Breastfeeding has health benefits for both infants and mothers. Breastfeeding can also help protect the infant and mother from infections and diseases.
You should nurse exclusively until around six months, when you can introduce solid foods and water. Around this period, newborns require additional nutrition for growth and development.
What is Exclusive Breast Feeding?
Exclusive breastfeeding is feeding a newborn only breast milk, with no other food or drink, such as water, formula milk, or other liquids or solids.
This means that the infant gets all of its nutrients and water from breast milk for the first six months of life, as recommended by leading health organizations, including the World Health Organization (WHO) and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).
Source: FirstCry Parenting
Initially, your infant requires only modest amounts of solid food and water. You can adjust the amount as your baby grows according to their appetite. However, breastfeeding will remain your baby’s primary source of nutrition until they are at least 12 months old.
This means that after six months, breastfeeding can continue in conjunction with introducing complementary foods. Breast milk continues to provide vital nourishment and immune protection. Hence, the WHO encourages nursing until two years of age or older.
Exclusive breastfeeding provides various benefits to both newborns and mothers, including:
- Breast milk contains the ideal combination of nutrients for the baby’s needs, enabling healthy growth and development.
- Immune Protection
- Bonding and Emotional Connection
- Exclusive breastfeeding is convenient for moms because breast milk is always accessible at the appropriate temperature and does not require preparation or sterilization.
- Breastfeeding is less expensive than formula feeding because it does not require the purchase of formula milk, bottles, or feeding equipment.
Risks of not exclusively breastfeeding:
You are aware of the numerous benefits of breastfeeding. However, you may be unaware of the need to breastfeed exclusively for at least six months.
Breastmilk provides the finest protection for your baby’s health. While breastfeeding can be beneficial in certain situations, it is optimal to breastfeed all the time.
Here are some of the possible risks:
- Infants who are not exclusively breastfed are more likely to acquire infections, including gastrointestinal (diarrhoea and vomiting) and respiratory (pneumonia and bronchiolitis). Breast milk contains antibodies and immunological components that defend against various infections, lowering their frequency and severity.
- Nutritional Deficiencies: While formula milk is intended to provide sustenance for infants, it may not have the same specific composition as breast milk. Infants not exclusively breastfed may miss out on essential nutrients and immunological components in breast milk, leading to nutritional deficits and reduced immune function.
- Research suggests that infants who are not exclusively breastfed are more likely to acquire allergies, asthma, obesity, type 1 diabetes, and other chronic problems later in life. Breast milk includes bioactive chemicals that assist in regulating immunological function and metabolism, lowering the risk of certain illnesses.
- Reduced Bonding and Emotional Connection: Breastfeeding strengthens the emotional tie between mother and baby, fostering intimacy, security, and comfort. Infants not breastfed may miss out on this crucial bonding process, affecting their emotional development and relationship with their mothers.
Are there any occasions in which you should not breastfeed exclusively?
Yes, breastfeeding exclusively is almost usually recommended. However, your healthcare practitioner may recommend giving your baby formula or other liquids. For example, if your infant has low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) or is dehydrated.
You have or have had specific health issues. There are a few reasons why you should not breastfeed your infant. Some infections can spread through breastfeeding. Women who are taking certain medications, using drugs, or drinking alcohol should also refrain from breastfeeding.
