What is Breastfeeding? Breastfeeding is when you feed your baby breast milk, usually directly from your breast. It is also called nursing.
Breast Milk is nature’s perfect baby food and provides ideal nutrition for babies. It contains immunity-boosting antibodies and healthy enzymes that scientists have yet to replicate. Paediatricians recommend breastfeeding until the baby is at least a year old, but many moms keep going beyond that.
Here are the eight benefits of Breastfeeding:
#1 It provides nutrition for the baby.
A lot of people may think there is no nutritional value after a year, and this is just entirely not true. Breast milk is loaded with antibodies that help your baby fight off viruses and bacteria, which is critical in those tender, early months. Regardless of how old your baby is, he or she will continue to benefit from the protein, calcium, fat, vitamin A, and other nutrients in breast milk.
#2 It boosts the immune system.
Babies who breastfeed have decreased incidences of illness and lower mortality rates. The immunity benefits improve the longer a baby breastfeeds. The longer you breastfeed, your baby is less likely to have some of the illnesses that we associate with not breastfeeding, like ear infections and upper respiratory infections.
#3 It helps to protect against allergies and Eczema.
If there’s a history of either in your family, it may be especially beneficial for you to breastfeed. Proteins in cow’s milk and soy milk formulas can stimulate an allergic reaction, while the proteins in human breast milk are more easily digest.
#4 Makes vaccines more effective.
Research shows that breastfeed babies have a better antibody response to vaccines than formula-fed babies.
#5 It boosts brain development.
Studies have shown that breastfeeding helps boost brain development in babies. And it’s not just from the nutrients: Babies who nurse off of both breasts are put into different positions and have the chance to look and reach in different directions. When moms bottle-feed babies, the instinct is to use the dominant hand and put the baby in the same position at every feeding. Mothers can try to change the position of the baby and the bottle, to help exercise the baby’s reach and mind.
#6 It’s soothing to the baby.
Breastfeeding is a chance for Mom and baby to connect, but it’s also a way of calming a baby in a stressful situation. The skin – to –skin contact of breastfeeding is reassuring to a newborn.
#7 It’s calming for moms.
Moms have so much to do in a day, and it’s easy to get caught up in work, chores, and family matters. Breastfeeding is always a chance for mum to sit down and calm down.
Although extended breastfeeding does take some planning, it can also be much more convenient than formula. When your baby starts eating solid foods, the diapers get increasingly stinky, so you have the convenience of a baby who’s not as smelly.
#8 It makes moms healthier.
Moms who breastfeed are less likely to have breast cancer. There’s also a reduced risk of ovarian cancer and endometrial cancer. Not only these, but nursing mothers also tend to have an easier time to lose pregnancy weight healthily and heals your body after delivery.
Here’s one recipe to help increase your breast milk:
Pork Ribs Soup with Peanuts and Green Papaya
- 600gram pork ribs
- 100gram Peanuts
- 1 Green Papaya
- Chinese cooking wine
- Spring Onion
- Light soya sauce
- Boil a pot of water and blanch the pork ribs
- Place the boiled ribs into the soup pot after blanched along with peanuts and ginger to boil. Once the water is boiled, reduce the heat and simmer for 1.5 hours
- Peel and remove the seeds from the green papaya. Dice the papaya and place the diced papayas into the soup pot together with the pork ribs to boil.
- Boiled till papaya is soften, season with Chinese cooking wine, light soya sauce and spring onion.
Ready to serve.
*Note: Do not add in salt during the confinement period.
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