What are the Breast Feeding Benefits
Before the baby delivery takes place the human body starts it’s preparatory activity so that breasts are ready to feed the baby on birth. It is mammalian character inherited by human beings from Primates, the evolutionary ancestors of human race.
Nature has packed all the nutrition and protection of the child from diseases through breast feeding till the child’s own immune system gets activated and takes over.
Those women who are healthy and do not suffer from diseases or are taking medicines, which can be harmful to children, must breast feed the child for his or her good health for at least first six months.
Women suffering from HIV infection or tuberculosis should not feed the child because the dangers over weigh the benefits. Use of drugs and alcohol by the mother also can be dangerous for the child. So while breast feeding drugs and alcohol should be discontinued.
Breast feeding ensures that all the required nutrition and antibodies are available to the child as intended by nature, for optimum growth and protection from certain common infant diseases.
Self Care During Breastfeeding:
Breastfeeding is like continuation of feeding initially before birth through placenta and after birth through the breastfeeding, and mother gets satisfaction, when the infant breastfeeds and stops crying after breast feeding. It also involves taking care of the mother’s nutrition and other health conditions so that the breast feeding can be carried out in a healthy manner.
The breast feeding mother must take besides balanced diet one and half times calorific value covering self and child’s need besides supplementation of vitamins, minerals preferably through variety of seasonal fruit and vegetables and protein rich diet sourced from meat, fish and legumes. If the diet is deficient in nutrients, then supplements available in the market may be considered.
Certain hard foods difficult to digest can cause griping pain to the child and should be avoided.
Breast feeding mother should take plenty of fluids in the form of fruit juice and plain water around 2 liters in a day.
