Irreplaceable liquid gold: breast milk

Author: Li Yanjun Xinhua Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine

Reviewer: Qian Jihong, Chief Physician, Xinhua Hospital, Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine

Illustration: Cai Wanru

Babies are the apple of their parents' eyes, and all parents want to give the best to their babies. After the baby is born, the first question that bothers parents is: what to feed the baby? Is formula milk with added nutrients more nutritious than breast milk?

wrong!!!

Dear mothers, please do not doubt that breast milk is the most ideal food for babies! Exclusive breastfeeding can meet all the liquid, energy and nutrients that babies need within 6 months of age. The World Health Organization recommends that exclusive breastfeeding should be maintained for 6 months.

Q1.What are the benefits of breastfeeding?

1. Breast milk is beneficial to the establishment of a healthy intestinal microecological environment and the maturation of intestinal function in babies, reducing the risk of infectious diseases and allergies.

2. Breastfeeding can create an environment for emotional communication between mother and child, giving the baby the greatest sense of security, which is beneficial to the baby's psychological behavior and emotional development.

3. It helps mothers regain weight after childbirth and reduces the risk of breast cancer, ovarian cancer and type 2 diabetes.

4. Economical, safe and convenient.

Q2.How to breastfeed?

1. After the baby is delivered, the umbilical cord is cut and the amniotic fluid is dried, the baby can have skin contact with the mother and begin to suck on both nipples for 3 to 5 minutes each, and can suck out several milliliters of colostrum.

2. Don’t worry about your baby going hungry during the breastfeeding process. As long as the weight loss is ≤7%, you should continue to exclusively breastfeed.

3. There is no need to wipe or disinfect the nipples excessively before feeding.

4. It is recommended that mothers sit and feed the baby, feeding the baby alternately on both breasts, and then sucking the other side after one side is completely sucked out. If the milk supply on one breast can meet the baby's needs, the milk on the other side should be sucked out with a breast pump. Each nipple should be sucked every 2 to 3 hours.

5. Remember to burp your baby after feeding!

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Q3. How to determine whether milk secretion is sufficient?

1. The baby can get 8 to 12 relatively satisfying breastfeedings a day. During feeding, the baby can be seen sucking rhythmically and can hear obvious swallowing sounds.

2. You can also judge based on the amount of urine and feces. Generally speaking, if the baby can wet 5 or 6 diapers a day, it means the baby is full.

3. In addition, you can monitor your baby's growth and development regularly. As long as the baby's growth and development indicators are normal, it means that his diet is sufficient.

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Q4.How long can breast milk be stored after being expressed?

The best way to feed a baby is to suck breast milk directly, but this cannot be achieved in certain circumstances (such as critically premature babies, mothers at work, etc.). In this case, the mother needs to use a breast pump to regularly express the breast milk and store it in the refrigerator or ice box for future use.

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[Tips]

1. When storing breast milk, whether at room temperature, refrigerated or frozen, you must use disposable milk storage bags or milk storage bottles, or use strictly sterilized milk storage bottles. Do not use glass bottles to prevent freezing and cracking. When storing breast milk, you must record the time of milk collection in detail.

2. Frozen breast milk should be thawed in the refrigerator before use. It should not be kept in the refrigerator for more than 24 hours. Thawed breast milk should not be frozen again.

3. Before using the stored breast milk, heat the milk storage bag or bottle in warm water and then pour it into the feeding bottle. For premature babies, add breast milk additives when pouring the stored breast milk into the feeding bottle, mix and dissolve it before feeding the baby.

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Q5. Feed on demand or regularly?

It is too difficult to ask a newborn baby to eat on time!

Breastfeeding should progress from an on-demand feeding mode to a regular feeding mode, especially for babies under 3 months old. The time and frequency of feeding should not be forced. When the baby cries due to hunger, he should be fed in time. The number of feedings a day is generally more than 8 times.

In fact, babies basically establish their own eating patterns 2 to 4 weeks after birth, and careful parents should be able to clearly notice the pattern.

Q6. Breast milk is rich in nutrients, what else does the baby need to supplement?

Although breast milk is rich in nutrients, it is low in vitamin D and vitamin K and should be supplemented regularly.

Newborns should start supplementing with 3400IU of vitamin D daily about 2 weeks after birth. The drops can be dropped into the baby's mouth in a certain amount before breastfeeding, and then breastfeeding can be continued.

After birth, 11 mg of vitamin K should be injected intramuscularly.

Babies who are exclusively breastfed do not need additional calcium supplements!

Q7. In what situations is breastfeeding not suitable?

The following situations are likely not suitable for breastfeeding or conventional breastfeeding methods. Please consult a physician or nutritionist for specific medical conditions, breastfeeding contraindications and applicable feeding plans.

a. The baby is sick.

b. The mother is ill.

c. The mother takes drugs and chemicals for various reasons.

d. After professional guidance and various efforts, milk secretion is still insufficient.