Breastfeeding is widely believed to be the most beneficial method of feeding for the health and well being of most infants. It is the natural next step in the continuum of pregnancy. Though breastfeeding is natural, technique is a learned skill. As with any skill, the keys to successful breastfeeding are knowledge, practice and patience. It is important to get started correctly and know well in advance how to identify and avoid possible problems. Most breastfeeding problems occur during the first few weeks as mother and baby begin establishing nursing patterns.
It is an important investment for the mothers nd babys continued good health. Breast milk is the best source of nutrition for an infant. It provides all the nutrition needs during the first six to twelve months of life. Breastfeeding offers newborns emotional as well as nutritional benefits. Skin-to-skin contact helps to reduce the stress babies experience as they enter the world from the security of the womb. Tension quickly subsides as the sight of the mothers face and the familiar sounds of her breathing, voice, and heartbeat comfort the baby. This begins the important process of mother and baby bonding.
Breast Milk Production Milk is produced and stored in the glandular tissues called alveoli of the breasts. It collects in the pockets known as lactiferous sinuses located beneath the areola until it is released by a babys sucking. Stimulation of the nipples cause the mothers pituitary gland, located in the brain, to secret prolactin. This initiates and maintains milk production. The first milk the newborn receives at each feeding is the milk that has collected in the lactiferous sinuses between feedings. This low fat foremilk is high in protein and satisfies the newborns thirst.
As breastfeeding ontinues, a second hormone called oxytocin is secreted. Oxytocin causes the tissue around the alveoli to contract, thus squeezing high fat hindmilk down the ducts and into the pockets where it is available to satisfy the newborns hunger. Many mothers experience a tingling or rushing sensation in the breast as this let down or milk ejection reflex (MER) occurs. Other mothers notice only that sucking becomes longer and slower and that the newborn begins to swallow rhythmically. Keys to establishing a quick letdown are relaxation and confidence that the mothers body is doing exactly what it was designed to do.
Composition of Breast Milk During pregnancy, the mothers body produces a substance called Colostrum. This clear to creamy to golden yellow substance is found in the breasts during pregnancy. Between the third and sixth day after birth, hormonal patterns of the mother change rapidly. These changes cause colostrum to change to a transitional form of breast milk. During this time, the amount of protein and immune factors in the milk gradually decrease while fat, lactose and calories in the milk increase. By the tenth day after birth, the mother produces mature breast milk, hich is also commonly referred to as human milk.
Health Advantages Of Breastfeeding Your Baby Colostrum is the perfect starter food for babies. It is high in protein, zinc and other minerals. It contains less fat, carbohydrates and calories than breast milk. Colostrum acts as a natural laxative to clear the meconium (first stool) from the babys intestine. This decreases the chances of jaundice. It also contains the natural sugar lactose, which helps stabilize the newborns blood sugar level, preventing hypoglycemia. Lactose is used in tissues of the brain and spinal cord, and it provides the infant with energy.
Bacteria in the infants intestines feed on lactose and produce B vitamins. Lactose may also help the infant absorb essential nutrients such as calcium, phosphorus and magnesium. Breast milk from most women has the same nutrients. The proteins in human breast milk are mostly whey and casein. Cows milk contains more casein, and human breast milk contains more whey. Whey is more easily tolerated by an infants digestive system. The fat in human breast milk is easily absorbed by an infants digestive system. An enzyme called lipoprotein lipase helps an infant absorb the fat in breast milk.
A mothers breast milk contains essential fats and cholesterol. Both are needed by infants to make tissues of the nervous system. The amount of fat in breast milk rises significantly at the end of a breast feeding session. This may be natures way of making an infant feel full and stop feeding. Breast milk contains only a small amount of iron, but the iron in breast milk is easily absorbed. Fifty percent of the iron in breast milk is absorbed compared with only four to ten percent of the iron in cows milk or commercial infant formulas. Colostrum and breast milk are rich in antibodies and have anti-infective actors.
These help protect the newborn infant from viruses and bacteria that the infant was exposed to in the birth canal. They also help protect the infants immature digestive tract from infection. Breast milk promotes the growth of bacteria that all humans normally have in the digestive tract. Breast milk contains immune factors to help an infant fight infection and help prevent the infant from developing possible food allergies. While cows milk and formula mixtures can trigger allergic reactions and are often difficult for a newborn to digest, a mothers milk is perfectly designed pecifically for her baby.
Since human breast milk is more easily digested than formula, nursing usually results in fewer instances of colic, diarrhea and constipation. Studies show that breast fed babies have fewer ear and digestive tract infections; experience less vomiting and acute respiratory illness; and are at lower risk for childhood diabetes, lymphomas and Crohns disease. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics and American Dietetic Association, among others, breastfeeding improves infants general health, growth, and development and significantly decreases risk for a large of number f acute and chronic diseases.
Studies also show that breastfeeding decreases the incidents and / or the severity of lower respiratory infection, bacterial meningitis, botulism, urinary tract infections and necrotizing enterocolitis. But also according to the academy, a number of other studies show a possible protective effect of breastfeeding against sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), insulin dependent diabetes mellitus, ulcerative colitis and other allergic diseases. Breastfeeding also has been related to possible enhancement of cognitive development.