BREAST FEEDING AND WEANING - HOME REMEDIES

BREAST FEEDING AND WEANING - HOME REMEDIES

Breast feeding is an art and a skill and is far more superior to artificial bottle feeding or feeding the baby with baby foods. The babies should be put on breast milk only. They should be breast fed for a period of at least six months and then for the next six months other food items can be included in the babies  diet along with breast-feeding. Babies should be put on breast milk within an hour after its birth. A newborn must get the meuconium the thick,  yellowish breast milk,  rich in vitamins, especially vitamins A and K and is also rich in many antibodies and other factors that protect the child against life-threatening infections. Though the meuconium is secreted in a small amount in the first few days after birth, it is enough to meet all the needs of the newborn.

Keep your baby close to you immediately after birth. This tends to improve and increase the closeness between the mother and the child. Assuming the right position during breast-feeding is of utmost importance. The baby should be facing the breast directly, with its tummy touching the mother's .

Do not force in anything. Artificial feeding or bottle-feeding are better avoided since the chances of spreading the  infection are more, thus leading to some serious illness.

From  sixth month  onwards, continue the breast-feeding but add the following foods as advised:

Start boiled and cooled water with a small glass. No need to use bottle at any age.

The best substitute for mother‟s milk and the best supplementary food is fresh fruit juice, especially grape and orange juice. Fruit juice and breast milk should be given at different times.

Never give  the baby  artificial baby food as  it is dead food and  is best avoided.

A quarter banana or stewed apple can be mashed and given to the baby and increase the quantity  by a quarter every succeeding week. Other seasonal fruits like pears (boiled), papaya, mango, chickoo, etc. can also be given.

Porridge can be added to the baby‟s diet after a week of starting the fruits.

Home made suji kheer (rava kheer); thin sheera with ghee; dalia from broken wheat or ragi (nachni); soaked bread in milk or mashed boiled rice with milk should be preferred to readymade cereals.

A highly nutritious recipe can be made by roasting, grinding and mixing equal parts of rice, wheat, ragi and moong dal. The mixed powder is stored in an airtight container. This readymade powder can be used for making thin kheer with milk and sugar or thin sheera with ghee and sugar (or salt). One to two teaspoonfuls are given twice a day after a breast-feed, in the morning and evening. Keep increasing the amount every third or fourth day as required by the baby.

Soft-boiled egg can be added a week later for those who eat eggs. Start with a teaspoonful of the yellow portion and slowly increase the amount by teaspoonful increments adding the white of eggs so that the baby may use the whole egg in about four weeks from the commencement.

Add mashed and well-cooked vegetables (dark green leafy vegetables, carrots and pumpkin are preferable items) a week later. Begin with two to four teaspoonfuls and increase progressively.

Then after another week or two, add mashed and well cooked khichri or rice and dal. Begin this with two to four teaspoonfuls and then increase the quantity accepted by the baby.

After one year, mother's milk can be continued and cow‟s or buffalo's milk, though not essential, can be given from a glass two times daily.

Gradually let the child get used to the adult food made at home. Children who do not eat enough at a time should be offered food and fruits every two to three hours, but do not force.


ADVANTAGES OF BREAST FEEDING 

A baby needs the feeling of warmth, closeness and security of the mother's body, and this is available through the act of breast-feeding.

Breast-fed babies have a better immunity than bottle fed babies and are thus less susceptible to infections of any kind. This is because mother's milk directly supplies the antibodies necessary to fight the infections.

Breast milk is digested and assimilated better than cow's milk. Breast fed babies thus have much lesser frequency of digestive disorders and nutritional deficiencies.

Breast-fed babies don't get constipated like the babies who are usually put on cow's milk.

Breast-feeding prevents anemia in a growing baby  since it contains a good amount of iron, which is almost totally lacking in cow's milk.

Breast-fed babies are less likely to develop allergies later in life, which are common in bottle-fed babies.

Studies have shown that breast-feeding can help reduce the possibility of breast cancer in the mother with a family history of cancer.


HOME REMEDIES TO IMPROVE THE FLOW OF MILK 

The usual causes of decreased milk secretion are stress, emotional disturbances, worries, lack of sleep, etc. The following are some of the home remedies that help to promote the secretion of milk from the mammary glands in a nursing mother:

Alfalfa – Alfalfa is taken as sprouts or in tea or the juice of fresh leaves of alfalfa is taken with carrot juice, half cup daily in the morning.

Almonds– Eating four almonds in the morning that have been soaked overnight helps to improve trhe flow.

Amaranth (chaulai)– Mix amaranth (chaulai), black gram dal (urad dal) and parsley, 25 gms each, soak them in water for a couple of hours and grind the mixture into a paste. Have one tablespoonful of this paste daily to increase the flow.

Aniseed – Aniseed, also known as velaiti saunf or anisi is taken on an empty stomach. Soak 10 gms of anisi in a glass of water overnight. Have this water along with the seeds the next morning.

Bitter gourd (karela)–  Prepare a paste from leaves of bitter gourd (karela) and apply it over the breasts overnight,or,if possible, throughout the day. Use fresh leaves every day.

Brewer‟s yeast– This is an excellent milk-producing food and is also a rich source of high-quality protein.

Cottage cheese (paneer)– Cottage cheese, especially the homemade ones, and fresh milk is also a rich source of protein and calcium. This enhances the production of high quality breast milk.

Dill leaves (sowa bhaji) / Dill seeds (anethum sowa)– A handful of leaves or seeds are boiled in two cups of barley (jau) water and drunk daily.

Long pepper (lindi peepar)–  Hot milk with half teaspoonful of both powdered long pepper (pipli) and powdered black pepper is given at bedtime.

Muskmelon (kharbooja / shakkar teti)– Have half a muskmelon daily with lunch.

Papaya– Eat half raw papaya daily with breakfast.

Potato– Whole potatoes, baked or roasted in their skins should be included in the daily diet.

Sesame seeds (til) – These are a potential source of calcium, thus useful for lactation.

Eat plenty of whole grain cereals, fruits and fruit juices (especially apple and grape juice), dark leafy vegetables like turnip, dandelion and collard greens,  endive, watercress (jalkumb), Brussel sprouts, broccoli and carrots, all these are useful when taken by the nursing mother.