Deciding To Breastfeed Your Baby

Breast milk is the perfect food for infants and gives babies all they need for healthy growth and development. Deciding to breastfeed your baby is one of the most positive steps you can take towards ensuring that your baby is naturally healthy. Breastfeeding within the first hour of birth will ensure that the baby gets colostrum, the first breast milk that contains concentrated antibodies and nutrients. Colostrum is perfect for a brand new digestive system and babies can absorb all the ingredients designed to protect and nourish them. The first feed also begins the process of attachment or bonding between mother and baby, and starts the mother's milk production process so that successful long term breastfeeding is more likely. Exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months is the recommended way to feed your baby. After six months other foods are added to baby's diet, however breast milk remains the ideal milk drink up to two years and beyond.

The many benefits of breastfeeding include
- Breast milk is the original fast food - Breast feeding provides special time and opportunity for you to bond with and get to know your baby - Breast milk is easily digested, breast fed babies are less likely to suffer from constipation, diarrhoea or nappy rash - Breast milk is always fresh and delivered at the right temperature - Breast milk is free and readily available - The antibodies in breast milk help fight infections like colds, chickenpox and measles - Breast milk protects against some conditions triggered by allergy like eczema and asthma - Breast milk can protect your baby against some infections like gastroenteritis (tummy bug), middle ear infections and some respiratory conditions - There are health benefits for mothers too, research shows that women who breast feed are less likely to develop ovarian cancer

Tips for successful Breastfeeding
- If breastfeeding hurts, seek further advice and support - Feed your baby when its ready - not to a timetable - Learn to recognise baby's feeding cues - a crying baby is often too upset to feed well - The more milk a baby takes the more your breasts will make - Eat three healthy meals plus snacks each day; drink when thirsty - Try to rest and relax as much as possible - Accept offers of help from family, friends, neighbours - they may offer to cook you a meal, do the shopping, look after older children, help with the housework/laundry
Breastfeeding is a skill that requires learning for both mother and baby. While most women find it easy and natural for their babies to breastfeed, other mothers and babies need extra assistance. With good support almost all women can breastfeed their babies successfully.

World Breastfeeding Week
World breastfeeding week occurs annually from August 1- 7. The World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action (WABA) is a global network and is responsible for instigating breastfeeding weeks dedicated to celebrating, supporting and promoting breastfeeding. The theme for the World Breastfeeding Week this year is "Breastfeeding - the first hour". This theme recognises the importance of the initiation of breast feeding as close to birth as possible. This is a truly international theme and it promotes the fact that breastfeeding within the first hour of life could save the lives of up to one million infants across the world.