Breastfeeding Benefits
- Infant health: Breastfeeding protects children from a vast range of illnesses, including infection, diabetes, asthma, heart disease, and obesity, as well as cot death (sudden infant death syndrome).
- Maternal health: Breastfeeding also protects mothers from breast and ovarian cancers and heart disease.
- Relationship-building: Breastfeeding supports the mother-baby relationship and the mental health of both baby and mother.
For children reduces the risk of
- Obesity
- Sudden Infant Death Syndrome
- Raised cholesterol levels
- Childhood leukaemia’s
- Type 1 and 2 diabetes
- Urinary tract infections
- Necrotising enterocolitis & late onset sepsis in preterm babies
- Gastro-intestinal infections
- Ear infections
- Respiratory infections
For parents reduces the risk of.
- Breast cancer
- Ovarian cancer
- Osteoporosis
- Postnatal depression
- Hip fractures and reduced bone density
- Maternal type 2 diabetes
Department of Health guidance says that breastfeeding is the healthiest way to feed your baby. Exclusive breastfeeding is recommended for the first 6 months of your baby’s life.
Breast milk:
- Is always available at the right temperature and is sterile
- Can be used to comfort your baby and relieve pain
- Is free
- has no carbon footprint
- Tailor made for babies Is the most natural food for babies
Colostrum:
- Concentrated milk is produced in the first few days, tailored to baby in small amounts.
- Gives your baby immunity. It is protective and coats the intestines/gut to force germs out so they cannot be absorbed into your baby’s system. This barrier seals your baby’s gut, preparing your baby for a healthy life.
- Kills harmful microorganisms and provides protection from inflammation.
- Is a laxative and will help clear your baby’s system of meconium and therefore help to reduce jaundice.
- Milk production increases after the first few days.
- Your baby’s stomach capacity is quite small, and breastmilk is easily digested, meaning that your baby will probably feed frequently in the early weeks of breastfeeding.
Hormonal Influence:
There are three key factors that work together in breastfeeding:
Prolactin
- Following delivery, your levels of pregnancy hormones decline. This causes levels of the milk producing hormone, prolactin, to rise.
- Prolactin levels peak every time your baby sucks or nuzzles at the breast.
- Lots of peaks in prolactin levels in the early days “switch on” milk producing cells
- Overnight, your prolactin levels – the hormone designed to support milk production – are at their highest. So, when your baby feeds frequently at night, the message to your body to boost milk supply is even stronger.
Oxytocin
- Oxytocin is also known as the love hormone – it helps you to fall in love with your baby and want to hold, stroke and protect them.
- It causes the lobes in the breasts to contract, letting down the milk to the baby (the let down).
- It can be delayed by stress – this can be overcome by relaxed, skin-to-skin time at the breast.
- Additionally, oxytocin increases circulation to the breast, helping to release stored nutrients into the milk, and warm baby.
Feedback Inhibitor of Lactation (FIL)
- This is a protein within the milk that alerts the milk producing cells to stop producing milk.
- It helps control and regulate the supply.
- As milk is removed, levels of FIL fall.
- Milk removal drives milk production.
