How long is breast milk good for? Long-term feeding or how long to breastfeed? Negative effects of long-term breastfeeding

Lyudmila Sergeevna Sokolova

Reading time: 7 minutes

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Article last updated: 05/21/2019

The question of the duration of the period of feeding a child with breast milk sooner or later arises before every breastfeeding woman. This is an almost rhetorical question, which, although asked, does not require a loud and precise answer. You can give dozens of different answers and recommendations for both prolonged breastfeeding and earlier weaning of the child. Each mother must decide this issue for herself.

But in order not to make a mistake in resolving such an important issue, the mother must responsibly weigh all the nuances of long-term breastfeeding, evaluate the objective and subjective prerequisites for continuing breastfeeding or refusing it, and simply trust her feelings. After all, who, if not a loving mother, can understand and decide what is best for her child.

Breastfeeding

After birth, a little newborn man needs only his mother, who carefully carried and waited for him for 9 months, and now takes care of him just as tenderly, warms him, feeds him and loves him. The best and most reliable means of comforting and calming a newborn in the first months of life is the mother’s warm breast.

Breast milk emotionally and physically holds the unbreakable thread of mother-child bonding. Breastfeeding your long-awaited baby is the most magical time for all mothers on earth.

Experts have long and tirelessly repeated that mother’s milk is an ideal product for a newborn - it is completely digested in a small stomach without any problems, absorbed by a tiny body, strengthens and stimulates the child to grow, and also has a constant optimal temperature and is almost always ready to be fed. eat hungry baby. This is also the most economical way to feed a baby.

According to pediatricians, breastfeeding is the first and irreplaceable immunization of a newborn, necessary to effectively protect the child from many infectious and gastric diseases.

Breast milk, which contains the entire necessary complex of vitamins and microelements, perfectly stimulates the normal development of the baby’s brain, cardiovascular and nervous systems, as well as the correct formation of all other systems of the child’s body.

Statistics from medical research on breastfeeding show that currently only about 12% of newborns under three months of age receive breast milk, while other children consume artificial milk formula.

To summarize, we can say that breast milk is the main building material for infants, fully meeting the needs of the growing human body for vitamins, carbohydrates, protein, calcium, protective antibacterial elements and other useful components.

Scientific and journalistic literature published by authors and medical staff of the World Health Organization on the topic “Until what age should a child be breastfed” often states that the most optimal period for breastfeeding reaches the child’s two years of age. And the minimum duration of breastfeeding a newborn must be at least six months.

The period of breastfeeding after six months is also beneficial for the child, but requires the introduction of certain complementary foods, since simply mother’s milk can no longer fully satisfy all the biological needs of the child.

After 12 months, the child’s diet is usually already significantly varied, and from this age the child can be fed with breast milk 1-2 times a day. It is most convenient to feed in the evening or at night.

Mother's milk, for all its uniqueness, has another remarkable feature. With each month of growth and development of the newborn, milk contains exactly those biologically important components that the child needs during this period of life.

Immunity of a breastfed baby

Breastfeeding gives the baby the necessary and strong immunity. According to experts, a newborn child until about 5-6 months is protected by maternal immunity, which he received from the moment of birth. And it is believed that until this age, mother’s milk plays simply a nutritional, but not a protective role.

After six months, the production of mother's milk gradually moves to another priority direction - nutritional value fades into the background after receiving the much-needed child's immunity. This also applies to the production of antibodies to chickenpox, rubella and other viral pathogens.

But, in fairness, it should be noted that the immunity of a nursing woman during prolonged breastfeeding weakens slightly and the functioning of her body is depleted. This is due to the fact that lactation and feeding are the primary task of a nursing woman. And if during this period the mother does not eat well, her diet is not balanced, or the baby drinks a lot of milk, the woman’s body begins to use and burn its own resources, which leads to loss of health.

Incidents of hair loss and deterioration, weight loss, brittle nails and dry skin may occur. Therefore, every nursing mother who exhibits such signs must carefully and responsibly decide whether she needs to feed her baby breast milk for a long time to the detriment of her immunity and health. After all, mother’s health is very important to both herself and the child.

If the mother’s immunity does not undergo any changes, then long-term breastfeeding has certain advantages for the female body:

• the risk of cancer of the mammary glands and female ovaries is reduced several times;
• during the period of regular breastfeeding, a woman does not ovulate;
• Long lactation and feeding naturally helps to reduce the mother’s weight, since the production of breast milk requires the woman’s body to consume about 500 kilocalories per day.

Of course, lactation cannot last forever. Mammologists claim that after 2.5–3 years from the start of milk production, a nursing woman’s body is programmed for involution (reverse development), that is, the breasts gradually stop lactation and return to their original pre-lactation state.

Basic statistical stages of breastfeeding

• Until the age of 6 months, breastfeeding is mandatory;
• It is recommended to start the first baby foods after six months (plus or minus one month);
• after 8 months, the child begins to receive various purees, porridges, infant formula and kefir, without ceasing, if possible, to eat mother’s milk;
• after the age of 12 months, the child’s diet is very varied and, in part, similar to the diet of an adult, but this circumstance is not a signal for a woman to stop breastfeeding.

