Why is there so much emphasis on breastfeeding?

Breastfeeding, once mastered, offers the reassurance that the baby is getting optimum nutrition which is easily digested, will be less prone to allergies and there is an immune boosting effect. Breast milk is a wonderful, miraculous substance which adapts to meet your babies needs. There is the watery foremilk to quench baby’s thirst, followed by the rich and nutritious hind milk which is satisfying. If your baby seems to need feeding very frequently, perhaps you are not letting baby suck for long enough on each breast, so baby is not getting enough of the richer milk which takes longer to digest. It is small changes like this that can make feeding more manageable. That’s why there are breast feeding councillors in most hospitals, and you should take full advantage of them if possible. They are trained to spot the subtle tweaks that will help you and baby become proficient at this skill.

 

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