Benefits of Exclusive Breast Feeding of Baby
Exclusive Breast Feeding of Baby is the practice of giving breast milk to a baby for the first six months of birth without additional drink or food.
Breast milk contains sugar, protein, fats, and water in the right proportion. It is the perfect food for a baby and supports babies’ proper growth and development.
It also contains antibodies, natural soldiers that help the body fight infection, thereby strengthening the immune system against diseases.
These nutrients are significant prerequisites to the health and survival of the baby.
Importantly, with exclusive breastfeeding of a baby, life-threatening illnesses such as pneumonia and diarrhoea are usually controlled because the immune system is strengthened.
Also, babies fed only with breast milk in their first six months of birth are 15 times less likely to die from pneumonia than infants that do not receive exclusive breastfeeding.
What is Colostrum?
Colostrum is a yellowish sticky and often scanty breast milk that comes from the new mother’s breast within the first 30 minutes of birth.
Colostrum is to be given to the new baby within the first hour of birth.
It is usually thicker than mature breast milk and produced in smaller amounts, but it’s healthy.
Any baby that receives colostrum within the first hour of birth is three times more likely to survive than those who have their first breast milk after 24 hours.
Also, colostrum helps a newborn’s digestive tract develop and prepare to digest breast milk.
So it is highly recommended that the new mother focus more on the first hour of delivery to get the baby fed with colostrum.
After that, the new mother can now be concerned about the baby’s weight and dressing.
Again, if colostrum is given in the first hours after birth, it helps to expel the placenta naturally and reduces blood loss.
Exclusive Breast Feeding of Baby
This is the natural food for the baby and is to be used to feed the baby as much as necessary.
Exclusive breastfeeding is a nursing practice whereby a new baby is fed only breast milk for the first six months without water, drink or food.
It is the best nourishment for a baby.
After the first six months, breastfeeding will continue in addition to other food for up to two years.
Furthermore, all the stakeholders need to counsel and support mothers to practice exclusive breastfeeding.
Yes, moms are always concerned about whether their child is getting enough to eat.
As long as the baby is drinking and swallowing and passing urine and normal yellow stool, new moms should be happy that the child is getting nourishment.
However, you should be quick enough to take your child to a paediatrician if you notice any of these signs or symptoms.
- The baby’s stools are dark and hard
- The baby’s skin is yellowing
- The baby usually feeds for less or equal to 10 minutes
- The baby occasionally fusses and is fatigued.
Frequency and Duration of Breast Feeding
Remember that in the first six months, the baby only feeds on breast milk.
Therefore, the following is a quick guide to the frequency of breastfeeding.
Breastfeeding frequency and duration can vary a lot in the first week.
The first 24 hours differ considerably from baby to baby.
It should be based on the baby’s demand.
However, breast milk should be given to the baby at least 9 to 14 times daily.
Your baby is still developing the muscles and coordination he needs to suck efficiently.
It doesn’t matter if in the night. So the mother and the baby should usually co-sleep at night.
More so, each breastfeeding session could last between 20 to 45 minutes.
When a baby starts to suck a particular breast, they should be satisfied fed from one breast before another is offered.
The moms should know that as the baby sucks the breast, more milk is produced!
Baby Hunger Symptoms
When your baby shows any of these signs, know that it is time to breastfeed the baby.
The signs are:
- crying
- stirring from his sleep
- trying to eat his hand
- opening his eyes
- making cooing noises
- turning his head when he feels something on his cheek
- sucking his lips
- starting to whine
- getting grizzly
- poking his tongue out
Do not allow the baby to start crying before you begin to breastfeed, as crying is a late sign of hunger.
Many Benefits of Exclusive Breast Feeding of Baby.
Having learnt about the frequency and duration of breastfeeding.
It is essential to let you know that the benefits of exclusive breastfeeding of a baby can never be understated.
Below are the benefits the baby, mother or both derived from exclusive breastfeeding.
- Firstly, the dangers associated with infections and diseases are significantly reduced, for it contains crucial antibodies.
- With exclusive breastfeeding, the chances that the baby will come down with diarrhoea, allergies, pneumonia and suffering from malnutrition are significantly reduced.
- Common childhood diseases with high infant mortality are significantly reduced in exclusively breastfed children.
- Also, exclusive breastfeeding can be used as birth control for the first few months after delivery since it delays fertility, assisting appropriate time intervals between pregnancies as continued breastfeeding pauses ovulation and menstruation.
- Breast cancers and ovaries are not typical in mothers who practice exclusive breastfeeding.
- It has been scientifically proven that the healthiest babies have been exclusively breastfed.
- Exclusive breastfeeding makes the child smarter and not overweight.
- There is no need to buy baby formula and supplements if exclusive breastfeeding is practised.
- Colostrum cleans the stomach and promotes a healthy gut, eliminating the need for medicines.
- New mothers losing weight after delivery is part of the benefit of exclusive breastfeeding.
- Breast milk is all a baby needs for the first six months of life because it provides ideal nutrients for the baby.
- Mothers who breastfeed exclusively are less likely to experience postpartum depression.
- The mother can breastfeed the baby more times so that more milk is produced.
- Working mothers can also practice exclusive breastfeeding via expressed breast milk. Expressed breast milk, if kept in the fridge, remains suitable for up three days but only for ten hours at room temperature.
Conclusion
Exclusive Breastfeeding of a Baby for the first six months of life is essential as it summarises the baby most of the good things the mom wants for her child health-wise.
However, if you cannot breastfeed for one reason, then feeding your baby formula is still completely fine.
All should know that breast milk also contains antibodies and other elements that protect your baby from illness and chronic disease.
Mothers who practice exclusively breastfeeding are not let out in the benefit because it reduces the chances of having postpartum depression and many more.
Conclusively, mothers should practice exclusive breastfeeding of their babies to achieve all the numerous benefits enumerated above.