The age after 11–12 months is characterized by intensive growth, the formation of the baby’s physical and mental development, and therefore it is possible and necessary to feed the child with mother’s milk, if such a wonderful and useful opportunity exists.

In this regard, it is interesting and informative to learn the following fact from the life of the animal world. Many mammal species can nurse their young for 5–6 times longer than their pregnancy. If we draw a parallel with the human body, then such a period should last up to 4.5 years.

Unfortunately, there are certain reasons that force a mother to stop breastfeeding her baby. This happens:

1. If the natural function of lactation causes inconvenience due to possible feeding in crowded places.
2. The instability of the family budget forces the mother to go to work, ending her maternity leave prematurely.

How does baby weaning happen?

Breastfeeding is a complex and extremely controversial topic. “How many people, so many opinions.” This statement perfectly reflects the essence of the issue under discussion. But this does not mean that some breastfeeding specialist, pediatrician or experienced mother from the forum is wrong when expressing her point of view. This indicates the individuality of each situation, and the fact that various factors influencing the success or failure of breastfeeding do not allow it to be placed under a single template.

In order to understand the depths of this topic, one must rely on objective data obtained through scientific research and listen to the opinions of authoritative sources who have invaluable experience interacting with a large number of newborns.

Let's look at the most important questions.

How long should you feed your baby with breast milk?

This aspect of breastfeeding is the hottest. Here the range of advice is especially wide. Some are ready to stop breastfeeding from 3 months, while others call for feeding up to 3 years. Therefore, we urgently need a “golden mean”!

Pediatrician's opinion

The opinion of official science and the majority of his colleagues was voiced by leading pediatrician O. E. Komarovsky: “Those times when there were heated discussions among specialists about how much breast milk a newborn should be fed are slowly coming to an end.” Doctors all over the world have agreed that if the mother has milk, then until 6 months the child is ONLY breastfed. Provided that there is enough milk, the newborn does not need to be given any complementary foods, supplemented with water or, God forbid, juices, or allowed to suck on dry bread or crackers. In the absence of milk deficiency, the baby will develop normally and gain weight well. After a year, many children no longer feed only on mother’s milk, but if a woman CAN and WANTS to continue feeding, then let her do it.”

Summarizing the above, we conclude that breastfeeding is RECOMMENDED for up to 6 months, when milk has biological expediency. Whether or not to breastfeed at an older age is a personal decision for the individual family.

WHO position

The most interesting thing is that no one argues about feeding milk until 6 months or 1 year. All “showdowns” begin with a year. Doctors are trying to justify the benefits of continuing breastfeeding after this age.

And WHO clearly states that breastfeeding a child after one year reduces the risk of infections, especially intestinal ones. Therefore, this organization strongly advises “long-term feeding” of breast milk - up to 2 years and longer - in countries with low levels of hygiene and a high incidence of infectious diseases. For economically and socially developed countries, there are not so many advantages from long-term breastfeeding. If you eat high-quality complementary foods, then there will be no medical problems.

American Association of Pediatrics (AAP - American Academy of Pediatrics)

The American Association of Pediatricians states: up to 6 months - only milk, up to a year - breast plus complementary foods, and after a year, milk feeding is carried out only if mother and child want it.

Does milk become “empty” after a year?

Of course not! It is exactly the same in composition as it was from the very birth of the baby. No one doubts the value and benefits of breast milk. It’s just that over time, an actively growing baby becomes unable to get enough of it (it’s not for nothing that complementary foods start at 6 months), he needs more nutrients and vitamins, which milk can no longer fully supply him with.

How long should you breastfeed your baby?

Here we will also rely on the opinions of experts.

On the question of how long to feed a baby, all doctors are more or less unanimous. Surovtseva Alla Pavlovna (pediatrician, candidate of medical sciences), and a large number of her colleagues agree with her, claims that half an hour is enough for feeding. The baby manages to get enough in 5-10 minutes and receive 90% of the milk that has arrived for him. And then communication with mommy begins. He inhales her scent, enjoys the warmth that soothes him, listens to her heartbeat. This is good for the baby and mother. Half an hour of nipple stimulation is enough for the milk to come again.

The baby sucks out the portion of milk he needs in the first 5-10 minutes. Then he can just lie at the breast and enjoy communication with mommy. In total, feeding takes no more than half an hour.

If the baby does not let go of the breast for more than 30 minutes, then we are talking about the so-called “lazy sucker.” Such a child sucks milk only when it flows freely. He is too lazy to work hard and suck out hind milk, so he just lies at the breast. In this case, you need to encourage the baby a little: tug his cheeks, tickle his nose or heels.

And finally, there is a special case when the baby needs to be constantly held at the breast and fed on demand, for example, when the baby is low birth weight and premature. This method is called the “kangaroo method”: the undressed mother holds the naked baby to herself, carries him like a kangaroo with her baby (under a robe) and feeds him when he wants and as much as he asks.

How to feed: on demand or according to a schedule?

On the question of how often to feed a baby, many copies have also been broken. There are two main camps, each of which defends its own point of view.

