There are many benefits to breastfeeding, 10 wrong feeding methods 'pit baby' are not discussed!

Breast milk is the ideal natural food. Breast milk contains all the nutrients needed for the baby's growth and development in the first six months, and the proportion of various nutrients is appropriate, easy to absorb, economical, hygienic and convenient. Not only that, breast milk can also enhance the baby's resistance; babies who are exclusively breast-fed are less likely to get sick after birth. This is because breast milk, especially colostrum, contains a large number of immune active cells and a variety of immunoglobulins, which can prevent bacteria and viruses from entering the baby's body. In addition, breast milk is hypoallergenic, while formula milk is likely to cause allergic reactions, eczema, constipation and other conditions.

Most people know that babies should be breastfed as much as possible after birth, which can enhance the baby's immunity and improve the baby's physical fitness. The benefits of breastfeeding are obvious. First of all, breast milk has comprehensive nutrition, and the various nutrients contained in it can meet the needs of babies within six months; breast milk also contains a variety of anti-infective substances, which can protect babies from infection; Necessary for the healthy development of blood vessels. Secondly, breast milk is easy to digest and absorb, and it is not easy to cause baby allergies. Plus, breastfeeding helps with parent-child bonding and baby development. For mothers, breastfeeding promotes uterine contraction, reduces postpartum hemorrhage, and helps to delay the mother's re-pregnancy, reducing the mother's risk of ovarian cancer and breast cancer, etc. However, new mothers have some misunderstandings in the details of breastfeeding. Incorrect feeding will not only not benefit the baby, but also seriously damage the baby's body.

1. Colostrum is not nutritious, so don’t feed it to your baby

Colostrum is the milk secreted by the mother within a week after giving birth. It is light yellow in color, viscous and rich in protein. It is the best natural nutrition for babies within one week of birth. The quality and quantity of the substances it contains are very consistent with the special needs of newborns within a week. Although the secretion of colostrum is small, it is enough for normal babies.

2. Feed only one side at a time

Feeding only one side at a time reduces the stimulation of the breast and naturally reduces milk production. Even if the baby is full from one breast, the mother should empty the other breast. For this reason, each breastfeeding should be fed on both sides as much as possible. New mothers should breastfeed alternately on both sides of the breast, so as to avoid the large difference in size between the two sides in the future, which will affect the appearance. If the mother and baby are unable to breastfeed due to illness or other reasons, the milk in the breast must be squeezed out and emptied. The number of emptyings per day is 6 to 8 times or more. Only when the milk in the breast is emptied can the normal secretion of milk continue in the future.

3. Breastfeeding should be regular and quantitative

Now advocates "breastfeeding on demand", that is, whenever the baby cries or the mother feels that it should be fed, the baby is picked up and fed. As long as the baby wants to eat, he can feed at any time; if the mother is full of milk and the baby is willing to eat, he can also feed, and should not be limited to whether it is the scheduled time." Generally, after a period of time, the baby will gradually form its own certainty law.

During breastfeeding, do not strictly limit the time between feedings, especially in the first few weeks of life. The amount of milk that a newborn baby gets varies from one feeding to another, so sometimes a baby is hungry an hour after a feeding, and other times the baby doesn't seem to want to eat that much after a 3-hour gap. These conditions are natural, and each baby is unique and eats differently, so breastfeed as needed.

4. Too dependent on milk powder or pacifiers

Adding milk powder, or letting the baby always suck the pacifier, will cause the baby to not work hard when sucking milk, because the baby is not hungry or the need for sucking has been satisfied by the pacifier, which will reduce the stimulation of the nipple and reduce milk production. If you really need to add milk powder, it is best to suck it out with a breast pump after feeding to keep the sucking stimulation of the breast.

5. Lying down to feed or laughing while feeding

Lying down can easily cause the baby to spit up. The correct way is for the mother to take the seat or the middle seat, put one foot on the small stool, hold the baby, and gently pinch the nipple between the thumb and index finger with the other hand to feed.

If the baby laughs because of being teased while breastfeeding, the glottis of the throat can be opened, and the inhaled milk may enter the trachea by mistake.

6. Give water to exclusively breastfed babies

Breast milk is osmotically similar to blood plasma and has a low osmotic load on the kidneys, so breastfeeding does not require water, even in the tropics or desert. Many people don't know that breast milk has this feature. It is really a good mistake to give the baby water when there is enough breast milk. The baby's stomach capacity is limited, drinking water will inevitably affect breastfeeding, drinking sugar water will reduce the baby's demand for breast milk, and it will also cause abdominal distension. For babies under 4 months, as long as breast milk nutrition is enough, there is no need to feed other things.

7. Feed your baby at bedtime

Breastfeeding your baby before going to bed can easily lead to dental caries. This is because the secretion of saliva during sleep will reduce the oral cleaning function, and the long-term fermentation of milk in the oral cavity will damage the structure of the baby teeth. Secondly, choking is prone to occur. When the baby is unconscious, the oropharyngeal muscles are insufficient to assist and cannot effectively protect the tracheal opening, which can easily cause milk to infiltrate and cause the risk of choking.

In addition, it is also easy to reduce the baby's appetite, because the milk in the stomach is poured in when he is groggy, and the baby does not feel hungry when he is awake, so seeing food in the future will reduce his desire.

8. Don’t breastfeed your baby for fear of getting out of shape

Feeding the baby will not make the new mother's breasts sag, but will make the breasts bigger due to breastfeeding. If you can cooperate with the right amount of exercise, the breasts will be more beautiful than before. At the same time, taking care of the baby in person, coupled with the secretion of milk, will greatly increase the consumption of physical energy and help the mother to restore her body shape as soon as possible.

Breastfeeding is not only good for the baby, it is also good for the mother. First of all, through the baby's sucking, the mother's body produces a large amount of oxytocin, which enhances uterine contraction, promotes the discharge of lochia, and is beneficial to the recovery of the uterus. In addition, breastfeeding can also greatly reduce the incidence of breast and ovarian cancer.

9. Weaning your baby too early

Many elderly people say that breast milk has no nutrition after 6 months, and the child should be weaned. Under normal circumstances, from birth to 6 months, newborns rely entirely on breastfeeding to get all the nutrients they need for growth without adding any supplementary food. After 6 months, relying solely on breast milk is not enough for the nutrients needed for the growth of the baby, and supplementary food is needed.

In the case of increasing complementary food, breastfeeding should also be extended for 1-2 years. And 6 months is not an absolute bottom line. Some premature babies or babies with allergies refuse or cannot be fed complementary food due to physical reasons, and completely rely on breastfeeding until eight or nine months or even longer. They are also nutritious and grow up robustly. To date, there is no scientific evidence that breast milk loses its nutritional value at any stage.

10. You can only wean during working hours

Storing breast milk not only allows the baby to continue to enjoy breast milk, but also keeps the mother's milk production and prevents pain. Milking can be done with a milking machine or by hand. Expressed milk should be placed in sterilized glass or plastic bottles with airtight caps. The most ideal is to use breast milk storage bags, which are also sold in the domestic market. Stored milk can be stored at room temperature for 12 hours.