Introduction
Early postpartum education on breastfeeding helps the mother prepare herself in advance. The mother is taught about various feeding methods, including pumping breast milk, formulated milk, direct breastfeeding, and combined methods. Every parent has the right to choose their feeding method for the child. Every born child has the right to receive the right amount of nutrients required for its growth and development.
What Is the Importance of Breastfeeding Immediately After Delivering the Baby?
The act of breastfeeding the baby immediately after childbirth is of utmost importance. As soon as the baby is born, the child is assisted to the mother's breast, and the child sucks the breast milk on its own. This is considered to be a healthy practice to start the breastfeeding journey.
Keeping the baby close to the mother's breast helps in creating skin-to-skin contact. The first breast milk is rich in nutrients and is called colostrum.
While the baby develops the sucking mechanism, it also helps to expel the remaining placenta from the vagina. Breastfeeding habits also help to develop a bond between the mother and the baby. The child is allowed to rest on the mother's belly for about an hour until the child develops an innate stimulus to suck the mother's milk. The child uses the sense of smell to identify the nipple and starts sucking its fingers before finding the mother's breast. It is advised to avoid any other food substrate to feed the baby other than the mother's milk for at least the first six months.
How Is the Role of Father Significant During Breastfeeding?
The role of breastfeeding is not the mother's sole responsibility but is an equally shared responsibility of the parent. Sometimes breastfeeding can be extremely difficult for mothers, and they can get physically and mentally exhausted. The role of husbands during such occasions is valued. The fathers can assist the mothers by motivating them during times of confusion. The father can care for the baby after breastfeeding, like helping the child to burp and sleep. The men can pamper their wives who are in their transition phase and are highly susceptible to developing postpartum depression. A gentle massage on their necks and shoulders will be a gesture of care and support for them in this lactation journey. The fathers can also learn a new skill of infant care. This helps to develop a bond between the father and child as the baby starts recognizing the father's voice and touch. The child feels protected under the combined family bond of the father and mother.
What Are the Advantages of Early Postpartum Lactation Support?
Early lactation education helps mothers prepare for the coming responsibility of lactating the child. Some of the benefits are:
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Helps the mother to understand what normal breastfeeding is.
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Educates the mother about gaining weight at different stages.
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The mothers learn about how often they should feed their babies.
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Helps the mother to adapt to new skills and identify various reflexes during breastfeeding.
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Prevents any accidents that are more likely to occur while nipples are obstructed in the nose during sleeping and ultimately choking the baby to death.
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Advises the mothers on the regular weighing of the baby and vaccination visits.
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Helps in assisting the mothers with various nursing positions and techniques.
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The mother can join various breastfeeding support groups where other women share their experiences. This helps to build more confidence with a strong community of like-minded people. Such groups are a therapy in themselves and create a proud moment for every mother.
What Are the Benefits of Breastfeeding a Child?
Breastfeeding the baby is a natural stimulus developed in women. Various health benefits are associated with lactation. They are:
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This helps to reduce the risk of developing postpartum depression.
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It helps to prevent the chances of getting type-2 diabetes in mothers as they are more prone to getting gestational diabetes during pregnancy.
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Studies have shown that breastfeeding mothers have fewer chances of developing ovarian and breast cancers.
What Measures Can Be Taken Before Delivery to Assist Postpartum Journey?
The process of breastfeeding is different for every woman. Each woman goes through a different experience. There are certain steps that a mother can undertake before the child arrives, such as:
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Find the proper support from one or more individuals who can help in this journey. These people should be supportive and encouraging. It could be a partner, family member, or friend.
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A lactation counselor or an experienced person should be approached to understand nursing care better.
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The common breastfeeding issues should be addressed initially, like lack of milk supply, trouble latching the baby, and experiencing pain while breastfeeding.
When Can a Mother Start Breast Pumping Her Milk?
A mother should avoid pumping her breast milk before the child is born. Early pumping of breast milk can induce uterine contractions and result in preterm labor. As soon as the baby develops the correct latching of breasts and starts breastfeeding, it reduces the chances of developing breast pain. During pregnancy, the body prepares itself for breast milk production. On average, the woman develops one to two pounds of extra breast tissue to produce milk. All these preparations are a result of hormones.
These hormones also signal the body when to stop milk production. The production of milk begins after three to six days of childbirth and increases in production due to supply and demand hyperfunction. The more milk stimulation is done, the more milk is produced by the body. After the delivery, the mother can adopt various mechanisms to stimulate milk production by pumping in between feeding or pumping the breast milk after feeding.
Conclusion
There are benefits associated with breastfeeding for both mother and child. Breastfeeding the child for at least the first six months post-delivery is advised. Breast milk adjusts over time with the changing needs of the baby. Early education on the importance of breastfeeding their child helps the mothers go through a manual before laying their hands on infant care. Such assistance benefits the mothers and helps achieve the child's proper growth.