On demand

When feeding on demand, the baby is given breasts up to 20 times a day, of which 2-3 times occur at night.

Apologists of this camp are confident that the benefits of breastfeeding on demand are obvious. This is a real benefit for the baby and his mother. Close communication takes place, in which the mother learns to better understand her child, and lactation improves. The main argument in favor of this feeding method is that it is natural for an infant, because this is how they have been fed since time immemorial. Those who stand for this technique also claim that over time, the baby himself develops his own feeding schedule, which is convenient and most natural for him.

Feeding on demand involves putting the baby to the breast at least 20 times a day.

However, if we go through the forums for mothers, we will see different pictures: some are satisfied with this method, while others literally “moan” from such feeding. For some, nutrition is not only not organized, but, on the contrary, it only becomes more disorderly; for others, the baby “hangs on the breast” and still does not eat enough, constantly asking for food. And there are those who claim the impossible, that their child refuses to breastfeed at all. Mothers are completely dependent on the child’s appetite and cannot go about their business.

Many people are starting to lean towards “regular” feeding. But is it better?

By mode

Feeding on demand is the French version. And there is German - strictly according to the schedule, when food is offered to the baby once every 3 hours, and the baby must suck milk for no more than 20 minutes. At night there is a mandatory break of 6 hours.

Regular feeding is designed to discipline the baby’s body, accustom him to certain intervals between meals, and wean him from night feeding. Food is given to the baby once every 3 hours.

On the one hand, this method allows mommy to plan her day, because she knows what time she will be busy and what time she will be free, and at night, with this mode, parents sleep better. However, there are also disadvantages:

• if the baby gets hungry and starts demanding food, you will have to either firmly withstand his cries, or break the regime and start all over again;
• long breaks in feeding can lead to congestion in the chest (lactostasis);
• but the most unpleasant thing that can happen is the extinction of lactation. It is believed that milk comes in response to suckling. If the baby sucks the breast insufficiently and not often, then less and less milk is produced. Therefore, if a mother is determined to feed her child for longer than a year, then the “regular” method is not suitable for her.

Golden mean: free feeding

Feeding by the first cry and by the clock are extreme methods. But there is an optimal strategy: free feeding. The essence of this technique is that if the newborn VOLUNTARILY let go of the breast, he will feel hungry no earlier than after 2 hours. In this case, the question of how long to feed does not arise: feeding is carried out “according to appetite”, starting from the time when the baby last ate. More and more pediatricians today recommend this particular type of breastfeeding.

And one more nuance. It is necessary to feed the baby on demand, but only during the newborn period - up to 1 month. Then it is better to transfer him to free feeding.

How to determine if your baby has enough milk?

How much milk does a newborn need per day, and how do you know if he has enough?
This can be determined at home (in the absence of accurate scales) using the following indicators:

• as he pees: if the baby eats well and has enough milk, then he will make up to 18 peees a day. The diaper becomes heavy and swollen every 2-3 hours.
• How to poop: Breastfed babies may poop several times a day, or after each feeding. This is the norm.

To determine whether your baby is getting enough milk, you need to analyze how he pees and poops. Normally there should be 2-3 stools and 12-18 peees per day. If a child pees a little, has rare stools, and even with greens, then most likely he does not drink enough milk.

Many of the issues discussed about GW are just a theory. In practice, the child makes his own adjustments, which have to be taken into account. But don’t despair if everything doesn’t go as you planned. The main criterion that you should rely on is this: if the baby feels good, he is cheerful and active, then you are doing everything right.

Issues of breastfeeding, and especially its duration, are very important for modern young mothers.

Most women are now working, many of them, for various reasons (where material circumstances play an important role), cannot afford long leave to care for an infant.

Therefore, the question of how long to breastfeed a child is far from idle for young mothers.

They are literally torn between the fear of harming their beloved baby by premature weaning and the need to go to work after the child’s first birthday. What do experts advise about this? What are the benefits and harms of prolonged breastfeeding?

In modern society there is no tradition of long-term feeding of infants. Mothers who breastfeed babies older than two years of age often cause misunderstanding in their environment. How long should you continue breastfeeding (BF)? Before you make a decision about breastfeeding, you need to know what its benefits are for mother and child:

1. It has been scientifically proven that even after a baby reaches one and a half to two years of age, milk does not lose value; it contains a lot of proteins, enzymes that break down proteins and fats, hormones, vitamins and easily digestible microelements, including iron, which prevents the baby from developing anemia.
2. Immune support for the child’s body due to immunoglobulins produced by the mother’s body and present in high concentrations in milk. A child’s own immunity is fully formed only by the age of six.
3. According to WHO, breastfeeding continued after a year reduces the risk of food allergies in babies.
4. Long-term support of the sucking reflex, which involves the muscles of the palate, with the help of breastfeeding, helps in the development of the baby’s speech and the formation of a correct bite. Speech defects in such children are rare, and most of them are easily corrected.
5. The psychological attachment of a child to his mother, secured by long-term breastfeeding, remains for life. Children have a high resistance to stress when adapting to adult life, they more easily join the children's team.
6. Girls subconsciously develop a reflex to breastfeeding, which is triggered when they themselves become mothers.
7. During adolescence, such children are less likely to suffer from obesity.
8. Long-term breastfeeding creates conditions for normal maturation of the baby’s digestive tract, reducing the risk of further development of gastritis and ulcers.
9. Many women are afraid that prolonged breastfeeding spoils the shape of their breasts. In fact, such changes occur regardless of this factor. They are associated with age-related hormonal changes in the body. And prolonged breastfeeding promotes the resorption of benign formations (mastopathy, cysts, etc.). The reason for this is the partial renewal of breast tissue. The fat deposits accumulated during pregnancy gradually disappear during the first year of feeding, as a result of which the mother’s body returns to normal.

