Breast Feeding Protects Your Babies

Your breast milk changes as your baby grows – Colostrum changes into what is called mature milk. By the third to fifth day after birth, this mature breast milk has just the right amount of fat, sugar, water, and protein to help your baby continue to grow. It is a thinner type of milk than colostrum, but it provides all of the nutrients and antibodies your baby needs.

• Early breast milk is liquid gold – This is known as colostrum that is thick yellow in colour. That first breast milk that you make during pregnancy and just after baby birth. This milk is very rich in antibodies and nutrients to protect health and growth of your baby. Although your baby only gets a small amount of colostrum at each feeding, it matches the amount of his or her tiny stomach.

• Breast milk is easier to digest – For most babies, especially premature babies ,breast milk is easier to digest than formula. The proteins in formula are made from cow’s milk and it takes time for babies’ stomachs to adjust to digesting them.
• Breast milk fights disease – The cells, hormones, and antibodies in breast milk protect babies from illness. This protection is unique; formula cannot match the chemical makeup of human breast milk. In fact, among formula-fed babies, ear infections and diarrhoea are more common.
  Breast milk protects your baby from illness and infection and promotes brain development.
• It is very easily digested and changes daily to meet your baby’s nutritional needs. It also helps in other ways. Breastfeeding creates a close emotional bond between you and your baby. It improves your baby’s oral and facial development. And it lowers your risk of breast cancer and ovarian cancer later in life.By breastfeeding, you are doing something only you can do for your baby and giving baby the very best.

Breastfeeding is  very important during infancy and childhood because of its effect on growth and development. Many of the important ingredients in breast milk are not found in artificial baby milk.