Breastmilk, as most people already know, is an important nutrient source for babies.
One of the major concerns of moms who are about to give birth is if their bodies are capable to breastfeed. They yearn to provide as much milk as possible. Recently, milking moms are increasing in number, but many moms prefer to give milk to their own babies themselves.
Therefore, we have summarized the advantages and disadvantages of breastfeeding, and tips to help you cope when you are breastfeeding.
Advantages and disadvantages of breastfeeding
Breast milk produced in the mother’s body is rich in nutrients and it is necessary for the immunity of the baby. Above all, because “colostrum” that comes out immediately after birth provides higher immunity, so strive to let the baby suck on your breasts as often as possible. Even if you are not producing enough milk yet, milk production is triggered by the baby’s sucking.
Even after the colostrum season, breastfeeding has many benefits for babies and moms. However, because there are inconveniences that are unique to breastfeeding, it is safe to understand the advantages and disadvantages well in order to deal with them.
Benefits of breastfeeding
・ Breastmilk is easily digested and absorbed in the baby’s gastrointestinal tract
・ Economical
・ The stimulation that the baby provides when they are sucking on the mother’s breasts promotes uterine contraction and recovery of the mother’s postpartum body
・ It is easy to notice changes in baby’s physical condition by the way they suck
・ It is better for the development of the baby’s jaw than an artificial nipple
・ Connection with baby
・ The risk of breast cancer and ovarian cancer is reduced
Disadvantages of breastfeeding
・ It is difficult to estimate how much milk your baby drank
・ Because of good digestion, the intervals between breastfeeding tend to be short
・ There are times when you can’t find a place to breastfeed while away from home
・ Nipple tears and breast troubles such as mastitis are likely to occur
・ If the mother’s milk is not good, it may cause a mental burden
・ Depending on the mother’s diet, the baby’s nutrition may be biased
If you’re healthy and if you want to try breath feeding for your baby, you should try it.
Tips for breastfeeding success
As you can see from the advantages and disadvantages, breastfeeding is often a pleasure for babies and moms, but may sometimes be inconvenient. Especially in the case of first-time childcare, many moms feel uneasy when milking is not good and feel the burden too hard.
In order to get through breastfeeding well, you may want to be aware of the following seven things.
Even if breastfeeding is poor, let your baby suck on your breasts as much as possible
Immediately after giving birth, both the mom’s body and the baby are still beginners in breastfeeding. So it’s no wonder if your baby cannot drink well yet, and you are not giving milk as expected. As you will improve little by little over time, just relax.
The stimulation that the baby provides by sucking the breasts urges the production of hormones in the brain. Feeding as often as possible can increase the amount of breast milk.
For more information on encouraging milk production and prolactin, click here.
Keep a diet centered on healthy food
Because milk is produced from the blood, it is easy to get stuck if you continue on a cube of high sugar and fat diet, which affects the production of milk. It can cause mastitis if it gets worse.
It is also said that a baby is likely to have infantile eczema if there is a large amount of sugar. So sweet things should be taken in moderation.
Warm-up
As mentioned above, breast milk is made from blood, so keeping the body warm improves blood flow and affects milk production. Especially in the winter, blood flow is likely to be worse, so you should take care of things such as soup and herbal tea from the inside of the body, and massage more carefully than usual, to improve circulation.
As 80% of breast milk is made of water, mothers who are breastfeeding are likely to run out of water. Warm drinks are also recommended for hydration.
Do not wear underwear or clothes that tighten the bust area
If the blood flow in the bust gets bad due to tight underwear and clothes, it will be difficult to make breast milk. Let’s encourage the production of breastmilk by using a nursing bra.
Do not rely too much on childcare books
The contents of parenting books contain general information, so it may not be a good fit for some. For example, if may say to feed the baby every 3 hours, but if the baby is sleeping comfortably, it may be possible to feed earlier or later. Let’s keep books as a reference and do not be anxious because things do not always happen as written.
Avoid accumulating stress
First-time moms who are new to childcare are not used to many things, and fatigue and stress are likely to build up. However, stress can affect milk production and quality. So try not to store stress by preparing your family to assist so you can take a break and sleep when necessary.
Don’t get too dependent on breastfeeding
There are many moms who want to feed their babies only with breast milk, but there may be times when breast milk is not enough for health reasons, etc. Breastfeeding is necessary regardless of the time of day or night until the baby’s life rhythm is established, so it takes a considerable burden on the mother’s body which is still recovering after delivery.
Therefore, it is important that you do not try too hard and handle everything yourself. You can rely on powdered milk from time to time.
SUMMARY
The important thing in nursing is to fill your baby’s stomach and give him or her the nutrition he or she needs to grow. In order to make good quality breast milk, do not stress yourself, eat healthily, and make sure to get rest in order to recover from fatigue.