How to properly raise a child from zero to 3 years old so that the child develops character? Let's answer this question.

Negative effects of long-term breastfeeding

There are much fewer disadvantages of long-term breastfeeding than advantages; most of them are subjective and associated with the prejudices of the young mother and her environment.

The objective factors are:

1. Reproductive function during breastfeeding is not completely restored even when menstruation begins. But there are many cases where pregnancy occurs during breastfeeding. His presence disorients the young mother, she does not use proper contraception and may soon become pregnant. Therefore, during breastfeeding, appropriate safety measures are required if pregnancy is not desired at this moment.
2. With late breastfeeding, the child compensates for the deficiency of special nutrients by taking them from the mother. This is not nutrition as such, but, as Dr. Komarovsky puts it, a communication option that simultaneously ensures the building of immunity and strengthening the closeness of mother and child. And the remaining nutrients for the exhausted female body are often not enough. This is expressed in hair loss and tooth damage (especially if the mother is malnourished).
3. The baby develops a conditioned sucking reflex. Sometimes this turns into a bad habit, and mothers have to be creative in order to wean their mature child with almost a full set of teeth from “begging” for the breast (sometimes in the wrong place).

Knowing the pros and cons of long-term breastfeeding, it is easier to decide on the specific timing of breastfeeding. But this information is not enough.

It is important to know when mother and baby are ready to stop lactation so that it is painless.

Involutions of lactation

The period when both mother and baby are ready to stop breastfeeding most often coincides with the involution of lactation, i.e., a noticeable cessation of milk production.

This usually happens at the age of one and a half to two years. The exception is a new pregnancy, then involution appears in the middle.

This stage of lactation does not occur when the baby is weaned (then this may not happen), but in the presence of certain physiological signs.

Signs of involution:

1. Increased sucking activity of the child. Not being satisfied with the decreased amount of milk, the baby tends to latch on to the breast more often.
2. Deterioration of the mother's condition after feedings. If previously breastfeeding did not bring any inconvenience and was painless, now the baby is literally sucking all the strength out of the mother. She feels chest pain, fatigue, drowsiness, dizziness, irritability. This condition is similar to the initial period of pregnancy.
3. The onset of lactation involution can be confirmed by experiment. To do this, you need to entrust the care of the baby to relatives for a day and observe your feelings during this period. If the milk does not arrive, the chest pain does not intensify, you can interrupt lactation. When the breast becomes full after a twelve-hour break in feeding, it is better to wait until weaning the baby from it.

Periods when discontinuation of breastfeeding is not advisable

In addition to the previously discussed points, you should know that weaning is not advisable during the following periods when the baby’s health may suffer from it:

1. In early spring, you should not weaken your baby’s immunity due to the high risk of influenza and ARVI.
2. In the summer heat, there is a high probability of intestinal infections.
3. When teething - due to the restlessness and anxiety experienced by the child, the mother's breast at this time is often the only effective sedative that helps him sleep.
4. Immediately after illness, before or after immunization.
5. During stressful situations associated with changes in the child’s life (moving, the mother going to work, the child entering kindergarten).

In addition to the mother’s readiness to stop breastfeeding, it is good to take into account the “wishes” of the child. This process should be painless and gradual for him.

You need to find a special approach to the child, distract him in time, perhaps even explain in an accessible language (without implausible stories and lies) why he is being deprived of his usual sedative.

There is no consensus on the optimal duration of breastfeeding. WHO warns against the danger of ending it before six months and strongly recommends continuing feeding until two years.

Many pediatricians and gynecologists believe that a child’s first birthday is a sufficient reason for him to begin parting with breastfeeding. The International Dairy League and breastfeeding experts advise continuing it as long as possible, without limiting it to two years.

To be fair, there is no medical evidence of the benefits of breastfeeding after 2-3 years of age.

The American Association of Pediatrics believes that up to six months, newborns should be fed only milk, up to a year, combine breastfeeding with age-appropriate complementary foods, and after a year, feed at the request of mother and child.

The famous pediatrician Dr. Komarovsky summarizes the opinions of experts this way:

• If breast milk is enough for the baby and he gains weight normally, then until 6 months he does not need complementary foods in the form of crackers or dry foods, he does not need water and juices are harmful.
• At six months, you need to introduce complementary foods in order to feed the child from the common table by the age of one year.
• In countries with poor hygiene and a high risk of intestinal infections, breastfeeding should be continued for as long as possible.
• In developed countries, whether or not to feed a child older than one year is a matter for each individual family.

