Women > Breasts > Breastfeeding

Giving your baby the right start

Breast feeding and giving your child the best start in life is vital for both the health of the child and the health of your breasts.

The benefits of breast-feeding are universally accepted and it has also been found that mothers who breast-fed their children have a lower risk of contracting breast cancer.  This is has now been proven from an international survey, the results published by a leading New Zealand University (Otago). Another survey has shown that breastfeeding of infants has a clear protective effect against children developing asthma or wheezing up to six years of age, detail.

As well as benefits for the mother, the baby also gains. The ‘first’ milk a mother gives is called colostrum, a fluid rich in antibodies that boost the baby’s immune system against disease. It contains protein and carbohydrates but no fat - this is in the milk that comes later. Nursing also helps a woman’s body return to normal after pregnancy by stimulating the uterus to contract.

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The preparation for breast-feeding starts with the beginning of the pregnancy. Breasts may swell and feel tender, which is often a better indication of early pregnancy than any swelling around the middle! They can gain as much as a pound during lactation. After a few months, the hormone prolactin will start to work. This hormone stimulates the breast to make milk and so around this time, women might noticed their breasts ‘leaking’ - this fluid is colostrum. During pregnancy, women do not need to do a lot of breast preparation, but it helps to wash the breasts with soap that won’t dry the nipples’ natural lubrication.

Babies can be nursed straight after birth, and are usually weaned at any age after six months as long as the mother wants to feed.

Problems with breast-feeding include too much or not enough milk, sore nipples, and blocked milk ducts. These are all fairy easily corrected. Most problems with breast-feeding can be fixed by gentle massaging of the breasts or a quick trip to the doctor.

Breast feeding for at least the first year is most recommended, but some mothers will keep breast feeding until the child weans itself. This may be from two to five or seven years and breast feeding for this long is not abnormal.

Some babies are fussy and will go of breast milk if the mothers health declines or if she has a diet of overly strong tasting foods, or eats foods with little nutrition.

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