Breastfeeding Your Child

Breast milk is the best choice over infant formula because of the nutritional value, as well as developing an intimacy between mother and the breastfeeding infant. Approximately two to three days after the baby is born, the mother produces thick yellow milk called Colostrum. It is the ideal food for an infant because nature has uniquely designed the formula for optimal growth and development. Breast milk contains over two hundred ingredients such as proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, trace metals, growth factors, enzymes, antibodies, white blood cells, and more. Each is in ideal portion to the others and cannot artificially be manmade. Some nutrients enhance the immune system while others promote optimal brain development. Some studies have shown that breastfeeding reduces the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) and may reduce the rise of diabetes, and a decrease in ear infections as the child matures.

Human protein provides necessary building blocks for vital growth functions to protect the baby from illnesses. Human whey proteins contain disease-fighting antibodies, which helps to reduce disease and is important to the immune system and perfectly meet the unique metabolic requirements of infants.

The fat in human milk provides a major source of essential calories for optimal development of the infant's brain and nervous system and conveniently contains the enzyme lipase, which helps the child digest fat. The milk is rich in long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids that include omega-3 fatty acid, DHA and RHA for rapid development of brain and eye tissue associated with improved vision and development.

A carbohydrate in breast milk is in the form of lactose also known as milk sugar, which promotes important sources of calories and energy. Lactose improves absorption of certain minerals including calcium. Lactose also promotes the growth of harmless gut bacteria in the infant's intestine. These benign bowl germs create an acid environment that helps protect the infant from diarrhea by keeping harmful bacteria in check.

An expecting mother should attend prenatal breastfeeding classes because most of the time, it is believed that no preparation is needed and the process is natural. Breastfeeding is a developed and learned art that is not as easy as one would like to think. Obtain Information through hospitals, your obstetrician's office, or through community-based programs, or choose a class through an International Certified Lactation Consultant (IBLCE) or a breastfeeding specialist with credentials such as a Certified Breastfeeding Educator (CBE) or a Certified Lactation Educator (CLE). Seven young mothers at the height of the bottle-feeding era in the Chicago area, who shared concerns that the greater society lacked adequate support for breastfeeding, developed the La Leche League International (LLLI) in 1956. This organization still influences breastfeeding mothers through meetings, telephone counseling, publications, conferences, parenting skills, and internet resources. Their motto is "good mothering through breastfeeding."

The nursing mother passes on nutrition to the infant, so proper nutrition is very important to ensure proper nourishment to the infant, as well keeping the mother healthy. Obtain an additional 10-15 grams of protein through eating a daily diet of lean meat, poultry, fish, eggs, and dairy products. Proteins are a part of maintaining every cell, tissue, and organs in the body that when digested, turn into the 20 amino acids that are used for energy. A good source of obtaining 1200 milligrams of calcium, is through eating any calcium rich food such as low-fat yogurt, low-fat milk, and cheese. In addition, nondairy foods such as salmon, sesame seeds, tofu and kale are an excellent source of calcium. Calcium promotes bone formation, teeth health, and blood clotting. Eat a variety of fruits and vegetables to obtain a Folic acid supplement of 400 micrograms by consuming liver, broccoli, cauliflower, bell peppers, beans, yeast and supplements. Folic acid prevents birth defects such as Spinal Bifida and Anencephaly. Whole grains gotten in the form of 100% whole wheat bread, rye bread, pasta, cereal, or brown rice should enhance the diet for an adequate supply of fiber for digestion. The nursing mother should get 27 milligrams of iron. Iron is important for energy and red blood cell production; incorporate iron into the diet in the form of seafood, egg yolks, fortified breads and cereals, nuts, liver, lima beans, dark green leafy vegetables and dried fruits.

Remember everything you ingest, your baby also consumes, so do not smoke cigarettes, drink alcohol, or take drugs. If you are taking any kind of medicine always consult with your physician first and only take what is necessary for the shortest amount of time. If you must take medication, a good time would be right after feeding, before naptime, or at least two hours before the next feeding time so the peak level will not be so high. As a rule, a medication that is safe to take while you were pregnant will continue to be safe during breastfeeding. Sometimes the infant will act adversely to a certain food the mother has eaten. Some allergic reactions can take up to four hours to appear and in certain instances, within minutes. Some signs to watch for are colitis, an inflammation of the developing gastrointestinal tract. The main symptoms are visible specks or streaks of blood mixed with mucous in the stool. Anaphylaxis is rare but potentially fatal. Symptoms may appear rapidly and include swelling of the mouth and throat, a drop in blood pressure, hives, stomach cramps, vomiting, diarrhea, and unconsciousness. Always keep the telephone number of Emergency Medical Service, the local hospital, your physician, and the police, near every telephone in case of an emergency. You can keep a food diary if you suspect your baby is having a reaction and discuss it with your physician. Make sure you note everything you eat and the baby's reaction after feeding time. By scanning your daily diary, you may be able to track the relationship between the baby's symptoms and specific foods you eat. You also may try to eliminate certain foods and see if the child's child changes for minor reactions.

To make sure your infant is getting enough nourishment, feed a newborn on demand, usually between 8 to 12 times every 24 hours, which included night time hours. Sometimes the child will want to "cluster feed," which means they will want to feed several times close together and the sleep for several hours. The child will show signs of hunger by being fussy, an increased amount of alertness or activity, mouthing, rooting, or suckling. If the child sleeps more than three hours, wake them up to eat. Nursing takes from 20-45 minutes and requires patience and persistence. Sometimes the child needs milk from both breasts, watch for long and slow sucks as an indication the infant has had enough to eat.

Some signs that your baby is getting a sufficient amount of milk are a bowel movement every 4 to 6 times a day, regaining the original birth weight by 10%, if they are satisfied after eating. When you take your child in for their checkup the physician will check the weight, length, head circumference, the tone and level of alertness and the general overall appearance and development. Make sure you keep an accurate record of the child's feeding schedule, their habits, and have a list of questions you want ask. The physician will tell you when to begin the child immunizations and give you a card to retain and bring with you to record the immunizations series for your records.

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