Breast Milk

As you get closer to delivery you may be wondering about the benefits of breast milk for your baby Even during pregnancy your body is preparing to produce breast milk You may notice in the third trimester that youre leaking colostrum or early milk After your baby is born his her suckling at your breast signals your body to start producing nutrientrich milk Your babys cry actually signals your bodys letdownreflex This is why your breasts may leak when you hear a baby cry even if he she is not your own child Staring at or talking to your baby while you breastfeed can also signal your body to release more milk The letdownreflex is when your body releases milk When your letdownreflex kicks in you may feel tingling stinging burning or prickling in your breasts Though this sounds uncomfortable it usually only lasts for a few seconds Breast milk contains the perfect blend of fats proteins and carbohydrates for your baby It also contains important vitamins minerals and hormones that your baby needs for proper growth and development In addition human milk also contains antibodies that help your baby fight infection For example if you get a cold your baby will get the antibodies you produce When your baby is exposed to a cold his her immune system will be better prepared If you are breastfeeding you need to be taking in 2 700 calories a day This is an increase over what you should have been consuming during pregnancy You also need to be drinking at least eight glasses of fluid mostly water a day If you are having difficulty drinking enough water try to drink a glass every time you sit down to breastfeed your baby Additionally you need to make sure you are taking in enough calcium protein Vitamin A and Vitamin C While you are breastfeeding you do not need as much folic acid and iron as you did when you were pregnant though you will need more of these vitamins and minerals than before you were pregnant If you were taking a prenatal vitamin you should continue to take it until you wean your baby

Your body will produce the exact amount of breast milk that your baby needs If you are eating a wellbalanced diet your body is producing exactly what your baby needs nutritionally Babies that are breastfed develop faster are healthier and have higher IQs than formula fed babies In addition sucking on the breast will help your babys jaw develop appropriately and help his her teeth grow in straight The exact chemical composition of breast milk is unknown but it contains at least 100 additional ingredients not found in formula Experts know formula does not contain the same nutrients vitamins minerals antibodies or hormones No babies are allergic to their mothers milk though your baby may be allergic to something you ate In addition breast milk is more easily digested than formula

Formula requires a clean bottle with a clean nipple Formula is usually sold in a powdered form that you will have to mix with water and measure according to the directions included The water you use has to be warm or the formula itself has to be warmed before you give it to your baby Depending on your tap water you may have to use bottled not distilled water Additionally formula is extremely expensive If you can not produce milk have adopted your baby or have health complications that prevent you from breastfeeding there are human milk banks You will need a doctors prescription to receive donor milk Donor milk is safe all the donors are carefully screened for health risks Donor milk does tend to be expensive though your insurance company may help If you are serious about needing donor milk and cannot afford it contact milk banks and explain your situation.