Hey, welcome back to my blog post. In today’s blog, I am going to share the benefits of breastfeeding.
Infancy means from 0 to 1 year of age. It is a very crucial time for infants to grow both physically and mentally.
For optimal growth of an infant, good nutritional food is highly necessary. It will help to affect long-term height, weight as well as the immune system.
The 1 st six months: Benefits of Breastfeeding
Babies can be exclusively breastfed for the 1 st six months of their lives. It is full of nutrients. Breast milk is considered as AMRUT for babies. The 1 st early milk mother’s breast produce is known as colostrum.
It’s very thick and yellow in color. Its nutritional value is very high. It works wonders for your newborn. It will protect your baby from a long-term illness.
Breast milk provides the proper nutrition to babies. It is a mix of vitamins, proteins, minerals, and fats.
It also contains antibodies that will help your baby to fight against bacteria and viruses.
Benefits of breastfeeding for babies
- There is something called sudden infant death syndrome(SIDS),If a baby die under the age of 1 and reason of death is unexplained then it called SIDS. Although it happens rare yet there is some chance it may happen.As per research the rate of SIDS is 0.1 deaths per 100,000 live births.It is seen that breast feeding can significantly reduce the risk of SIDS.
- It can protect against middle ear,throat infections.
- There is some chance it may reduce the chance of frequent cold and different kinds of infections because breast milk also works as a immune booster.
- It may protect against several kinds of allergies.
Benefits of breastfeeding for moms
- Breast feeding burns the extra calories.It helps mother’s to loose post pregnancy weight.
- It is seen that , mother’s who breast fed their babies have lower risk of depression.there is some thing called postpartum depression.it mainly occur due to sudden drop of hormones estrogen and progesterone.As per research 1 in 8 women go through in this phase after the birth of 1 st child.
- Women who breast fed their babies are having less chance to develop this kind of depression.
- Breast feeding also reduces the risk of several other kinds of diseases such as: Type 2 diabetes,Hearth diseases,High blood pressure,Breast cancer,ovarian cancer.
Nutritional Value of Breast Milk
Breast milk’s nutritional value is very high. It contains all the necessary nutrients which are very helpful for babies to grow physically as well mentally.
But the quality of mother’s milk varies from woman to woman. because it completely depends on their diet.
Mother’s food intake will decide the quality of milk and infant’s development for the initial 6 months.
Breast milk’s nutritional value is very high. It contains all the necessary nutrients which are very helpful for babies to grow physically as well mentally.
But the quality of mother’s milk varies from woman to woman. because it completely depends on their diet.
Mother’s food intake will decide the quality of milk and infant’s development for the initial 6 months.
Water
Mother’s milk contains almost 90% water. we all know almost 70% of the human body is made of water.
Water keeps our bodies hydrated, protects all the organs and it is so essential for the human being to stay alive. luckily mother’s milk fulfills all the water requirements of the babies.
Carbohydrate
Lactose is the main carbohydrate found in mother’s milk. lactose consists of two things 1 stone is glucose .and 2 nd is galactose which is nothing but sugar. Glucose provides the calories it is very essential for the growth and development of babies.
Galactose helps in a baby’s brain development, it is useful for your baby’s central nervous system. Mother’s milk has more lactose as compared to cow’s milk.
Protein
Breast milk also contains protein, It is a very essential element in order to build the muscles, bones. It also contains antibodies that will help your baby to fight against different kinds of diseases.
It has two components one is whey protein another one is casein protein which is nothing but curd. Whey protein is easy to digest for babies. but casein protein is a more complex one that is not easy to digest for a baby’s stomach.
Breast milk also contains different types of amino acids, which are known as building blocks of protein.
Fat
Breast milk is also rich in fat. Fat is nothing but lipids. It affects the growth rates of babies. Milk contains long unsaturated fatty acid which plays a major role in brain development.
Cholesterol is another fatty component found in breast milk, it contains DHA too, which contributes a vital role in brain development.
Apart from this breast milk also contain different types of vitamins and minerals.
For example calcium,sodium,phosphorus,magnesium.It supports healthy growth and organ function, as well as helps build your baby’s teeth and bones.
But it does not contain Vitamin D.so doc recommends Vitamin D3 drops for babies for the 1 st six months.
Breast milk also contains hormones. It sends signals between organs and tissue to make sure it’s working or not.
It also helps to set your baby’s appetite and establish a bond between mother and baby. These are some overviews of the nutritional value of breast milk.
Nutrition tips for New moms
So let’s discuss essential nutrition tips for breastfeeding mothers. Nursing mothers need around 500 more calories as compared to normal or nonbreast feeding mothers per day.
It is not at all a good idea to be on a diet or lose weight during breastfeeding because you need more nutrition, you need to take special care of yourself, physically as well as mentally.
The 1 st and foremost thing is water. you need to take lots of water, breastfeeding can make you feel thirsty.so it’s very necessary to keep your body hydrated.
i am not saying it will impact your milk supply but there is some chance you may get some urinary tract infection.