Breastfeeding is an important period for every newborn in many ways. Among specialists in various fields related to the health of mother and child, there is only a consensus on its exceptional usefulness for a child up to six months.

Otherwise, and especially regarding the timing of stopping breastfeeding, their opinions are divided. Having studied all aspects of this issue, including the information offered, and weighed this knowledge against the child’s own capabilities and needs, in each specific case the decision is made individually.

Video on the topic

There is no consensus on the duration of breastfeeding. Some believe that breastfeeding after a year is inadvisable, others breastfeed until the end of paid maternity leave, and supporters of radical views believe that a baby can receive mother’s milk for as long as he wants. The general opinion is that a child in the first six months of life should receive only breast milk, which contains all the necessary nutrients and water. From six months, breast milk remains beneficial for the baby, but can no longer fully provide all the nutritional needs of the baby, and therefore, from this age, along with mother’s milk, so-called “complementary foods” are introduced into the baby’s diet. Currently, the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF pay great attention to the continuation of breastfeeding in children over one year old, recommending maintaining this process up to two years or more. A second year child eats a very varied diet. His diet is almost the same as that of an adult. A mother can breastfeed her baby once or twice a day, most often at night. But this feeding is very important, since at the end of the first and in the second year of life, intensive growth, physical and mental development of the child continues. Therefore, breastfeeding should be done for as long as possible to help the baby develop correctly and harmoniously. Breast milk has a unique property: at each stage of a baby’s development, milk contains exactly those biological substances (hormones, growth factors, etc.) that are not found in any other baby food and that will ensure its proper development at the moment. For example, the milk produced by a woman who has given birth to a premature baby, during the first two weeks of breastfeeding (lactation), is close in composition to colostrum (breast milk “concentrate”), which helps the baby catch up with developmental delays. Or in the last stages of lactation (its second year), milk in terms of the content of specific protective proteins of the immune system - immunoglobulins - resembles colostrum, which prevents the development of infectious diseases in the child.

Benefits of long-term breastfeeding

Nutritional value

Scientific research proves that in the second year of life (and even after two or more years) milk remains a valuable source of proteins, fats, enzymes that break down proteins and fats in the intestines; hormones, vitamins and microelements that are quickly and easily absorbed. The content of vitamins and microelements in human milk may vary depending on the mother’s diet, but with a balanced diet it always meets the child’s needs. For example, when breastfeeding in the second year of life, the baby is protected from a deficiency of vitamin A, which is necessary for the normal formation and functioning of eyes, skin, hair, as well as vitamin K, which prevents bleeding. In addition, human milk contains an optimal amount of iron, which is very well absorbed in the baby’s intestines and prevents the development of iron deficiency anemia. Scientists have calculated that if a one-year-old child receives 500 ml of breast milk per day, then his daily energy needs are met by a third, protein by 40%, and vitamin C almost completely.

Protection against diseases

It is interesting to note that every pathogen that infects the mother stimulates the production of immunoglobulins present in the milk and received by the child. The concentration of these substances in milk increases with the age of the baby and with a reduction in the number of feedings, which allows older children to receive strong immune support. Immunoglobulins coat the intestinal mucosa like "white paint", making it inaccessible to pathogens, and provide unique protection against infections and allergies. In addition, proteins in human milk stimulate the development of the baby's own immune system. Also, human milk contains substances that stimulate the growth of beneficial bacteria (bifidobacteria and lactobacilli) in the intestines, which prevent the colonization of it by pathogenic bacteria. Other milk proteins are also important. For example, the iron-binding protein lactoferrin can prevent the growth of a number of iron-binding bacteria.

Reducing the risk of allergic diseases

WHO studies have shown that long-term natural feeding (over 6-12 months) in combination with a hypoallergenic diet for a nursing mother significantly reduces the incidence of food allergies in children. The formation of the bite, facial structure, and speech development in children are also determined by the duration of natural feeding. This is due to the active participation of the muscles of the soft palate in the process of obtaining milk from the breast. Children who are breastfed for a long time are better able to reproduce the tones and frequencies of sounds. Speech disorders are less common in them and, mainly, these are physiological replacements of the sounds “w”, “zh”, “l” with more “simple” sounds, which can be easily corrected.

