Make sure there is no added salt, sugar, or seasoning in the foods. But the benefits of breastfeeding are pretty huge, so if you can, give it a try. It may just become your favorite part of the day. Getting the facts ahead of time and coming up with your own plan can help ease any stress and anxiety around feeding baby. Remember that this is your decision.
You should do what feels best for your family. Is there a minimum amount of time you should breastfeed? We explain the recommendations, benefits by duration, and tips for weaning once you've…. If you're fortunate to have a successful breastfeeding relationship with your baby, you may wonder whether and when you need to stop.
Learn more about…. You may have questions about feeding your baby. How much should they eat? How often should they eat? Will they ever be on a schedule? Here is what you…. For most babies, breast milk is also easier to digest than formula. When prepared as directed, however, infant formula supports healthy babies who have typical dietary needs.
A baby who has special nutritional needs might require a special formula. Exclusive breast-feeding is recommended for the first six months after birth. A diet of only breast milk provides the best nutrition. Formula supplementation can disrupt breast-feeding as well as affect milk supply. However, some mothers are able to combine breast-feeding and formula-feeding — especially after breast-feeding has been well established.
If you're considering formula-feeding, do your research so that you can make an informed decision. Then focus on nourishing and nurturing your baby — instead of dwelling on negative emotions. You might also share your feelings with your doctor or certified nurse-midwife, your baby's doctor or others in your support circle. Remember, parenting is an adventure that requires choices and compromises.
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Mayo Clinic does not endorse companies or products. Advertising revenue supports our not-for-profit mission. Updated by: Neil K. Editorial team. Breastfeeding vs. Benefits of Breastfeeding.
Here are some of the many other benefits of breastfeeding : Breast milk naturally has all the nutrients babies need to grow and develop. Breast milk has antibodies that can help prevent your baby from getting sick. Breastfeeding can help prevent health problems in your baby, such as allergies, eczema, ear infections, and stomach problems. Breastfed babies are less likely to be hospitalized with breathing infections.
Breastfed babies are less likely to become obese or have diabetes. Breastfeeding may help prevent sudden infant death syndrome SIDS. Mothers who breastfeed find it easier to lose weight after pregnancy. Breastfeeding may help lower the risk for breast and ovarian cancers, diabetes, and certain other diseases in mothers.
Breastfeeding is the natural, healthy choice for mom and baby. Preparing to Breastfeed. It is true that breastfeeding is not always easy and natural for moms and babies. Being a new parent takes time, and feeding is no exception to this rule. Breastfed babies will sometimes eat every hour for a while, before they take a long nap. Try to nap when your baby does. If you need a longer break, you can also express milk by hand or pump and have someone else feed the breast milk to your baby.
After a few weeks, a breastfed baby's schedule becomes quite predictable. Breastfeeding and Work. Overcoming Breastfeeding Problems. Certain problems can get in the way of breastfeeding for some moms: Breast tenderness and nipple soreness.
This is normal in the first week. It can also take a couple of weeks for mother and baby to learn how to breastfeed. Beneficial for mom, too. The ability to totally nourish a baby can help a new mother feel confident in her ability to care for her baby. Breastfeeding also burns calories and helps shrink the uterus, so nursing moms may be able to return to their pre-pregnancy shape and weight quicker. Also, studies show that breastfeeding helps lower the risk of breast cancer, high blood pressure, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease, and also may help decrease the risk of uterine and ovarian cancer.
Breastfeeding can be easy from the get-go for some mothers, but take a while to get used to for others. Moms and babies need plenty of patience to get used to the routine of breastfeeding.
Common concerns of new moms, especially during the first few weeks and months, may include:. Personal comfort. Initially, many moms feel uncomfortable with breastfeeding. But with proper education, support, and practice, most moms overcome this. Latch-on pain is normal for the first week to 10 days, and should last less than a minute with each feeding.
Many times, it's just a matter of using the proper technique, but sometimes pain can mean that something else is going on, like an infection.
Time and frequency of feedings. Breastfeeding requires a big time commitment from mothers, especially in the beginning, when babies feed often. A breastfeeding schedule or the need to pump breast milk during the day can make it harder for some moms to work, run errands, or travel.
And breastfed babies do need to eat more often than babies who take formula, because breast milk digests faster than formula. This means mom may find herself in demand every 2 or 3 hours maybe more, maybe less in the first few weeks.
Women who are breastfeeding need to be aware of what they eat and drink, since these can be passed to the baby through the breast milk.
Just like during pregnancy, breastfeeding women should not eat fish that are high in mercury and should limit consumption of lower mercury fish. If a mom drinks alcohol, a small amount can pass to the baby through breast milk. She should wait at least 2 hours after a single alcoholic drink to breastfeed to avoid passing any alcohol to the baby. Caffeine intake should be kept to no more than milligrams about one to three cups of regular coffee or less per day because it can cause problems like restlessness and irritability in some babies.
Maternal medical conditions, medicines, and breast surgery. Medical conditions such as HIV or AIDS or those that involve chemotherapy or treatment with certain medicines can make breastfeeding unsafe.
A woman should check with her doctor or a lactation consultant if she's unsure if she should breastfeed with a specific condition. Women should always check with the doctor about the safety of taking medicines while breastfeeding, including over-the-counter and herbal medicines. Mothers who've had breast surgery, such as a reduction, may have difficulty with their milk supply if their milk ducts have been severed.
In this situation, a woman should to talk to her doctor about her concerns and work with a lactation specialist.
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