Benefits of breastfeeding six months
The benefits of breastfeeding a newborn are well known. And usually, breastfeeding is recommended for the first six months after delivery. When a baby crosses the age of six months, she is introduced to other types of baby foods. But breastfeeding beyond six months has several benefits.
And acknowledging the benefits of nursing a toddler, UNICEF has been encouraging breastfeeding for up to two years and beyond. Also, the American Academy of Pediatrics encourages breastfeeding for one year at the least. So, what are the benefits of extended breastfeeding? Let’s find out.
The Benefits of Breastfeeding Beyond Six Months
The basic reason to continue breastfeeding after six months is that breast milk still contains all the essential nutrients required by the baby. And more importantly, the immunologic property of breast milk is even stronger in the second year of breastfeeding than in the first year. The contents that help develop and strengthen the baby’s immune system are present in greater quantity during the second year.
And as grown-up babies are exposed to additional sources of infections, extending breastfeeding will help the immune system of your baby to mature. This may also explain why breastfed toddlers are less prone to infections. Moreover, the baby’s organs which are still growing, need the vital nutrients of breast milk to mature.
Again, extended breastfeeding plays a vital role in strengthening mother-baby bonding. In fact, many women find nursing enjoyable and give them a unique sense of pleasure and satisfaction. So, if both the mother and baby are enjoying breastfeeding, it does a world good for the relationship between the two. So why stop breastfeeding after six months?
Another reason to continue breastfeeding is that artificial weaning is not good for the baby. Few moms are aware of the advantages of natural weaning. And few women also believe that weaning the baby early on makes them more independent later on. But this is not true.
Toddlers who have been weaned naturally are likely to become more secure and independent as he has decided not to rely on breast milk as a food source. He had decided after coming to know it was time to stop being breastfed.
Top 10 Tips for Successful Breastfeeding
Breast milk is very good for newly born babies and helps maintain the babies’ sound health. Breast milk is the only feed for the babies for the initial five to six months after birth. So, mothers should ensure to breastfeed their babies properly. Some of the tips for successful breastfeeding are given hereunder.
- Mothers should keep in mind that nursing requires a great level of energy. Therefore, women should relax as far as possible and remain away from stress to breastfeed their baby properly.
- Be prepared for the worst thing to happen while breastfeeding your baby. It may be really a challenging task for new mothers to breastfeed their children.
- Ensure to feed the child whenever she is hungry. Do not go by the clock to feed your child. If you are breastfeeding in public, you can wear feeding dresses with easy nursing access to conveniently feed your little one.
- Do not allow the milk to accumulate in the breasts; otherwise, the breasts may become engrossed. Feed the child after every two or three hours for the sound health of both baby and mother.
- Sipping cold water with the help of straw before beginning to breastfeed the child may help in reducing the breast pain.
- While nursing the baby, make sure to have all the required things besides you in a tool kit so that you do not have to rush here and there at the time of breastfeeding.
- It is essential for breastfeeding mothers to plan their schedule to take out enough time from their busy schedule to breastfeed the baby.
- Use a breast pump to take out the milk from your breast so that someone else can feed your baby urgently when you are not available.
- Ensure not to mix formula milk with your breast milk for feeding the child. This can be highly harmful to the health of the baby.
- The nipples may get cracked and sore due to regular nursing. So, it is recommended to use a nipple shield while breastfeeding the child so that the health of the nipples is maintained and breastfeeding is carried out comfortably.
Safe Ways to Store Breast Milk
It is a well-known fact that breast milk is the healthiest for the baby. Your baby needs your milk to grow up and develop healthily. One of the best and most commonly used means of ensuring continuous milk availability is storing breast milk. However, you need to ensure proper breast milk storage to keep it safe, healthy and not lose its nutrient value. This way, the hunger needs of the baby can be met easily, even if you are not with him. Given below are some safe and essential tips which need to be followed for storing breast milk.
First of all, you need a breast pump to express your breast milk. The breast pump parts should be thoroughly washed, rinsed, and sterilized to prevent any bacteria from developing in the milk.
Working mothers should try to pump at least three times a day. You then need to pour the milk in clean plastic bottles or plastic bottle-liner bags. The bottles need to be appropriately capped, and the use of clean and hygienic containers is a must. While glass is considered to be the best, plastic bottles can also be used. You should chill the milk as soon as possible to keep its nutritional value intact and prevent spoilage.
Stored milk can last up to 24 hours when cooled and even up to 5 days when refrigerated. It is always a good and safe idea to label the bottles with the date on which breast milk was stored to ensure that your child always gets fresh and safe milk, not an old one. Also, do not mix the milk extracted at different times. It is always advisable to have different bottles with labels of date and time on them.
Following these simple tips will ensure the proper storing of breast milk for your child.
