Breast feeding

Lakmini Rodrigo

Breast milk is the ideal and complete meal for an infant. Dr. Anoma Jayathilake, Consultant, Family Health Bureau explains the do's and dont's in breast feeding.

Importance of breast feeding.

Breast milk is easily digested and contains all necessary immunological factors required to protect the baby from infections. It contains all nutrients needed for the baby's growth and protects the baby from respiratory diseases including asthma.

Breast feeding helps develop a strong special bond between the mother and the baby, delays the next pregnancy of the mother, reduces risks of breast cancer for the mother and enhances her health.

Surveys have shown that people who got sufficient breast milk during infancy grow up with a higher IQ level. And most prisoners and criminals show a history of lack of breast feeding during childhood.

When to start breast feeding? For how long should it be continued ?

It is said that every mother, including mothers who deliver their babies via caesarian surgeries should start breast feeding within 30 minutes to one hour from the delivery.

When the baby is detached from the umbilical cord, it's separated from the mother at once. So breast feeding the baby soon afterwards re-establishes the connection.

Only breast milk should be given to the baby within the first six months. Not even water should be given during that period.

Breast feeding should continue along with other foods from six months to about two years.

What are the problems that mothers face during breast feeding that lead them to stop breast feeding or give additional meals during the first six months ?

A mother should not deprive the baby of their right to have breast milk under any circumstances. And she should never replace breast milk with any other form of milk.

Most mothers tend to give up breast feeding under the false impression that their breast milk is not sufficient for the baby. This is a misconception. Humans are the most advanced mammal and have the ability to produce sufficient milk for their offspring.

Mother or baby falling ill, mother being too busy, child rejecting the breasts and the mother having cracked nipples can lead to stopping breast feeding.

Reasons and solutions

Production may be reduced if milk is not released. More milk is produced only if the produced milk is removed.

Also the baby may reject the breast if it has been introduced to the bottle and teat or if the positioning of the baby during the feed is incorrect. Now in the Government sector the maternity leave period has been extended to nearly one year. In the private sector it is less but they get a 'feeding hour'.

So the mother can extract her milk and store it in a refrigerator and get someone to feed that to the baby using a clean cup.

How can a mother be sure that the baby gets sufficient breast milk ?

During the first two days after delivery a thick yellowish liquid called colostrum is produced by the mother. But this is important and sufficient for the baby during those two days. Make sure that the baby gets it all.

Weigh the baby every month to see if the growth is normal during the first six months.

And the baby urinates more than six times a day during the first six months if the milk is sufficient.

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Myths associated with breast feeding

Breast milk is insufficient for male babies.

Mothers with smaller breasts, thin bodies or non elevated nipples cannot do breast feeding.

Milk is insufficient because milk won't come out when the nipple is squeezed.

It is essential for the mother to drink milk before feeding the baby.

If the baby hiccups water should be given.