Benefits of children's physical development

Breastfeeding ensures an optimal ratio of fat and muscle tissue in the child's body and an optimal ratio of body length and weight. The physical development of a child corresponds to his biological age, does not advance or lag behind. This was determined by the timing of the formation of various skeletal bones. The emotional aspect of long-term natural feeding plays an important role. The special connection, the psychological attachment that is established between mother and child during feeding, remains for life. The neuropsychic development of such children may be advanced; they adapt better in adulthood. It is the process of breastfeeding that helps in the formation of the soul and personality that is inherent only to humans, self-awareness and knowledge of the world around us. Mothers who breastfeed for a long time show more care for their children, have a more positive attitude towards them, and maintain a feeling of love, which is especially important during the critical age periods of children after one year. No matter how stressed the mother is when she sits down to feed her baby, by the end of feeding both of them relax, and both of them noticeably improve their mood. In addition, women who breastfeed are much less likely to develop malignant neoplasms of the mammary glands and ovarian cancer. The protective role of breastfeeding has been established regarding the incidence of diabetes mellitus and obesity in children and adults. However, the reduction in the risk of diabetes depends on the duration of breastfeeding. The direct mechanism of this effect is associated with the fact that the energy substances of human breast milk, especially proteins and carbohydrates, are optimal in their structure for the child, are easily absorbed by him, without requiring an increase in the level of substances (including insulin) that break down the elements of milk into their component parts . Therefore, the regulation of the hunger and satiety centers in the brain does not change. And failures of such regulation lead to metabolic disorders and the development of endocrine diseases such as diabetes and obesity. Attention: during the entire period of breastfeeding, psychological support from loved ones (husband, parents) is important for a woman in her desire to breastfeed for as long as possible. After all, mothers often stop feeding their children only because of the misunderstanding of others. Don't listen to those who suggest stopping feeding for a year. Continue breastfeeding until age two or beyond. After a year or a year and a half, human milk does not become “empty”; at any stage of breastfeeding, it is the most valuable and healthy product for the baby, which helps him grow healthy, smart and cheerful.

When not to stop breastfeeding

For any disease, the child’s illness, including during diarrhea, since breast milk allows the baby to gain additional protective factors that help cope with the disease. It has been noticed that children who receive breast milk in the second and third years of life recover faster during illness. In summer time, since in summer, due to high temperatures, food spoils faster and the risk of developing intestinal infections is higher. But even if such a disease occurs, complementary feeding products will have to be temporarily discontinued and only mother’s milk will be consumed, which will be not only nutrition, but also a valuable natural medicine. In addition, stopping breastfeeding is always stressful for the body, including the gastrointestinal tract (GIT). In summer, the activity of enzymes in the gastrointestinal tract changes due to the predominance of vegetables and fruits in the diet, rather than meat and dairy products, and the high air temperature does not encourage higher-calorie foods. Thus, the abolition of breastfeeding and a complete transition to adult food creates additional conditions for indigestion. Do not stop breastfeeding immediately before important, significant events in your life and in the life of your baby, since these events are, for example, a change of residence, travel, a mother going to work or study, the child starting to attend a nursery, etc. are a stress factor for a small organism. In general, continue breastfeeding for as long as your mother's intuition tells you. Depending on the baby’s health condition and your inner feelings, she will be the one who will help you make the right decision.

How long to breastfeed. Personal experience.

An axiom that every mother of a newborn baby should know: “There is no formula better than breast milk! and There is no animal milk better than formula!”

If for some reason you are not able to breastfeed your child, feed him with high-quality adapted milk formula, and leave grandma’s advice about wonderful homemade fresh goat or cow’s milk for up to a year! In a word: either breast or mixture! But certainly not SV, since this will constantly provoke colic, and certainly not replace the formula with milk of animal origin (!), since this is a clear path to rickets.

Remember:

- there is no such thing as fatty milk;

- there is no such thing as non-fat milk;

- there is no such thing as empty milk;

- there is no empty milk after a year;

- there is never enough milk;

- the quantity and quality of milk does not depend on breast size;

- if you can squeeze at least 1 drop of milk out of your breasts, everything is fine with your milk, you can breastfeed (!);

- there is illiteracy on the issue of breastfeeding;

Milk is only what the baby needs and only in the quantity that he really needs!

Milk begins to be produced from the head. Let's get ready for long-term breastfeeding and don't be lazy! Why long: the first 6 months. breastfeeding is being established and only then is carefree feeding. If you were able to feed for the first 6 months, then you can feed at least until self-weaning.

1 rule -feed on demand.

Apply to the breast when the baby is still groaning, asking for food, and not screaming in hysterics. A child has the right to demand breastfeeding at least every 20 minutes, since milk is quickly absorbed. It may require it again after 5 minutes, 20 minutes, 3 hours, 40 minutes, 2 hours... this is absolutely normal. If the baby needs it, breast to mouth and lie down/sleep like a seal, even for a day or longer... Pay special attention to night feedings from 12 am to 08 am. Offer the breast even if the baby has not woken up for the night feed: carefully pick him up and put him to the breast, he will not wake up, he will suck reflexively, sleep and eat at the same time. At night, try to feed your baby every 2-3 hours, or even more often, if he wishes. There is no need to plug it with a pacifier, water or formula at night. It is at night that the most active production of the hormone responsible for lactation occurs. Apply to only one breast at one feeding. With the next feeding - another breast. And so alternate. But if the baby does not get enough from one breast, offer the second.

There is never enough milk!:

It happens that you are too lazy to feed on demand and hold it at the breast for a long time. So that you don’t feel like a zombie during the day, co-sleeping with your child will help you here.

When sleeping together, your biological clock will coincide with the biological clock of the child, thanks to which you will easily wake up at night for night feedings..., along with this day you will feel more alert than if you slept separately.

Regular breastfeeding is the right path to IV!

