Benefits of Breast Feeding

#Breastfeeding #Paediatrics #Medical #Breastmilk
#Breastfeedinguses #Orthopaedics #pediatrics
#Breastfeedingbenefits #healthcare
#Breastfeeding and covid 19

#Breast milk is the best and powerful food or magic food for your little one. It is beneficial not only for the babies but for the feeding moms too and we all must know the benefits. 
Foremilk and hindmilk are just terms used to define the milk during a feed.
Babies need both foremilk (produced beginning of feed) and Hindmilk (later part of feed with little more fat). Complete emptying of one breast is ideal before switching the breasts to maintain balance of both these milks

For the baby
Breast milk is not just about food but it satisfies thirst, reduces pain, gives warmth, provides immunity and aids in sleep and most important gives the bonding with the mother
Even after stopping feeding, children will continue to reap the benefits when they grow by having better performance in the school and strong immunity
For the mother
Breast feeding can help lower a mother’s risk of high blood pressure, type 2 Diabetes, ovarian cancer, breast cancer

Expressing Breast milk and storing
You can express milk either by hand or use a breast pump (manual or electric)
Once the baby has drunk milk from a bottle, it should be used within one hour and anything left over should be thrown away
You can store Breast milk in a sterilised container or storage bags and keep in the fridge for up to a week at 4 degrees Celsius. If you are not sure about your fridge temperature then do not keep it for more than 2days. If you are freezing at -18degree Celsius then can use for up to 3-4months
Milk that is cooled in the fridge can be carried in a cool bag with ice packs for up to 24hrs.
Remember to label and date it first before storing in the fridge.

Defrosting frozen Breast milk
Place the storage bag in a vessel containing warm water. 
Once defrosted, shake it thoroughly, taste it and use it straight away. Do not refreeze after defrosting.
Never heat the breast milk

Covid 19 and Brest feeding
Transmission of active Covid 19 virus that can cause infection through breast milk has not been detected till date. Hence, feeding can be continued.
Even if a mother is confirmed to have Covid 19 infection, she can still breast feed with all Covid 19 precautions like hand washing, face mask etc

Breast feeding and Covid 19 vaccination to mothers
Mothers can get their vaccination as none of the currently approved vaccines have live virus that can pass through breast milk. In fact there is growing evidence that little amount of antibodies pass through breast milk which may help protect the babies against Covid 19 infection

Breast milk is safe, clean, contains antibodies which help protect against many common childhood illnesses, Breast milk gives all the energy and nutrients that the baby needs for the first 4-6months of life and it continues to provide up to half of the nutrition during later part of first year of life, up to 1/3rd of nutrition during the second year of life. Hence, Breast milk is the ideal food for the little ones and all of us should take part in helping mothers feed the babies.

Stay safe, Stay Healthy
Dr Madhavi Borra