World Breast Feeding Week
[1st to 7th August]
Important information
all parents should know
1. Like all mothers you can successfully breastfeed your baby,
which is the most natural way to feed babies.
2. Mother’s milk is complete nutrition for the baby for first 6
months and your child should be exclusively breastfed during this period of
time. No other milk, food, drink or even water is required.
3. Your baby should be breastfed immediately after birth preferably
within 1/2 to 1 hour of birth.
4. Your baby should be breastfed unrestrictedly and on demand.
5. Your baby must be given Colostrum - the first yellowish
mother’s milk during the first 2-3 days after birth.
6.
Nothing should be given before the first breastfeed.
7.
No pacifiers should be given to the baby.
8. You can continue breastfeeding during your sickness without any
harm to the baby and yourself.
9.
You should continue breastfeeding for two years or beyond.
10. Bottle-feeding is not necessary and even harmful for your baby.
It is the leading cause of loose stools in babies.
11. Solid foods should be introduced only after 6 months of age.
12. Home-made, family food is better than commercial food for your
baby.
13. Commercially available powder milks are always inferior to
mother’s milk.
Benefits your baby enjoys:
Breastfeeding provides numerous benefits to your baby which are
as follows -
¥ Breastmilk contains adequate calories and provides the right
kind of proteins, fats, lactose, vitamins, iron, minerals, water and enzymes in
the amounts necessary for your baby.
¥ Breastmilk contains iron, water soluble Vitamin D, Vitamin A, C
and E more than cow’s milk.
¥ Breastmilk is clean, free from bacteria and has anti-
¥ It also contains substances which prevent harmful bacteria from
growing in intestines and causing loose stools.
¥ It is ready to serve when the baby wants it, needs no
preparation and it has the right temperature.
¥ It is economical and free from contamination.
¥ Breastfeeding enhances the emotional bond between the child and
the mother and provides warmth, love and affection and is more than food.
¥ Breastfeeding protects the child against several infections
including respiratory infections.
¥ Breastfed babies are less prone to have diabetes, heart
diseases, eczema, asthma and other allergic disorders later in life.
¥ Breastfed babies have been shown to have a higher IQ (Intelligence
Quotient) and develop better mathematical abilities than infants who are not breastfed.
¥ Breastfeeding enhances brain development. There is better visual development and visual acuity leading to learning readiness.
Benefits you enjoy as a mother:
¥ It reduces post-delivery bleeding and chances of anaemia.
¥ Obesity is less common among breastfeeding mothers as it helps the mother regain her normal figure.
¥ It has a contraceptive effect .
¥ It has a protective effect against breast and ovarian cancers.
¥ If you exclusively breastfeed your baby, you will have better adjustment with your baby.
Benefits the society enjoys:
Breastfeeding lowers health-care costs by reducing illness and deaths of children under five years of age and thus reduces the strain on the family budget.
Reference : www.bpni.org
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