For those who are just preparing to become a mother:

Choose a maternity hospital with a joint stay with the baby in the postpartum unit and put him to the breast as soon as possible after birth, during the first 12 hours of his life, even if it seems that there is no colostrum and feed on demand, without taking the baby off the breast before he'll eat his fill. This will help the faster formation of breastfeeding, and it is also a good prevention of jaundice in newborns.

If in the postpartum unit the baby does not immediately fall asleep, tosses and turns, sulks..., then he has postpartum stress, he is overexcited. In this case, you need to put it to your chest - it is a good antidepressant and sedative for the baby.

If the baby does not understand that he needs to take the breast, you need to squeeze a drop of colostrum onto his lips. The child will smell and taste colostrum and understand.

If the baby turns away from the breast, rub his cheek, the one we want him to turn to us. The reflex will work and he will turn his head.

If the child takes the breast painfully, remove the breast from the mouth: carefully insert your little finger into the corner of the mouth - the child will release the breast. Give the breast again: touch the nipple to the baby's upper lip - the baby will open his mouth wide and at the same time stick his tongue forward, covering his lower lip. At this moment, place the breast in the baby’s mouth on the tongue at an angle to the palate.

The nipple should be completely swallowed together with the nipple, and more captured from the bottom than from the top. There should be no pain. For a soft flow of milk In order for the milk to come smoothly, gradually and without complications, it is necessary to drink fluids correctly from the 1st birthday of the child (soups and liquid porridges are not considered drinks).

In the RD immediately after birth:

1 day after childbirth - drink a lot, the more, the better, even if you don’t want to, through yourself;

2 days after birth - drink as desired, whenever and as much as you want;

3 days after birth - stretch 2 glasses of water or other liquid for a day. If you are very thirsty, moisten your lips and rinse your mouth.

From 4 days after birth until the end of breastfeeding:

Drink focusing on your chest:

If your breasts are very full, to the point of pain, follow a drinking regime for 3 days;

If the breasts are calm and moderately engorged, follow the drinking regime for 2 days;

During a breastfeeding crisis, focus on drinking for 1 day.

But, if you don’t follow all the points written here, it won’t help! I followed this drinking regime: the milk came in smoothly, softly... There was no feeling that my breasts were bursting, and I didn’t run after the midwife asking her to pump me... It was enough for me to simply feed mine on demand. First, the baby feeds on colostrum, which begins to be produced during pregnancy. On the 3rd day after birth, milk comes in. In 2-3 months. a physiological crisis of breastfeeding begins. At this time, the flow of milk slows down or disappears; less fatty milk is replaced with fatter and more nutritious milk, according to the child’s needs, because the child has grown up and his needs have increased. This period lasts on average 2 days. At this time, the baby needs to be put to the breast as often and as long as possible, even if it seems that the chest is empty, so that the baby stimulates the flow of milk by sucking. The more and longer the child stimulates the “empty” breast, the faster this period will end and milk will flow in, even if it stimulates for hours... You can prepare for this crisis, just in case: make a supply of milk in the freezer, in special containers for storing milk in freezer. Do not drink milk drink! You just need to get through this period. This is the only physiological crisis of breastfeeding; there will be no more problems with milk flow and feeding. For me, this crisis lasted only a few hours: in the morning I noticed that there was no milk, and by the evening it had already flowed in. But I didn’t take the baby off my breast, all these hours she stimulated me, and I didn’t stock up on milk: for this case, nature provides the baby with a good supply of subcutaneous fat, thanks to which he tolerates this crisis well. But, if in doubt, stock up on milk and feed with spare milk. Of course, this will make the child stimulate you less and the crisis will last longer... All other crises of breastfeeding are a sign of improper organization of breastfeeding. If on the 3rd day after birth the body temperature rises, but there are no symptoms of illness, this is evidence that the milk has come. The most difficult period of breastfeeding is the period from the first few weeks to 3-4-6 months - the period of formation of breastfeeding. It took me 2-3 weeks and only then did I begin to receive physical and aesthetic pleasure from breastfeeding))

Rule 2 -feed for a long time.

We have 2 types of breast milk - foremilk and hind milk: - children drink with foremilk, because it is watery and not fatty, has a bluish watery tint; - children gorge themselves on hind milk, because it is fatty and filling, and has a yellowish fatty tint. The baby needs time to first drink with the fore milk, and then get to the hind milk and eat with fatty milk, otherwise he will be constantly hungry... Feeding a baby is a lot of work. It is much easier to suck on a bottle; the baby can suck it down in a few minutes. With breastfeeding, everything is different, the baby has a very hard time sucking the breast, he gets tired. Therefore, he sucks with rest breaks. He will suck a little, rest and go back to the “battle”... You might think that the baby has fallen asleep and before he has enough time to go to bed, but after 5 minutes. he wakes up screaming - he rested and wanted to continue eating, but there was no food, hence the screams! Each child has his own sign that he is full, for example, for my daughter it is a sharp jerk of her head back. Take a closer look at your children, how they behave when they really don’t want to eat anymore, this will be your sign. And after eating, they are so tired that they immediately fall asleep, looking as if they were running a cross-country race: shortness of breath, wet hair... Do you feel that the child is full, but for some reason continues to “hang” on his chest? Don't worry about it Sucking even on an empty breast stimulates milk production. The child must satisfy all of his sucking reflex, without this he will be nervous and unsure of himself when he grows up. Children on IV have a pacifier, because a 5-minute absorption of the contents of a bottle does not satisfy their sucking reflex. And for breastfeeding children, the breast is a drink, food, and a pacifier at the same time: 3 in 1. For this reason, breastfeeding children do not need a pacifier, due to the fact that they “hang” on the chest for a long time, they fully satisfy all their needs for water, food and sucking. After feeding, you may notice calluses on your baby's lips. There is no need to be afraid of this, it’s just that the baby tried so hard to eat the breast that he simply “ate” his lips. It will go away on its own in a few minutes. There is no longer any need to pump your breasts after each feeding. Your baby will suck you off so well that you won't need your breast pump. Your baby is your best, natural breast pump.

