Benefits of breastfeeding

Breast milk is that the best food for your baby throughout the primary year of life and that we suggest solely breastfeeding for concerning the primary six months. Your milk helps your baby grow healthy and powerful and might defend him from several diseases. however will your breast milk do this?

Breast milk…

• has hormones and therefore the correct quantity of macromolecule, sugar, fat and most vitamins to assist your baby grow and develop.

• has antibodies that facilitate defend your baby from several diseases. Antibodies square measure cells within the body that repel infection.

• has fatty acids, like DHA (docosahexanoic acid), that facilitate support your baby’s brain and eye development. it should lower the probabilities of unexpected crib death syndrome, additionally called cot death, too (SIDS is that the unexplained death of a baby younger than one year old).

• is straightforward to digest. A breastfed baby might have less gas and belly pain than a baby United Nations agency is fed formula.

• changes as your baby grows thus he gets specifically what he wants at the correct time. for instance, for the primary few days when parturition, your breasts create a thick, chromatic sort of breast milk known as foremilk. foremilk has nutrients and antibodies that your baby wants within the 1st few days of life. It changes to breast milk in three to four days.

• is often prepared once your baby desires to eat. Your body makes the maximum amount breast milk as your baby wants. The additional your baby breastfeeds, the additional milk your body makes.

What if you're sick? do you have to still breastfeed?

In most cases, yes, you must still lactate. The Associate in Nursingtibodies your body produces to repel an unhealthiness are going to be passed to your baby through your milk and defend him. If you stop breastfeeding once you square measure sick, you'll cut back your baby’s protection and even increase his likelihood of obtaining sick. If you're feeling a chilly drawing close, rest, drink many fluids and continue breastfeeding. If you're unsure concerning whether or not to lactate whereas sick, raise your Lactation advisor or baby’s specialist.