By INDRA BALARATNAM
THE Malaysian Dietary Guidelines 2010 recommends exclusive breastfeeding from birth to six months as human milk is naturally, uniquely created to meet the nutritional needs of your newborn baby.
From six months onwards, your baby will be ready to complement his breastfeeding regiment with pureed foods.
The guidelines encourage breastfeeding baby up till two years, if possible. This is in accordance with the World Health Organisation and Unicef.
The benefits of breastfeeding are far-reaching. Breast milk is a rich source of important nutrients including essential healthy fats that provide the energy for the newborn to grow well.
This includes fatty acids such as linoleic, arachidonic and docosahexaenoic as well as cholesterol. Breast milk also gives baby a natural dose of immune enhancing nutrients in the form of colostrum.
Colostrum is a thin, yellowish fluid that comes out of the breasts in the first few days after childbirth.
Some women get upset to see this as they expect milk to come out of their breast from day one. Colostrum is part of breast milk production. By the end of the first week, colostrum will transform into mature breast milk.
Compared to the colour and texture of cow’s milk, breast milk is more watery and has a faint bluish tinge.
STRONGER BABIES
Research shows strong evidence that breastfed babies have stronger autoimmunity.
They are less likely to get infectious diseases such as bacterial meningitis, bacteremia, diarrhoea, asthma, leukaemia, Hodgkin’s disease and sudden infant death syndrome in the first year, lymphoma, the late onset of sepsis in pre-term babies as well as infections of the respiratory tract, urinary tract and ear.
Breastfeeding benefits mums too.Among the benefits are decreased postpartum bleeding and lesser menstrual blood loss.
There’s also evidence to suggest that women who breastfeed have a decreased risk for developing breast and ovarian cancers plus the possibility of hip fractures and osteoporosis in the postmenopausal stage as they get older.
Breastfeeding is one of the best ways to regain your pre-pregnancy weight. Studies comparing women after delivery who exclusively breastfeed and those who do not breastfeed, show that the former lost more body weight.
The longer you breastfeed, the more body fat percentage you will lose, which researchers conclude can be a positive prevention factor against cardiovascular and other chronic diseases.
Despite all its benefits, breastfeeding remains one of those things no one talks about when you’re expecting your child. It’s mentioned in pregnancy books and magazines, but in a practical sense, we don’t pay much attention to it until after the baby has arrived.
By then, there are all these expectations about it. Some women take to it easily while others feel disappointment when they realise it’s not what they anticipate it to be. Even as a dietitian, I only truly started to understand breastfeeding after breastfeeding my daughter.
Here, I’d like to share some tips on breastfeeding:
LIVING SKILL
I highly encourage you learn to breastfeed weeks ahead of your delivery, so that you give yourself time to learn the practicality of doing it.
Do ask your gynaecologist or hospital about classes by certified lactation consultants. There’s a huge difference between reading about breastfeeding and having someone show you how it’s done.
Certainly, you will have lots of questions such as breastfeeding positions, breastfeeding intervals, how do you know if the baby has had enough, etc.
The more you know, the more confident and relaxed you’ll be when you cradle your newborn baby in your arms to breastfeed. Plus, you’ll be less likely to give up too soon.
ADAPT TO SITUATIONS
Working mums lament that they have to give up breastfeeding because their maternity leave is short, usually averaging two months.
Once they are back at work, their contact time with the baby to latch on is reduced. A practical solution is to pump or express breast milk to store.
This way, your baby still gets breast milk and you maintain your breast milk production. Get the hang of expressing breast milk several weeks before you get back to work so that you get used to doing so.
DON’T GIVE UP SO SOON
The Health Ministry has initiated strategies to encourage breastfeeding. We now have baby-friendly hospitals, more resources, information and an increase in nursing facilities in public areas and workplaces.
But so much more can be done to build a more supportive breastfeeding environment. I have come across family and friends who aren’t very encouraging.
With a lack of support, it is all too easy for new mums to give up before six months, even if they start off with the best of intentions.
Do speak up if you feel your family or workplace should encourage breastfeeding. Your voice of reason may make those around you more supportive of your desire to breastfeed.
http://www.nst.com.my/life-times/health/eat-well-every-reason-to-breastfeed-1.481076
