No. We are not out here to frighten you! Nor are we going to be making you feel guilty if you are not breast feeding. This article will put things in perspective for you and then you can decide for yourself if you want to breastfeed your baby or not.
You may have heard this a million times, but hear it again!
Research proves that breast feeding protects the baby from infection, diseases and various illnesses. World Health Organization recommends that a baby is breast fed atleast till he is two years old. Breast feeding is not only good for the baby but also for the mother. We will tell you how:
Why some women do not want to breast feed or stop midway:
- Apart from the possibility that some women do not have enough milk to feed the baby for 2 years.. many women stop feeding the baby for various reasons.
- They have to resume work in 4 months, and nursing the baby can get difficult
- They find it embarrassing to nurse the baby in public
- The position the mother takes to feed the baby every 2 hours is not comfortable enough which gives them a lot of backache. And hence they find the usage of bottles easier.
- Some adults in the family wrongly tell them to stop breastfeeding!
What if the baby is sick? Do I still breastfeed him?
Most cases, yes. A sick baby does not need breastfeeding less. He needs it more because the antibodies in breast milk protects infants from bacteria and viruses. That’s not all. When you breast feed a sick child it feels comforted and is likely to recover sooner.
on the other hand if you stop breastfeeding the baby for a short period it may lead to permanent weaning since the baby many not latch again.
Risks of not breastfeeding: effects on the baby:
When babies are not exclusively breast fed for 6 months their immunity is not good enough and hence they tend to develop:
- Gastrointestinal Illness
- Ear infections
- Juvenile Diabetes
- Diarrhea
- Respiratory illness
- And definitely more visits to the hospital.
Risks of not breastfeeding: effects on the mother:
Mothers run a greater risk of facing breast and ovarian cancer. In the post menopausal period there is an increased risk of hip fracture Postpartum bleeding and slower recovery from childbirth Earlier return of fertility Weight gain.
On the other hand when you breastfeed the baby you gain!
Mothers tend to lose extra calories while breastfeeding Breastfeeding helps the uterus get back to its original size faster and also lowers the bleeding that happens post pregnancy. It saves time and money and reduces the risk of contamination that happens in the case of bottles. Breastfeeding also has psychological benefits and creates a special bond between mother and child.
» Filed Under Chest Feeding
Comments
Leave a Reply
