Breastfeeding benefits for baby

The best food in the world for your baby is available direct from you at exactly the right temperature, without any special preparation. And as well as giving your baby the best start in life, breastfeeding is so easy and convenient - you can do it any time, any place, anywhere. There are no ingredients to measure out, you don't have to warm it up, there are no bottles to wash and sterilise after a feed, and it never runs out.

Breast milk is nutritionally superior to formula milk and because it's easily digested and absorbed, it's less likely to cause tummy upsets and constipation in babies.

Your milk is made just for your baby and adapts as he grows, to meet his appetite and energy requirements. It contains antibodies to help protect him against infection, and long-chain fatty acids to help his brain development. Breastfed babies are less likely to develop allergies such eczema and asthma, and are less likely to suffer from obesity in adulthood. Their nappies also smell less unpleasant than those of bottlefed babies!

Breastfeeding benefits for mum

For Mum, breastfeeding stimulates the uterus to contract back to its pre-pregnancy size, and helps you burn off stored fat reserves and burn up calories, so you can get back in shape. Studies also show that breastfeeding offers you protection against breast cancer and ovarian cancer, as well as osteoporosis - the brittle bone condition that many women suffer as they get older. The most convincing reason of all has to be that breastfeeding helps with the vital mum and baby bonding that lasts a lifetime.

Many mums give up breastfeeding their babies early on, for various reasons - they might have to return to work fairly soon after the birth, have a health problem that makes breastfeeding difficult, or feel that it's just not for them, and they'd rather bottlefeed. Don't feel guilty if breastfeeding doesn't work for you - not doing it certainly doesn't mean that you love your baby any less. However, if you're thinking about giving up breastfeeding because you find it uncomfortable or painful, this is a problem that can often be sorted out.

Doing it right

There's no doubt that there is a knack to breastfeeding and that it takes practice to get it right. Latching your baby on correctly is the key - you need to wait until her mouth opens as wide as a yawn and move her onto the breast. She needs to take a good mouthful so that when she feeds, her tongue massages the areola (the area immediately surrounding the nipple) and not the nipple itself. If it feels painful, then your baby isn't latched on properly - ease the tip of your little finger into the corner of her mouth to break the suction before taking her off the breast and trying again.

You'll know if she's feeding properly - her jaw will move rhythmically and you'll hear swallowing sounds. Let her feed for as long as she wants to, so she can take in as much of the calorie-rich hindmilk as she needs. If you take her off the breast too soon, she will only have taken the low-fat foremilk, which is designed to quench her thirst.

Tips for a comfortable feed

With a newborn, you could be feeding every couple of hours - her stomach is so tiny she can't take in a large quantity of milk. Make sure you're comfortable before you begin - support your back with a pillow and have a drink nearby, as breastfeeding can be thirsty work. It's also a good idea to lay your baby on a pillow across your lap, to raise her to the right height.

At The Baby Shows there is plenty of breastfeeding advice available from Midwives Online and the National Childbirth Trust, who have stands at all of our show locations.

Healthy diet while breastfeeding baby

A healthy diet boosts the quality of breast milk

Breastfeeding should fuel your motivation to follow the healthy diet you had during pregnancy. Concentrate on eating:

• wholegrains and cereals
  
• fresh fruit and vegetables
  
• foods providing plenty of protein (lean red meat, poultry, fish and dairy products, lentils, peas and beans)
  
• calcium (milk and dairy products, canned fish if you eat the bones)
  
• iron (lean red meat, green leafy vegetables, eggs, fortified breakfast cereals).
  

Nutritious snacks such as:

• yogurt
  
• low-fat milk fruit shakes
  
• sandwiches made from wholemeal bread filled with leafy greens and canned salmon, tuna, cheese or hummous
  
• a jacket potato with baked beans, or
  
• fruit
  

can all help to boost your energy levels. And drink plenty of fluids to help maintain your milk supply - as much as eight to 12 glasses of water a day is about right to help your body to produce the breast milk you need to feed your baby.

Mothers who are more likely to breastfeed

 
Who's more likely to breastfeed?

 
Breastfeeding has increased in the UK since 1990, though certain groups of mothers are more likely to breastfeed their babies than others. UK national statistics make interesting reading:

Mothers of first babies
74% of first-time mothers breastfed their babies compared to 65% of mothers of second or later babies.
Older mothers
78% of mothers aged 30 or over breastfed their babies compared with 46% of teenage mothers.
Mothers working in higher occupations
85% of British mothers in higher occupations breastfed initially compared with 73% of mothers in intermediate and 59% in lower occupations, with the lowest rate among mothers who had never worked - just 52%.
Mothers who'd stayed in full-time education for longer
54% of mothers who left full-time education before the age of 16 breastfed compared with 88% of mothers educated to age 19 or beyond.
Mothers from ethnic minority groups
95% of black mothers and 87% of mothers from an Asian background started breastfeeding compared with 67% of white mothers.

 
Why some mothers give up breastfeeding baby

Why some mums give up while others carry on breastfeeding
Watching a baby suckle at a mother's breast seems like the most natural sight in the world. Yet, for many new mums, breastfeeding isn't as easy as it appears.

Although more than two-thirds of all British mothers initially breastfeed, UK national statistics show that one-fifth of mums (21%) give up within the first two weeks and over one-third (36%) within the first six weeks of breastfeeding. The proportion of all British mothers breastfeeding at two weeks is 52%, dropping to just 13% at nine months.

Nine in ten mothers (90%) who give up breastfeeding within six weeks of the birth say they would have liked to have continued breastfeeding for longer. The most common reasons given by these mothers for having given up breastfeeding were the baby rejecting the breast, sore nipples or insufficient breast milk.

If you're having problems with breastfeeding, it may mean you need more help and support. Before you make a decision to give up, ask your midwife, health visitor or a breastfeeding counsellor to sit with you while you go through your feeding routine. Many women get help from other breastfeeding mothers, so take time to find out about your local baby groups before your baby is born.

If you do decide to mix-feed or bottlefeed, don't feel that you've failed. The important thing is to give breastfeeding your best shot, and ensure you've had all the help and advice you need. The National Childbirth Trust has a presence at all of The Baby Shows, so take time out to speak to its experts.

Dad has a vital role to play in breastfeeding baby - and his support is much needed.

 
Most paediatricians currently think you should try breastfeeding your baby for at least a year - and studies have shown that the more supportive Dad is, the more confident you'll feel about breastfeeding and the longer you'll do it.

Pay attention, Dads! There's no need for you to feel left out during breastfeeding just because you can't do it. It may be natural for some dads to worry that they're not bonding with their baby simply because nothing they do can ever compete with what Mum can offer, but you need to view it objectively - don't ever think your baby has come between you and your partner.

There are all sorts of ways you can bond with your baby. He'll love being held close - and skin-to-skin contact is the best kind. Get involved in caring for him - change nappies, bath him, give him a bottle of expressed breast milk or formula when you get in from work or overnight, to give Mum a break. (Wait a few weeks, until breastfeeding is established, before introducing a bottle.) Spend plenty of time just being with your new baby - take him for walks in his pushchair or sling and go shopping or do whatever you can think of to be together with your baby. All of this will help you feel more confident about fatherhood.

And above all, be supportive and thoughtful towards your wife or partner - she's working harder than ever to take care of your baby, so lend a hand with the chores whenever you can.