Most breastfeeding mothers become worried when they are ill or infected. They are afraid to breastfeed their babies because they fear that the babies will also become infected. But this is a wrong notion because it is found that a mother’s illness generally does not affect her breastfeeding baby. On the contrary, it actually protects the baby from infection! The process of infection was going on for many days before the symptoms became obvious. The baby was breast feeding then. Hence, why stop now. It will not affect the baby much. May be, the mother got the infection from her baby! But due to breastfeeding the symptoms are not showing. The mother can continue to breast feed the baby even if she has painful abscess on the breast. It will, in fact, speed up her recovery.
If the mother can breastfeed the baby when she is ill, why can’t she do it while taking medicines? Of course, she can do so because only a very little quantity of the medicine reaches the milk. If some reactions occur, which is very rare, anti-dots are available.
Breastfeeding is the best possible protection a baby can get against any diseases.
Hence, continue to breast feed it when it is ill, even when it is affected by vomiting or diarrhea. It comforts both the baby and the mother. Pediatricians consider breast milk as the best medicine and oral re-hydrating fluid a baby can get. Hence, when a child is suffering from loose motions, feed it breast milk and forget about expensive re-hydrating fluids.
Above all, parents should firmly understand that breast milk is very unique as a baby food, and it has no substitute. No other baby food can equal the nutritional contents of breast milk, which is specially created by nature for the specific needs of a baby. Other formula baby foods contains overdose of fats, proteins, cadmium, iron and other properties to stimulate the growth of the baby, but it will create health problems in the long run. Breast milk has natural properties such as enzymes, hormones, living cells and antibodies, as well as vitamins and minerals. These properties ensure natural and healthy growth of the baby, both physically and mentally.
Posted on January 29th, 2008 by admin
Filed under: Baby, Breastfeeding, Toddler
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