Breast milk is the best thing you can give your baby – there is no doubt about it. But how long is breastfeeding worth?
Breastfeeding is very important for the development of a newborn baby. Of course, if it happens that a new mother is unable to breastfeed, then special mixtures are available to replace her milk. However, there is no doubt that breast milk is the best thing you can give your baby.
Today, women are more aware of the importance of breastfeeding. Before we move on to the extraordinary properties of milk itself, it is also worth emphasizing the great closeness and bonding between the mother and her offspring, which is created during breastfeeding. There is a reason why some babies love to lie down next to their moms to smell her scent. It has a calming effect and gives the child a sense of security
The latest recommendations of the World Health Organization state that a mother should feed her baby with her milk for at least six months. It is also important to know that during this period her milk is enough – there is no need to introduce other foods. The diet should be expanded after the 6th month (and not, as it used to be said, after the 4th month). Mom’s milk is so adapted to the needs of the baby that it fully satisfies hunger and thirst
Mom’s milk is perfectly suited to the needs of the little one. This is how mother nature created us. Experts agree that despite the latest technology, it is not possible to create such a valuable modified milk as natural breast milk. Of course, the resulting mixtures also meet the needs of the baby (moms who can’t breastfeed don’t have to and shouldn’t worry), but they’re a little short of perfect. Breast milk is easily digestible, moreover, it contains mother’s antibodies, thanks to which the baby acquires natural immunity and falls ill less often. Breast milk is a source of many microelements and vitamins so necessary for the development of the baby. Thanks to it the child develops perfectly mentally and psychomotor
Research shows that children who were breast-fed less often suffer from obesity or diabetes. It is worth adding that breastfeeding also has many benefits for mothers – because it turns out that thanks to it they not only get rid of excess weight left after pregnancy faster, but are also less prone to breast or ovarian cancer
Breastfeeding is very convenient for women. Mom has ready milk “always with her”, so she can feed her baby whenever she needs it. It is also undoubtedly a big savings, because modified mixtures are not the cheapest
A newborn baby should usually be fed every three hours. It is estimated that he should eat at least 8 times a day. However, usually children themselves decide when they want to eat and it is worth trusting them in this matter
The World Health Organization recommends that you feed your baby for at least the first six months after birth. However, you need to know that up to a year milk is the basis of a child’s nutrition. Therefore, many specialists recommend that, if possible, the feeding should be continued at least until the child is 12 months old. Or longer? This is a rather individual question, left to the choice of mothers themselves. There are women who consider it valuable to breastfeed even a few years old. Other mothers, on the other hand, think that after a year, their offspring no longer needs breastfeeding. Therefore, the main recommendation is the first 6 months, then it is the woman herself who decides whether to switch to a modified mixture or not. There is no upper limit for giving the baby its own milk
Main photo: Deksbakh, source: stock.adobe.com