The main thing is to use it wisely and not be lazy. I have a breast pump that costs about 7,000 rubles, which I have never needed at all))

There is no need to supplement a full breastfeeding child with formula and/or complementary foods! Because this will lead to constipation, allergies, colic..., due to the immaturity of the baby’s stomach and gastrointestinal tract.

Complementary feeding should be introduced at the earliest from 6 months, and later, when the baby is ready.

At full breastfeeding, you can introduce pedagogical complementary feeding.

There is no need to supplement your child's breastfeeding with water! Because breast milk consists of 82% water and that is why a full breastfeeding baby does not need additional water, foremilk completely replaces water + it is much healthier than water!

It is necessary/possible to supplement a child’s breastfeeding with boiled water at room temperature if:

- mother has negative Rh factor blood;

The baby has physiological jaundice. But, it is better to bathe him without giving him water, because the baby will get enough water through the skin when bathing, while increasing the number and duration of breastfeeding;

The baby has a high fever. You can also wipe it with warm water. At high temperatures, you cannot bathe, give more water, or better yet, increase the number and duration of breastfeeding;

- the child eats more than 50% of complementary foods per day.

If the baby has a soft, concave fontanel, he is dehydrated: bathe and give him something to drink. But it is better to bathe and increase the number and duration of breastfeeding. If the baby's fontanel is bulging, he has high intracranial pressure: apply a slightly beaten cabbage leaf (to release juice) to the fontanel, it will relieve the pressure, and show it to the doctor. Drinking for a full breastfeeding child is introduced when the child eats more than 50% of complementary foods, starting with boiled water at room temperature.

Rule 3 - sleep more during the day .

Sleep away your sleepless night hours during the day. As soon as the baby falls asleep, you lie down next to him and sleep. During daytime sleep, the hormone responsible for lactation is also produced, although less than at night.

Rule 4 - eat liquid, soft and light foods.

The first 3-4 months. Continue to follow the pregnancy diet until 20 weeks. Bertie.

If you did not follow such a diet for pregnant women, continue to eat the same foods that you ate during pregnancy. Every morning, start with 1-2 glasses of warm water in 20 minutes. before breakfast. Drink up to 2 liters of warm, sweetened liquid per day. During lactation, much more fluid is needed. And also take vitamins for pregnant and lactating women throughout the entire breastfeeding period + up to 4-6 months. after him. This is necessary to replenish your own supply of vitamins, minerals and microelements, which the child took for himself during breastfeeding.

If your baby has allergies, colic, swelling and constipation, reconsider your diet, diet for nursing.

You can also influence your child’s gastrointestinal tract through your milk:

Eat prunes, boiled beets...;

Drink yogurt, dried fruit compote, kefir: fresh - normalizes, and 3 days or more - strengthens;

Take bifidobacteria.

You yourself eat and drink all this, and through your milk you influence the child’s gastrointestinal tract. Also, a child at full breastfeeding, in the absence of fever and anxiety, may not have a big breast for 5-7 days - this is normal, because breast milk is quickly and completely absorbed.

Rule 5 - mental and emotional stability.

Always be calm and peaceful. Do not overload yourself with household chores; leave them to your household members or your husband. Take more walks with your baby in the fresh air. Do not communicate with those who have a bad influence on your mental and emotional state, avoid them.

Your main and primary task is to maintain breastfeeding and take care of your baby.

If, when feeding your baby, due to nervousness (feeling nervous, angry, losing your temper...) there is no or little milk, the following recommendations will help you:

1. disconnect from all worries, problems and remove the irritant - retire with the baby in the room, dim the lights, turn on relaxation music not loudly or simply create silence, relax and calm down - remove Adrenaline, it prevents the flow of milk;

2. “become the child” - completely undress yourself, undress the child and sit comfortably on the sofa, in bed or in a chair. Place the baby between your breasts - skin-to-skin contact and cover yourself with a blanket or blanket. Close your eyes, relax and connect with the child as one - a surge of Oxytocin, the hormone responsible for milk production;

3. slowly, in small sips and with breaks, drink a warm, moderately sweet drink prepared in advance - a rush of milk; 4. when you feel that you are ready to feed, feed starting with a more engorged breast. The formula for breastfeeding under stress looks like this: adrenaline.- (