Breastfeeding

Breastfeeding provides many health benefits for you and your baby.

Other names

Breastfeeding is also known as nursing

Definition

Breastfeeding is the feeding of babies and young children with milk from a woman's breast.

WHO recommendations

The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that breastfeeding begin within the first hour of a baby's life and continue as often and as much as the baby wants.

Frequency of breastfeeding

During the first few weeks of life babies may nurse roughly every two to three hours, and the duration of a feeding is usually ten to fifteen minutes on each breast.

Breastfeeding - Cross Cradle Position

Breastpump

Mothers may pump milk using a breastpump so that it can be used later when breastfeeding is not possible. Breastfeeding has a number of benefits to both mother and baby, which infant formula lacks.

Colostrum

• Before your milk comes in, in the first few days after birth, your breasts make a thick, sticky, yellowish fluid sometimes referred to as “liquid gold.”
• Called colostrum, this liquid has the calcium, potassium, proteins, minerals, and antibodies your baby needs.
• Your baby needs only a few teaspoons to feel full and stay healthy until your milk flow increases, about two to five days after birth.

This milk is very rich in nutrients and includes antibodies to protect your baby from infections. Colostrum also helps your newborn's digestive system to grow and function. Your baby gets only a small amount of colostrum at each feeding, because the stomach of a newborn infant is tiny and can hold only a small amount.

Barefoot Dutch Woman Breastfeeding

Benefits of breastfeeding

• Breastfed babies typically get sick less.
• Breastfeeding lowers the risk of ear infections, diarrhea, and stomach problems.
• Children who are breastfed have a lower rate of certain illnesses as they grow up.
• Babies who are not breastfed have a higher risk of asthma, diabetes, and childhood obesity. Since African-Americans are at an increased risk for these health problems, it's important to recognize the lifelong benefits of breastfeeding for your child.
• Babies are born extremely nearsighted, which means they can only see things about eight to 15 inches away. That also happens to be the distance between your face and your baby's face when breastfeeding. So when your baby locks eyes with you, it’s a true bonding moment.

Hospital Support for Breastfeeding-CDC

Health benefits of breastfeeding

The cells, hormones, and antibodies in breastmilk help protect babies from illness. This protection is unique and changes every day to meet your baby’s growing needs. Research shows that breastfed babies have lower risks of:

• Asthma
• Leukemia (during childhood)
• Obesity (during childhood)
• Ear infections
• Eczema (atopic dermatitis)
• Diarrhea and vomiting
• Lower respiratory infections
• Necrotizing (NEK-roh-TEYE-zing) enterocolitis (en-TUR-oh-coh-LYT-iss), a disease that affects the gastrointestinal tract in premature babies, or babies born before 37 weeks of pregnancy
• Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)
• Type 2 diabetes

Benefits to the mother

Breastfeeding allows your body to recover from pregnancy and childbirth more quickly. The hormones released when you breastfeed help your uterus shrink back to its pre-pregnancy size. Breastfeeding helps lower the risk of breast cancer and ovarian cancer in moms. Breastfeeding may also help you to lose weight. Mothers who exclusively breastfeed can burn as many as 600 calories a day, which may help you get back to your pre-pregnancy weight.

Nutrition and calories

• When your baby first starts to nurse, your milk is a watery bluish color.
• Toward the end of the feeding session, your baby gets to thicker, fattier milk, which gives your baby the calories needed to grow healthy and strong.

Healing and breastfeeding

Breastmilk is filled with special components that help fight infection and cut down on swelling in the breast. So if your breasts are sore those first few days, gently massaging some of your milk into your nipples and breasts can soothe the soreness and speed up recovery. Latest articles - Breastfeeding

• Most recent articles
• Ongoing trials

Breastfeeding on Wikipedia

• Wikipedia's article on Breastfeeding

• UpToDate on Breastfeeding

Breastfeeding Resources
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