Breastfeeding & Love: How they are the same?

With the World Breastfeeding Week (1st Aug-7th Aug) towards its wrap for the year 2018, Turacoz Healthcare Solutions brings to you a beautiful story we received from one of the amazing mothers. The narrative is as expressed by her:

I became mother for the first time. It is a feeling I cannot explain. Being a mother is what completes a woman and my baby gave me that feeling of completeness.

3rd April 2018, the day my baby boy was born, is the happiest day of my life. I have been waiting to meet him for so long. During my pregnancy, I took care of everything and learned about the most important aspect of being a mother, Breastfeeding.

After Ansh (my boy) was born, I breastfed him. He is 4 months old now and I make sure to exclusively breastfeed him. I am aware of all the benefits of breastfeeding and want to deliver the best to my baby.

At first, I struggled a lot with it, as my nipples would hurt a lot when he latched onto them, but slowly it began to settle. Never once in mind, this thought of giving up breastfeeding occurred to me. I knew this is the best thing I can give to my baby as his mother.
I had sore nipples and cracks on them in the beginning and I was worried all the time whether he is receiving enough milk or not. But doctors told me that I would settle down with time and so will the baby. I decided to forget about the pain and discomfort and focus on feeding my baby, which he needed the most. Despite the discomfort, I fed him for 30 minutes every 2-3 hours in a day.

Today my baby is all healthy and naughty. The expressions on his face while he is being breastfed are so satisfying to me that I will go to any extent of pain or discomfort to make him happy.

This is my request to all mothers who hesitate in breastfeeding their baby, that, you should not keep your baby away from this wonderful gift. It not only gives your baby the strength and nutrients he needs but also is beneficial for you and completes you as a mother.

This is so right!

Breastfeeding is important for both babies and mothers. Here is why:

For babies:

• It provides the best nutrition to the babies: this is what they need at least for the first 6 months of their life. Ideally, breastfeeding is recommended for a year, meanwhile, your baby can try different foods.
• Breast milk is the source of essential antibodies: it gives babies the immunity to fight against bacteria & viruses. Colostrum, the first milk of a mother is very important for the baby and helps the most to build up the immune system. It contains immunoglobulin A, which enhances the immunity.
• Breast milk helps in minimizing the risk of diseases: if a baby is exclusively breastfed, the chances of him/her being ill gets low. It gives the baby the strength he/she requires to stay healthy.
• It reduces the risk of obesity: if you are exclusively breastfeeding the baby, it helps in reducing the risk of childhood obesity and helps in gaining weight healthily.

For mothers:

• Breastfeeding can help you reduce weight: every mother puts on weight during pregnancy. Many studies have proven that breastfeeding helps you shed the extra weight off your body. For the initial 3 months, mothers who breastfeed may lose weight as compared to the mothers who don’t breastfeed.
• Breastfeeding stimulates the contraction of the uterus: during pregnancy, the uterus expands a lot and post-delivery it goes through a process known as involution, which assists in returning the uterus to its normal size. It happens due to a hormone Oxytocin released during the pregnancy. The mothers who breastfeed have faster uterus contraction.
• Breastfeeding lowers the risk of post-partum depression: many mothers suffer from post-partum depression which occurs shortly after delivery. Mothers who breastfeed have a lower risk of suffering from this condition.
• Breastfeeding prevents you against diseases: breastfeeding can save you against deadly disease like breast & ovarian cancer.
• Breastfeeding helps restrict menstruation: it provides a halt to ovulation process for some time thus preventing you from menstruating. This acts as a natural birth control.

Breastfeeding is nothing but the love you can give to your baby. Don’t hesitate or restrict yourself from loving your baby. The other name for breastfeeding is surely LOVE.

Turacoz Healthcare Solutions (a medical communication company) support and encourages exclusive breastfeeding to newborns in their first six months.