Benefits of breastfeeding for baby are plenty which no mother should ignore to give their babies. Breast milk is the best nutritional food which can be given to a newborn baby. And it is advised by nutritionists to give breast milk to your baby at least for 6 months.
In this period of 6 months, breast milk will be a rich source of all kind of nutrients and minerals needed by the infant baby. Apart from the breast milk if doctors advised us to do, we could also give vitamin-k, vitamin-d tablets.
It is not required to give water for the baby apart from breast milk. but it’s highly recommended that mother should drink plenty of water during the breastfeeding period. And should eat foods like fruits, green vegetables, Pulses, lentils and Oats which are rich in nutrients and fibers.
Few Benefits of breastfeeding for baby
- Brest milk is a food for babies which is free from disease-causing germs and very easy for the baby to digest.
- A baby who is breastfed on a regular basis will be having fewer possibilities of getting affected with diseases like pneumonia, cold, cough, ear infection, digestive disorders etc
- Breastfeeding increases the immunity power of the baby to a good level. Since breast milk contains nutrients like Immunoglobulin A, probiotic, and lysozyme which boosts the immunity.
- Can prevent disease like asthma, allergies, and childhood eczema.
- Breastfeeding can protect the baby from having diseases like diabetes, blood pressures, overweight, allergies etc in future.
- It is scientifically proven that those children who grew up drinking enough breast milk will have a healthy brain, good immunity, and sharp eyesight.
Why should you breastfeed within 1 hour of delivery?
It is best to give breast milk to the baby as a first medicine within one hour of delivery. This is a golden achievement of breastfeeding for mother and child. Giving pre-lacteal feeds like honey and water are also seen, but it can never replace the benefits of breastfeeding.
After 3 or 4 hours of delivery, most babies will be having a tendency of going to deep sleep. And it will be difficult to wake the baby from sleep and force him to have milk. To avoid such inconveniences it recommended to lactate within 1st hours of delivery.
And leave the baby to sleep well.
Early breastfeeding also helps the mother to increase the milk level in breasts. Also, it helps to reduce the heavy flow of blood and mucus after delivery. This medical condition of bleeding after delivery is called lochia.
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‘Colostrum‘ content in breast milk is the first vaccine for babies
After delivery for about two or three days, a yellow fluid called colostrum will be secreted from mother’s breasts.
This colostrum is a source of all kind of nutrients and antibodies needed for a newborn baby, also it helps in boosting immunity of the baby.
Colostrum can be considered as the first vaccination for baby. And every caring mother should give benefits of this nutrients to their babies before it gets exhausted.