Introduction:
Breastfeeding is an essential requirement for the development of the child after childbirth. Planned breastfeeding includes the time between the first approaches of the child to the nipples to the period of weaning from breast milk. In general, well-planned breastfeeding is very important for both the health of the baby and the mother.
The infant in the early stages of development is completely dependent on breast milk for nutrition. This stage is very crucial for the proper development of all systems in the child’s body. To achieve this, the mother has to stay healthy. The mother’s poor eating habits have a direct effect on the health of the infant. The mother’s lifestyle and environment are very important in producing healthy milk. A bad or polluted environment will cause the mother to produce unhealthy milk that causes damage to the child’s health.
Wrong diets of the mother:
The breastfeeding mother needs to eat healthy and stay healthy. The mother must have very nutritious food. Spicy food, wine and other alcoholic beverages must be strictly prohibited. Having such alcohol or spice will make the mother produce less nutritious milk, which will severely affect the baby’s digestive system.
Thus, the correct feeding plan includes positive thinking and having a balanced, nutritious and timely diet on the part of the mother. It will be of great help in the production of milk of good quality and quantity.
Breastfeeding Plan for six months:
The mother’s hormones cause her to produce milk only two or three days after delivery. Until then, the child should be given light barley water or slightly sweetened diluted milk. The child should not be kept hungry. As the breast milk begins to come out, the child should be fed with a short but planned frequency.
Breast milk should not be supplemented with any other food. Similarly, there should be no other replacement for breast milk initially. Breast milk has antibodies that are the only protective force available to the child against various diseases present in the environment. The nutritional value of breast milk is also high and balanced according to the requirement of the child. Breast milk has vitamins that are essentially necessary for the proper development of the infant’s body. The amino acids present in breast milk help the child to accumulate proteins in the body for its development.
The moment of feeding the baby is very crucial. The mother is the ideal person to know when to feed since she will be able to judge by the child’s crying.
Digestive capacity of the infant:
The infant’s digestive system is very sensitive and fragile. The child will not be able to digest a variety of foods. The child at this time can only digest breast milk and nothing else. The capacity of the baby’s stomach that is small is easily filled. The digestion process begins immediately. Care must be taken that the child is not overfed.
The requirement for the baby is to feed with an interval of three to four hours. This gap is essential for the complete digestion of the previous milk. Such a regulated and scheduled feeding process will also help maintain a good bowel movement for the child. This practice will also reduce the child’s crying for milk.
Understand the child’s cry:
The mother may have difficulty interpreting the reason for the child’s crying. Many make the mistake of feeding the child every time the infant cries. This is a very bad practice, as the child will be overfed. In overfeeding, there is a chance that some previous milk indigestion in the stomach will cause irritation to the child. It will also lead to intestinal disorders. Therefore, maintaining proper feeding intervals and understanding the child’s crying is very important for the child’s health.
Feeding Guidelines:
As mentioned above, the mother initially has to feed the child at an interval of 3-4 hours. Feeding at night should be avoided. The regular feeding schedule should be maintained so that the last feeding is at 10 pm and the first feeding is at 5 am There should be no feeding in the middle of the night.
When the mother produces milk after the sixth month, feeding should be carried out only twice a day. In the meantime, additional commercially available baby food formulations will be adequately supplied.
Obstructive milk flow:
It is very common for young women to feel obstruction in the flow of milk due to cracked nipples. In such a case, appropriate medical care should be provided immediately without interrupting the feeding cycle. The accumulation of breast milk will make the milk rancid, which is very harmful for both the mother and the child.
Harmful effect of alcohol:
In one case study, a mother who was in the habit of having 2-3 servings of wine and occasional beer continued the practice even after giving birth. But surprisingly, the child and the mother remained healthy and milk was produced until the ninth month.
Then it was noticed that the child began to develop craving for milk (addiction) and both mother and child had tiredness throughout the day, inadequate sleep at night leading to a feeling of restlessness, frequent headaches, behavior negligent, increased thirst, irritation and dry skin. The doctor always recommends avoiding alcohol consumption during the feeding months.