BREASTFEEDING – The Basics of Breastfeeding

1. Why Breastfeed?
2. How Does It Work?
3. Milk Release – The Let Down Reflex
4. Milk Composition – getting the right balance
5. Feeding

Why Breastfeed?

Benefits for Mom:

• Uterus contracts more quickly after birth
• Breastfeeding releases calming hormones
• You are more likely to lose your pregnancy weight quicker
• Lowers the risk of breast, ovarian or cervical cancer

Benefits for Baby:

• Helps strengthen baby’s immunity
• Helps bonding between mother and baby
• Decreases risk of allergies in baby
• Provides the “right food” for baby’s daily needs (composition changes throughout the day)
• Decreases risk of stomach bugs, middle ear infections, respiratory disease, urinary infections than in bottle fed babies

What’s in Breastmilk?

Colostrum:

• Already present at birth
• Yellow and creamy, rich in protein
• Laxative effect clears meconium / reduces the risk of jaundice
• Gives baby antibodies so helps resistance to infection
• Baby takes small quantities for first 2-3 days then is replaced by milk, which “comes in” after the first few days

Mature breastmilk contains the perfect balance of proteins, carbohydrates, fats, minerals and vitamins for your baby, plus factors that help

• absorbtion of nutrients
• prevent infections
• develop baby’s gut
• maturation of baby’s immune system

How Does It Work?

Milk Supply:

• When baby is born, prolactin levels rise and stimulate the breasts to produce milk
• As baby feeds, breasts empty, brain gets a message to replace the milk, body releases prolactin which stimulates the breast to make more milk, so baby always has enough i.e. supply and demand
• If baby doesn’t feed well for some reason, milk supply will be affected
• Always get baby well positioned and allow to feed as long and as often as you desire or baby wants
• If you can’t breast feed for a time, express at baby’s feeding times to support your milk supply, so that you don’t run the risk of your supply decreasing or drying up

Milk Release – The Let Down Reflex

• When baby sucks at the breast, oxytocin is released. This causes the star-shaped muscle cells around the milk glands in the breast to contract and squeeze out the breast milk, called the “let down reflex”
• Foremilk is already present when baby starts to suck (before let down). Foremilk is blueish and thin and contains high protein, but low fat and thus can be drunk quickly and in high quantities.
• Hind milk is released with the let down reflex. Babies sucking slows down and thus baby takes in smaller quantities, but hind milk is higher in calories (fat) and thus it is the hind milk that satisfies babies hunger (the foremilk is thought to satisfy babies thirst).
• Sometimes a tingling sansation is felt by Mum at “let down”. What’s more, Mum can set it off just by relaxing and thinking of her baby!
• May make you feel ’sexy’ (oxytocin is also released in lovemaking)!

Milk Composition – getting the right balance

• Varies throughout the day to suit baby’s needs
• Changes during the feed (foremilk / hindmilk)
• Baby will get a good balance if allowed to feed when she is hungry and to stay on the breast until he / she pulls off
• Let the baby finish one breast before offering the other. Alternate sides from one feed to the next feed – try to avoid favouring one side over the other
• Good positioning is essential to ensure baby feeds long enough to get to the hindmilk and to avoid supply complications
• Feeding times vary from baby to baby and with age and sometimes increase when baby is having a growth spurt (common every 3 weeks in the first few months)
• DON’T FEED UNLESS WELL POSITIONED!

Feeding

• Relax
• Have a glass of water handy; also tissues and a burp cloth and or nursing apron
• Be comfortable, undisturbed and uninhibited
• Breathe deeply and slowly
• Calm the baby first; hold baby close
• Position your baby nose to nipple, tummy to mummy, straight back and head (slightly tilted back)
• Make sure baby gets a good mouthful – latch her on as soon as her mouth opens wide
• Encourage feeding by stroking her lips with the nipple, if necessary
• Don’t put presssure on the breast (can block milk ducts)
• Bring baby to breast, not breast to baby

Source: National Childbirth Trust (NCT) Ante-natal Course (London, UK, Sept 2005) Republished by Peas in a Pod (SA)

How do I know if he’s ready for solids?

A SOLID START

Have you noticed your baby reaching out for your food or watching your fork move from plate to mouth? You may start introducing solid food as of six months of age, when your baby is ready to swallow pureed food as well as to suck. Other signs that he may be ready for solids include:He makes mouthing movements when he watches other people eat. He’s still hungry after having a good amount of breast milk or formula. He doesn’t push a spoon back with his tongue when you try to feed him. He moves his jaw when presented with food, rather than attempting to suck. FYI: Several professional organisations now recommend breastfeeding at least throughout your baby’s first year, and even longer if both of you are willing. Use solids to supplement your regular breast milk or formula feedings after your baby is about six months old.

He makes mouthing movements when he watches other people eat. He’s still hungry after having a good amount of breast milk or formula. He doesn’t push a spoon back with his tongue when you try to feed him. He moves his jaw when presented with food, rather than attempting to suck.

FYI:

Several professional organisations now recommend breastfeeding at least throughout your baby’s first year, and even longer if both of you are willing. Use solids to supplement your regular breast milk or formula feedings after your baby is about six months old.

QUICK TIP:

If they haven’t already, your baby’s teeth will soon start to appear – although you should know that dribbling doesn’t necessarily mean that teeth are just around the corner. Because the incoming teeth cause swelling in the gums, it can hurt when your baby sucks. To help him eat, wash your finger and rub the lower front gums gently to ease the swelling so he can suck less painfully. Offering a cold cloth or a frozen banana can also help. Avoid teething rings that have liquids with alcohol in them. Every parent wants their baby to have healthy teeth. Few parents know that caries often gets transmitted from the parent to the baby and blossoms with sweet food. Do not test the bottle teat with your mouth or suck the dummy “to clean” it when fallen down – this is how most babies get caries.

