Breast Feeding GP Brisbane Northside
Currently in Brisbane there are literally thousands of mothers to newborns. Many are first time mothers who are struggling with breastfeeding their babies. For these mothers they will need to have an extremely strong relationship with their local GP to help them through this extremely difficult time.
What is Breastfeeding?
Breastfeeding, as defined by World Health Organization (WHO), is a process of providing infants nutrients they need for healthy growth and development through milk provision from mothers’ breasts. A yellowish and sticky milk called colostrum is produced by the end of a mother’s pregnancy. This should be introduced to all newborns as early as the first hour after birth.
Paediatricians and obstetrician-gynaecologists strongly recommend exclusive breastfeeding for an infant’s first six months of existence and should be continued for another year. Breastmilk can be taken with other healthy solid foods such as vegetables, fruits, grains, and proteins.
What are the Benefits of Breastfeeding?
Breastmilk has a lot of benefits for infants and mothers alike. For babies, it is an important source of nutrition as it has a perfect combination of vitamins, protein, and fat which are essential to their growth. It also contains antibodies to fight off illnesses brought about viruses and bacteria. Breast fed babies also have lower risks of having asthma, allergies, respiratory illnesses and digestive problems. For mothers, breastfeeding allows them to burn extra calories during pregnancy. As a result, it allows them to lose weight faster. Women who breastfeed are also at lower risk of osteoporosis, breast cancer, and ovarian cancer.
Why Deciding to Breastfeed is Important?
American Academy of Paediatrics also recommends human milk to feed infants, regardless whether they are healthy or sickly. The milk from the mother is less likely to cause allergic reactions to the baby. The breastmilk also helps babies build their immunity and fight off infections.
However, there are some mothers that resort to formula feeding due to medical conditions or other reasons. While formulas are available as an alternative to human milk, they cannot entirely replace the benefits given by the milk coming from mothers.
The decision whether to breastfeed or not is a personal matter and usually draws strong opinion. While breastfeeding is encouraged and yields a lot of benefits, all babies and mothers are unique and the decision to push through with breastfeeding depends on the baby-mother dynamics.
Are there Techniques for Breastfeeding?
Learning the right techniques to breastfeed will reduce discomfort and complications for the mother. Below is a summary of what can breastfeeding mothers do to ease the process:
- Manually express a few drops of milk to make the nipple moist.
- Using the moistened nipple, massage the baby’s lips to encourage it to open its mouth.
- When the baby’s mouth is open, insert the nipple to the baby’s mouth while bringing the baby close to your breast.
- Change the position of the baby or the breast as necessary for the baby’s breathing.
- Hold the breast throughout the feeding so as not to tire the baby’s mouth.
- When feeding is over, do not pull the nipple from the baby right away. Break the suction first by inserting a finger into the corner of the baby’s mouth before removing the nipple.
At Ubuntu Medical we also do women’s health.
