Is Breast Milk Necessary?

Breast milk is the only food and drink a baby needs in the first six months of life.

This is because breast milk is good for your baby’s stomach and supplies all the food your baby needs. It makes your baby grow and develop well and protects them against sicknesses like diarrhea.

Although, it makes your baby cry after breastfeeding maybe your baby’s mouth was not well put to the breast and did not get enough breast milk. It may also be that your baby has swallowed air while sucking and is feeling uncomfortable. Whenever this happens, kindly put your baby on the shoulder, rub the back until your baby belches, and put your baby back to the breast to continue.

What To Do If You Discover Your Baby Is Not Growing Well

If regular weighing or discover that your always breastfed baby under six months is not growing well. It could be due to that.

You may need to breastfeed your baby more frequently and should make him suckle in the proper way for a longer period of time. Do not be in a hurry to breastfeed your baby as you are not in a hurry to feed yourself.

You may help your baby to take more of the breast into his mouth.

Also, it could be that your baby is ill and should be taken to a trained health worker.

Babies Must Not Be Given Water At All In The First Six Months Of Life

As soon as your baby begins to suck your breast immediately after birth, it helps to make your breast milk flow very well. It also helps your womb to contract (tighten) and stop unnecessary bleeding.

The size of the mother’s breast does not determine the amount of breast milk so long as the mother is well-fed.

On no account should the baby be separated from his mother as soon as the baby is delivered, right from the hospital bed except if either the mother or the baby is ill and needs a separate treatment.

No food or water should be given to the baby during the first six months of life apart from breast milk. Any drink or food aside from breast milk may be dangerous to the baby.

When To Start Breastfeeding Your Newborn After Delivery

Newborns are supposed to be kept very close to their mothers and the mothers should breastfeed their newborns within 30 minutes of birth. No drinks like glucose drinks, honey, pap, or other foods before starting breastfeeding except water until when the baby starts to suck well. This helps to make the mother’s breastmilk flow well, stops unnecessary bleeding, and the womb gets tightened as the baby immediately starts to suck the breast after birth.

Make sure your baby sucks the first yellowish milk (colostrum) that first comes out of the breast because it makes the baby stronger.

How Often You Should Breastfeed Your Baby

A baby should be breastfed more often at night because the breast milk flows more at night. If your baby sleeps for more than two hours after breastfeeding, you should wake the baby up gently and offer the baby breast milk.

Signs That Your Baby Is Feeding Well

• The baby’s mouth is wide open.
• The baby’s jaw is touching the mother’s breast.
• More of the dark skin around the mother’s nipple (areola) can be seen above the baby’s mouth, than below it.
• The baby takes long, deep sucks.
• The mother does not feel any pain in the nipple.
• The baby is not crying while sucking.

Why You Should Breastfeed Your Baby

Breastfeeding helps protect babies and young children against serious illnesses such as diarrhea, and ear and chest infectios. It also creates a special closeness between mother and child.

Babies who are breastfed usually get more attention from their mothers and learn faster than those who are fed with feeding bottles or do not breastfeed at all.

The Use Of Feeding Bottles For Babies

Using feeding bottles can lead to illnesses and death. Feeding bottles should never be used. When a mother cannot breastfeed her baby, her breast milk should be pressed into a clean cup and then given to the baby. This is because it is easier to keep the cup clean than to clean the feeding bottle. The feeding bottles can even contain some unwanted microbial growth which can make the baby sick.

When the baby is not able to suck, the mother should press out (express) her breast milk into a clean cup and then feed the baby.

How Breast Milk Is Stored

Breast milk can be stored in a clean stainless storage cup that has a cover, put in a bowl of water, and kept in a cool part of the room. When breast milk is kept this way, it can remain good for up to 8 hours.

When To Begin Other Foods For Your Baby After 6 Months Of Breastfeeding

From the age of six months, babies need other foods in addition to breastmilk. Breastfeeding should continue for up to two years. It should be given before other foods to ensure the child takes plenty of it every day. At this stage, breastmilk continues to be an important source of energy, protein, and other nutrients such as Vitamin A and iron.

In the second year, breastmilk should be given after meals and at other times.

How To Give Your Baby Breastmilk And Other Foods

• From 6 to 9 months: Breastfeed frequently and give your baby other foods 2 to 3 times and 1 and 2 snacks (e.g. fruits) a day.
• From 9 to 12 months: Breastfeed frequently and give him/her family foods 3 to 4 times and 1 to 2 snacks a day.
• From 12 to 24 months: Breastfeed your frequently and give other family foods, either chopped or mashed if necessary 3 to 5 times each day and 1 to 2 snacks a day.
• In Nigeria, these complementary family local foods are okra, ogbono, ewedu, bean soup with small soft balls of fufu, amala, soft pounded yam, semovita, two, garri (eba, and others such as rice, beans with vegetable stew, yam portage, powdered crayfish, vegetables, pap, with groundnut paste and palm oil. Plantains (ripe) with palm oil and crayfish and vegetable.

Ways To Breastfeed Your Baby As A Working Class Nursing Mother

Working-class mothers are supposed to take advantage of crèche facilities (special places where babies are kept during working hours) at their workplaces to breastfeed their babies as often as they can. If it’s not possible to locate a crèche around the place of your work, they should breastfeed often when they are together with their babies, or press their breast milk into a clean stainless cup and properly store it before going to work. This should be fed to her baby with a clean cup while she’s away.

Giving any other type of milk either cow or artificial is not acceptable, and if they can not breastfeed because of medical conditions should visit the health facilities for help.

Exclusive Breastfeeding May Prevent Unplanned Pregnancy

The more you breastfeed your baby for 8 or more times in 24 hours without giving any other food or drink, the longer it will take for the mother’s menstrual period to start again. This may apply for up to six months after birth.

It’s both for the benefit of the mother and the baby if she avoids becoming pregnant again until her young child is at least two years old.