Breastfeeding generally lasts a very long time, typically at least six months, sometimes even two years. When breastfeeding, there are a lot of precautions to take, a minefield if you are not careful. What precautions should you take and what is the best way to breastfeed?
There is no better way to ensure an infant’s healthy growth and development than through breastfeeding, as well as a vital part of the reproductive process and a reliable indicator of the mother’s health. For optimal growth, development, and health, infants should exclusively be breastfed for the first six months of their lives. From 2 years of age onward, infants should be breastfed while consuming safe, nutritious complementary foods to meet their changing nutritional needs.
The majority of breastfeeding mothers understand that using medication casually during breastfeeding may affect the secretion of milk, however, it can have a negative impact on the growth and development of their children if it is passed on to the baby through the milk.
Before giving your baby a feed, you should always wipe his or her nipple with a clean, hot towel. After feeding, clean the nipple by wiping it afterward so that no dirt remains, and wipe the corners of your baby’s mouth so that he or she doesn’t feel uncomfortable.
You need to drink plenty of water while you are breastfeeding and avoid reducing the amount of water you drink. Only adequate nutrition will enable your baby to drink enough milk, so you must also consider the nutritional mix.
In cases where your baby is full and your mother’s milk is still sufficient, you may use a breast pump to extract the milk, and you may freeze it in the fridge for later use when your baby is hungry or when your mother is out.
The nutritional needs of nursing mothers are very high. This is because the mother has to replenish the nutritional reserves depleted by pregnancy and childbirth, along with producing milk and taking on the load of nursing her baby, so adequate nutrition during breastfeeding is very important. Breastmilk contains necessary nutrients for growth and development of the baby, and is compatible with its digestive capabilities. Insufficient nourishment of the mother can affect not only the mother’s health, but also the baby’s growth and development by reducing the quality of the milk. Every day, additional nutrients of all kinds should be given to the mother in order to benefit her health and ensure the quality of her breast milk, while also taking into account the complementary nature of the different nutrients.