Breastfeeding Basics

Breast milk is the best food for your baby, more so, in the first six months of his life. Studies have proved beyond doubt that babies, who have been breast fed for the first six months of their lives, stay healthier throughout their lives. It is very important that you feed the baby the first milk your breast produces, known as colostrum. This is rich in antibodies and other substances that protect the baby from infections and illnesses. Breast-feeding is extremely healthy for your baby as it prevents many health conditions like chest infections, ear infections and diarrhea. Protection for some diseases last long after you have stopped breast-feeding. Feeding the baby breast milk will provide the best protection against infections.

Even mothers benefit from breast-feeding their babies. The cases of breast cancer, ovarian cancer and osteoporosis, at a later stage in life are much less among women who have breast-fed their babies. A combination of breast milk and formula milk will decrease the risk of infection to a large extent. If you have a family history of diabetes, asthma, eczema etc., formula milk can increase the risk of such diseases in the baby. In case you decide to combine breast-feeding with bottle-feeding, bottle-feeding should be introduced only after the baby gets used to breast- feeding. This will ensure that you have sufficient supply of breast milk. If you are unsure about whether to breast-feed or bottle-feed, it is better to start breast-feeding. Once you start bottle-feeding, it is difficult to switch to breast-feeding.

Breastfeeding Information
As a mother, it is your duty to take best care of your child. For the first six months, when the child is completely dependent upon breast milk, the mothers develop an emotional bond with him/her. Breastfeeding is probably the most motherly thing to do, which brings the child and the mother close to each other.

Introducing Bottle To Baby
There is no doubt about the fact the breast-feeding is better than feeding the baby formula milk. Many mothers would like to bottle-feed their babies after sometime. Some babies, who have been breast-fed, may take to bottle-feeding as soon as it is introduced. Babies may prefer it; especially if they are having trouble having being breastfed.

Bottle Feeding Your Baby
Deciding to bottle-feed your breast-feeding baby is a conscious step taken by mothers, when they want to return to their original routines. Either they want some time off from their babies, or have to return to working. It is better to think carefully about bottle-feeding as many children learn to use a cup for drinking without even going through the bottle phase. Timing plays an important role in making your baby learn to bottle-feed.

Breastfeeding Positions
When you are a new mother, there are a number of things that you have to learn and teach your baby. One of them is breastfeeding. Mother�s milk is the only food for the newborn till the first few months. Therefore, it is important that your child learns the right breastfeeding technique as early as possible, so that he/she doesn�t feel hungry after being fed, as some infants do.

Breastfeeding Problems
Both mother and baby will have to learn to master the art of breast-feeding. This will take time and what works for one pair need not necessarily work for another pair. However, breastfeeding may also pose some problems for the mother. There are some common problems associated with breastfeeding that one out of every two mother faces.

How To Sterilize Baby Bottles
Everything that is used to feed that baby must be washed and sterilized thoroughly before and after use. Normal cleaning process doesn�t remove the bacteria from the milk, thereby, making the baby prone to infectious diseases. Sterilizing baby bottles is a must, if you want to ensure good health for your baby. The milk bottle is to be sterilized after it has been cleaned thoroughly.

Expressing Breast Milk
There are times when you may want to express breast milk. If your breast may be too full and hurts, it would be a good idea to express the milk and store it for later use. You may want to go out and would like the person taking care of your baby to feed him/her breast milk, instead of formula milk.