also increases the bonding between mother and baby
Reduced cost and expenditure for baby’s food and nutrition