Breast Feeding: Most effective way to ensure child health

Breast Feeding is one of the most effective ways to ensure child health and survival. It is natural way to nourish the new born baby. So WHO recommend exclusive breast milk for 6 months to the new born baby. So mothers and babies practice and learn how to give breast milk.

Antenata counseling for mothers:

Before baby delivery educate the mother about breast feeding and breast feeding benefits. Mothers attend to antenatal and prenatal counseling about breast feeding, breast changes like shape and normal nipples and yetracted nipples. And mothers take some ideas from experienced mothers about breast feeding and its uses.

Start breast milk as early as possible:

Initiate breast milk to new born baby as soon as possible most probably within 30 minutes of delivery. New born have an instinct to suckle, and frequent nursing in the early days will stimulate milk production. Give breast milk 10 to 12 times per day likely morning time once in 2 hours and night time once in 4 hrs.

Good Technique for breast feeding

A proper latch is crucial for successful breast feeding.

1. Mother relaxed and comfortable.

2. Mother sit straight and well supported back

3. Baby neck straight out bent slightly baby and body straight.

4. Baby’s body close to mother’s body and facing breast. And whole body supported with mother’s hand.

Criteria for Good attachment

1. Chin Touching the breast

2. Mouth wide open

3. Lower lip turned out ward

4. More areola seen toward the baby’s mouth.

Effective Breast Feeding:

Effective breast feeding is require relaxation and calm environment find comfortable place and sit properly. Proper positioning of mother and baby, attachment of child to the mother’s breast is important things. For good attachment and successful breast feeding positioning of the baby’s body is very important.

Nutrition while breast feeding:

• Eat well balanced diet

• Take plenty of water (4.5 liters per day)

• Balanced diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grain and …… ect a diet rich is protein, iron, calcium, iodine and vitamins.

Feed for baby:

Feed your baby on demand, whenever they shows signs of hunger such as rooting, suckling motions. Frequent breast feeding helps to promote healthy weight gain of baby.

Benefits of breast feeding for baby

• Provides the best possible nutrition to the young child.

• Breast milk reduces incidence of infections like cold, ear infections, pneumonia, diarrhea etc.

• It protects from asthma, food allergy.

• Breast feeding essential for the optional physical, emotional and mental development of the child.

Benefits of Breast Feeding to mother:

• Promotes mother & child bonding

• It prevents post partum bleeding after delivery

• It is natural form of family planning

• Breast feeding saves money because need not to buy milk powder or other health care products, Breast feeding lowers the breast cancers to the mothers.

How long breast feed:

• Exclusive breast milk for 6 months.

• 1st one month new borns can feed 5 to 10 minutes per breast every 2 to 3 hours.

• In the beginning there is only colostrums present it is very important to baby.

• One month later frequency is less but longer duration at each feeding session is 20 to 40 min.

Breast Milk Contains:

Breast milk contains proteins, fats, vitamins, carbohydrates. So give breast milk to baby exclusive breast milk for 6 months without any food or drink unless medically indicates.

Breast milk supply can be increased by

• Frequent feeds day and night

• Mother to eat and drink sufficient quantity to satisfying baby’s … her hunger and thirst.

• Mother to take sufficient sleep & rest

• Cultural foods like ginger, sesame seeds.

• Try to include fresh fruits & vegetables.

• Protein from …. Plants and animals

• Fennel and fennal seeds are increase milk productions

Storage of milk

• At room temperature 6 to 8 hrs can be stored

• In a refrigerate 40C store upto 5 days.

• So mother, plan to pump and store breast milk for occasional use or when returning to work with proper technique.

Conclusion

• Breast feeding is very useful to mother and baby.

• Breast Milk provides optimal nutrition for babies.

• It has the right from of nutrients, is easily digested and is readily available

• The world Health organization (WHO) recommends breast feeding until 2 years old. So each Mother to encourage to give breast milk to the babies.

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