Health

All about infant food allergies

PREVENTING ALLERGIES

What your baby eats can affect his skin and his digestive system. Some foods may cause skin reactions (rashes, itching or redness), while others can cause diarrhoea, which in turn can lead to nappy rash. If you’re breastfeeding, your baby’s stools are less likely to contain the irritating enzymes that can cause nappy rash. But as soon as you begin introducing solids into his diet at around 4 months, you need to start looking out for potential allergic reactions. This is why health professionals suggest weaning very slowly, offering just one new ingredient at a time at first and beginning with bland, easily digested vegetables and fruit. This way, if there is any substance that doesn’t agree with your little one’s tummy, you can easily pin-point it and exclude it from his diet until you’ve discussed the situation with your health visitor. The foods most likely to trigger allergic reactions in some babies include:

Eggs, especially the whites

Wheat

Nuts, including peanut butter

Cow’s milk

Citrus juices may also cause skin irritations even if your baby tolerates fruit well. Besides, juice is not good for his developing teeth.

It is recommended that babies only drink breast or formula milk for the first twelve months. If you suspect that the formula you’re feeding may be causing skin or digestive problems, talk to your GP and health visitor about it. They may suggest you try a different manufacturer or even a Soya formula. But such dietary substitutions should only ever be made based on medical advice.

Planning the best weaning programme

START SIMPLE AND GO SLOW

As adults, we’ve learned to expect and appreciate variety in our diet. But for your baby, who is just starting out on the journey of food discovery, introducing just one new ingredient every few days is the best approach.

Step One: Health professionals advise always starting the weaning process with a little plain baby rice that can be mixed with breastmilk or formula to form an easy-to-digest, runny porridge. Simple cereals like rice or barley are good, healthy sources of iron and B vitamins, and provide useful calories for your growing baby. Three or four baby-spoonfuls is sufficient at first, and choose a time in the day when your little one is alert, calm and happy. Don’t attempt to wean your baby when he is screaming with hunger. Offer the food after he has had some milk but isn’t completely full.

Step Two: Once your baby is happily taking his porridge, you can start thinking about offering bland vegetables. Steam or boil, then puree them, add some of the cooking liquid, and pass through a sieve to achieve a smooth consistency. You can add some breastmilk or formula, or mix in some baby rice to make the food more palatable. Bear in mind that babies are more inclined to acquire a taste for vegetables if you delay introducing sweet foods like tasty fruit. Once your little one is happily eating his greens, you can make things a bit more fun by starting to offer sweeter options!

Step Three: Remember to always give your baby a few days to get accustomed to each new ingredient, in case there is a delayed response. If he refuses certain foods simply because of the taste or consistency, don’t discount them completely, but maybe try again another day, or add them to one of his favourite foods. This is also the perfect opportunity to use fruit and vegetables you don’t usually cook for yourself. As long as you take things slow, you should try to be adventurous and introduce your child to as many different tastes as possible so that, in time, he will be able to have a healthy and varied diet.

STOCK-UP ON BABY RECIPES AND BIBS!

As soon as your baby is ready for solids, start collecting information. Getting lots of different ideas for recipes will make the weaning process more fun for you and more interesting for your baby. Your local baby clinic or GP surgery will have leaflets detailing the order in which foods should best be introduced. Also, look out for books on weaning, or search the internet for fresh ideas. Remember to expect mess too. In fact, many parents end up stripping their babies down to a nappy and a bib for the first few meals. You’ll probably find that more food ends up on your little one’s head, body and all over your clothes, than in his mouth!

Hey Dads, roll up your shirt-sleeves! Now that your baby’s on solids, why not get cooking and take on a bigger role in the feeding business.

The cup challenge

To ease the transition from breast or bottle to cup, Professor Wolke suggests letting your child bite with his gums, suck and otherwise manipulate an empty cup or trainer cup starting at about six months. When your baby becomes accustomed to playing with it, offer him water or diluted juice in a cup at snack time. It should help ease the weaning process for both of you.

Food for fun and learning to be independent

MESS MEANS FUN

The more involved with food your baby gets, the messier the mealtimes. Spillages and mess are an inevitable part of learning about the world of food. And he needs to experiment in order to figure out how he will eventually feed himself. So don’t worry about the mess too much. If it’s a concern, invest in a plastic mat to place under baby’s feeding chair, protect your own clothes with an apron, and stock up on baby bibs. Or choose old clothes that you won’t mind staining. Remember, feeding should be fun and there is no place for fretting about spilt food and messy handprints when you’re weaning a baby. Let your little one enjoy trying to shovel food into his (or even your) mouth, congratulate his attempts at using a spoon, and keep in mind that, for him at least, neatness and table manners are of no concern right now! The more practice your child gets at feeding early on, the sooner he’ll be able to cope with it on his own in the future.

FYI:

A milky dribble stain on the shoulder is the ultimate fashion accessory for any new mother! It’s like a badge of parenthood – and a great way to spot other members of the club.

Top baby food storage tips

Ice-cube trays are great for freezing and storing small portions of home-made baby food, expressed milk, purees and sauces. This allows you to defrost just the amount you need per meal and avoids wastage. You can also combine two or three individual cubes of different ingredients to produce new and interesting recipes for your little one.

Source: Pampers South Africa