When to supplement breastfeeding?

(July 22, 2010)

Supplement Breastfeeding

Breastfeeding is a very important part of the developmental stages of a child. It not only strengthens the bond between mother and child, but is also the basic source of nutrition for the child, enabling an overall development and strengthening of the child’s body. There are times, however, when a mother may feel that she is unable to produce the required amounts of milk for her baby. Similarly, there are some mothers who feel that their child is not gaining enough nutrition from breast milk. It is primarily at these times that a woman would consider supplementing breastfeeding with the recommended formulae.

It is recommended that a mother should begin supplementing breast milk only after the child has completed three months, but mothers are advised to breastfeed their children as long as possible. Breast milk, being the main source of nutrition for the child, helps to develop the immune system, which in turn, protects the child from all minor illnesses. Besides this, nursing mothers are also advised to be careful of the foods they consume because these foods are the source for the production of milk in the body.

There are instances when new mothers feel that the milk they produce is inadequate and therefore add supplements to breast milk to make the meal more wholesome for the child. Mixing breast milk with a supplement is not of much help because there are times when the child will not consume the whole feed, leading to a waste of highly nutritious breast milk. Another common question that perplexes mothers is the amount of supplementary feed that should be administered to the child. Introducing supplementary diets with a bottle a week will give your baby a little time to adapt to the taste of the feed. As time goes by the frequency can be increased to two supplementary feeds and one breast feed per day. It is also advisable that the mother does not give her child the first few supplementary feeds. The reason behind this recommendation is that children can identify the smell of the mother and will expect a breast feed from her. Because of this notion, there are chances that your baby will not feed well on a supplementary diet. Getting your partner to help with this is a good way to help develop the bonding between your partner and your baby. A great deal of patience is the key to good supplementary feeding of your baby.

Submitted by P T on July 22, 2010 at 06:07