You should also ensure you are getting enough calcium, vitamin D, and magnesium. so try to include dairy foods such as milk, ghee, curd, and cheese and no dairy foods like different types of nuts, green leafy vegetables, and of course fruits.
Every day try to go for a morning walk with your baby because both baby and mother should get Vitamin D because it’s very essential for healthy bones and we get most of it from early morning sun lights.
Grains:
Try to include whole wheat, different types of cereals, oatmeal in your daily diet. Lactating mothers should have at least 4 to 5 servings of cereals per day.
Oatmeal is rich in essential nutrients like carbohydrates, protein, fiber, and iron which is not only healthy for the body as well as it will help to increase the milk supply of a nursing mother.
Protein:
Try to include protein-rich food in your diets such as Dal, Egg, Beans, meat and fish, and Nuts and seeds. At least 2 to 3 servings per day a nursing mother should eat.
Fruits:
Try to include 2 to 3 servings of different types of fruits in your daily diet.
such as orange which is rich in vitamin C. It is an excellent food for nursing moms, It provides energy.
The other fruit you can include is banana it contains some essential nutrients like vitamin B6, calcium, potassium which is very healthy for the mother as well as the baby.
You must have heard that saying “one apple a day keeps the doctor away”.Yes, you should include apples in your daily diet. It contains vitamin C, which will help to increase the immune system of a mother and baby as well.
It contains zinc too which is very rich in antioxidants, it will not only help for the development of the baby’s brain but also act as a very good immune booster for both nursing moms and babies.
Apple also contains vitamin A, E, B1, B2, folate, and minerals like copper, chromium .which are beneficial for both breastfeeding mothers and babies.
The next fruit is avocado, yes it is very nutritious, It contains fats and fiber.
It offers several health benefits not only to mothers but also for the growth and development of newborns too. It can also be beneficial to your baby’s developing brain health.
Foods to avoid during Breast Feeding
- Fish high in mercury.So it is not advisable to eat fish during breast feeding which is rich in mercury .
- But apart from this breast feeding mom can consume fish because it is healthy for babies.
- Fishes are also rich in iodine, magnesium, iron and copper.all these nutrients plays vital role in the development of your child. Therefore, you must definitely add fish in your diet.
- Processed food.
- Alcohol.
- Caffeine.
How to increase Breast Milk
Before proceeding further I want to let you know that breastfeeding is like a supply-demand process. Here I will be giving some tips to increase breast milk.
The best way to increase mother’s milk production is Nurse on demand. That is the main key, but apart from this, there are some factors that affect the production of mother’s milk.
For some mothers it’s easy to feed their babies but for some it is difficult because they don’t get adequate milk supply to fulfill their little ones tummy.
There is a process called lactation. Here your newborn will introduce to your breast milk.
it should be done correctly in the hospital itself. There are some doctors specifically known as lactation consultants. If somebody finds an issue with lactation they can consult with them.
Because most of the time new born don’t get adequate milk, due to poor latch.
Let’s start with what a nursing mother can eat if she does not get an adequate milk supply.
Fenugreek seeds
Fenugreek commonly knows as methi. It contains different vitamins which are very useful for nursing mothers.
It contains some hormones that stimulate the mammary gland and help to produce milk.
Methi/Fenugreek rich in omega 3 and fatty acid which is not only help in production of milk but also it also beneficial for development for your baby brain.
You can soak methi seeds, leave it for over night ,next day morning you can consume that water.
you can also drink fenugreek tea. you can take it as a capsule or powder.it’s available in all forms.
Fennel seeds
It has been used since ancient times. It contains galactose which is the main substance that helps to increase breast milk production.
Fennel seeds will not only increase breast milk but also be very useful for your colic baby.
This passes through the mother milk and soothes your little one tummy,baby will not have any colic/gas-related problems.
You can directly chew the seed or else you can take it as capsule it’s available in the all the supermarket .
You can have fennel tea as well. whichever way you find comfortable.
Garlic
We all know garlic is a supper immune booster. It also lowers blood pressure and prevents heart-related problems.
But garlic is believed to be a galactagogue.it has been used for ancients times to stimulate milk production in mothers.
Green Papaya
Unripe papaya(Green Papaya)is a traditional and very ancient food used to increase milk supply.
It can increase the production of the Oxycontin hormone.
This hormone helps to increase the breast milk supply. Papayas are known to have lactose in it helps boost milk production in mothers.
Hence lactating mothers should definitely try out different recipes from green papaya.
Conclusion
Breastfeeding is the main source of nutrition for babies especially for the 1 st six months. Breast feeding is beneficial for both mothers and babies.
There are certain positions a mother should follow while feeding her baby. so that it will be easy for mom and little one.
It should be done correctly under Doctor’s supervision. Here your doctor plays an important role. Breast milk can be stored away and used later when needed.
Mother’s diet is very necessary. It is directly transmitted through milk to your little bundle of joy.
You need to take care of your diet since you get pregnant, nutrition during pregnancy is also very crucial in order to have a good pregnancy and a healthy baby.
So I request all the new moms to have nutritional food. so that you will be healthy and your little one too.