All about Breastfeeding

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What is Breastfeeding?

According to World Health Organization:

Breastfeeding is the normal way of providing young infants with the nutrients they need for healthy growth and development. Virtually all mothers can breastfeed, provided they have accurate information, and the support of their family, the health care system and society at large.

Colostrum, the yellowish, sticky breast milk produced at the end of pregnancy, is recommended by WHO as the perfect food for the newborn, and feeding should be initiated within the first hour after birth.

Exclusive breastfeeding is recommended up to 6 months of age, with continued breastfeeding along with appropriate complementary foods up to two years of age or beyond. 

 According to UNICEF,

Optimal breastfeeding of infants under two years of age has the greatest potential impact on child survival of all preventive interventions, with the potential to prevent over 800,000 deaths (13 per cent of all deaths) in children under five in the developing world (Lancet 2013). 

Breastfed children have at least six times greater chance of survival in the early months than non-breastfed children.  An exclusively breastfed child is 14 times less likely to die in the first six months than a non-breastfed child, and breastfeeding drastically reduces deaths from acute respiratory infection and diarrhoea, two major child killers (Lancet 2008). The potential impact of optimal breastfeeding practices is especially important in developing country situations with a high burden of disease and low access to clean water and sanitation. But non-breastfed children in industrialized countries are also at greater risk of dying - a recent study of post-neonatal mortality in the United States found a 25% increase in mortality among non-breastfed infants. In the UK Millennium Cohort Survey, six months of exclusive breast feeding was associated with a 53% decrease in hospital admissions for diarrhoea and a 27% decrease in respiratory tract infections.

While breastfeeding rates are no longer declining at the global level, with many countries experiencing significant increases in the last decade, only 39 per cent of children less than six months of age in the developing world are exclusively breastfed and just 58 per cent of 20-23 month olds benefit from the practice of continued breastfeeding. A growing number of countries are demonstrating that significant and rapid progress is possible, with 25 countries showing increases of 2o percentage points or more.

The history of breastfeeding?

Here are some interesting facts about Breastfeeding throughout history

Thanks to BBC for the information

"We talk about the golden age where everybody breastfed, and that age never happened," says Suzanne Barston, author of Bottled Up: How the Way We Feed Babies has Come to Define Motherhood, and Why it Shouldn't. 

When a mother died in childbirth or was unable to breastfeed, infants throughout the centuries have been fed by wet nurses. But others relied on dry-nursing, or feeding a baby without the breast. 

"There's archaeological evidence right down to the ancients of bottles of various kinds and alternative feeding methods," says Ellie Lee, director of the centre for parenting cultural studies at the University of Kent. Read more here....

  Nora Doyle, a visiting lecturer of history at the University of North Carolina says :

"If a woman had a hard delivery, if she was sick after, if the milk didn't come in or there was a nasty abscess, any health-related reasons might prevent them from being able to breastfeed," says Nora Doyle, a visiting lecturer of history at the University of North Carolina.

 The 1950s

In ancient history, infants were fed with terracotta pots with long spouts, which were sometimes included in infant graves. Europeans around the time of the Renaissance outfitted cows' horns with leather nipples, while small vessels with elaborate china patterns or crafted in pewter or silver were used in the 18th and 19th Centuries. Rags were often used to help facilitate feeding and distract the baby.

source: http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-25629934 

What did Infant in Acient Greece took?

Infants in ancient Greece were fed wine and honey, while Indian children in the second Century AD were given "diluted wine, soups and eggs" at six months of age. 

What did Infant in US took?

In the US, donkey's milk was often seen as a suitable alternative to breast milk.

The 20th Century

In the beginning half of the 20th Century, condensed milk was also a popular choice for western women who did not breastfeed. The advent of sterile bottles in the 1950s, combined with a cultural preference for the new and scientific, led to an increase in formula use. That produced a major sea change in the health of non-breastfed babies. 

What are the benefits of breastfeeding?

Let us look at the benefits of breastfeeding. 

According to WebMd, breastfeeding benefits both mothers and babies.

Benefits of Breastfeeding for babies

Breast milk provides the ideal nutrition for infants. It has a nearly perfect mix of vitamins, protein, and fat -- everything your baby needs to grow. And it's all provided in a form more easily digested than infant formula. Breast milk contains antibodies that help your baby fight off viruses and bacteria. Breastfeeding lowers your baby's risk of having asthma or allergies. Plus, babies who are breastfed exclusively for the first 6 months, without any formula, have fewer ear infections, respiratory illnesses, and bouts of diarrhea. They also have fewer hospitalizations and trips to the doctor. 

Breastfeeding has been linked to higher IQ scores in later childhood in some studies. What's more, the physical closeness, skin-to-skin touching, and eye contact all help your baby bond with you and feel secure. Breastfed infants are more likely to gain the right amount of weight as they grow rather than become overweight children. The AAP says breastfeeding also plays a role in the prevention of SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome). It's been thought to lower the risk of diabetes, obesity, and certain cancers as well, but more research is needed.

Benefits of breastfeeding for mom

Breastfeeding burns extra calories, so it can help you lose pregnancy weight faster. It releases the hormone oxytocin, which helps your uterus return to its pre-pregnancy size and may reduce uterine bleeding after birth. Breastfeeding also lowers your risk of breast and ovarian cancer. It may lower your risk of osteoporosis, too. 

Since you don't have to buy and measure formula, sterilize nipples, or warm bottles, it saves you time and money. It also gives you regular time to relax quietly with your newborn as you bond. 

What are the latest breastfeeding products in the market?

- Breast Pad
- Breast Milk Storage
- Breast Pump 
- Breast feeding creams
- Breast feeding accessories
- Nursing Appron
- Nursing bras
- Nursing Vest

Want to purchase the product above?
Click Here to find out the latest breast feeding products available.

Thank you for reading!

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