Breastfeeding really seems to wax and wane in popularity.
I think the initial decline probably started several centuries ago when all those royals
Who felt that breastfeeding was too “common” for them employed wet nurses for their royal off spring. Over the years people continued to experiment with alternatives to breastfeeding, trying substitutes like cow’s milk, goat’s milk flour or cereal mixed with broth without success.
True infant formula was introduced in the mid 19th century but it wasn’t till after WWII that its use became widespread and breastfeeding rates started to fall. This decline was hastened by aggressive and often unethical promotional methods used by formula milk manufacturers, eventually leading to the highly publicized boycott of one of the major companies involved.
In the last few decades there has been a real drive to increase breastfeeding world wide.
The benefits are particularly noticeable in the developing world where non-breastfed
Children are six to 25 times more likely to die of diarrhea illness and four times more likely to die of pneumonia. If one considers that in Pakistan these are two greatest causes of death in childhood, and also that according to UNICEF figures, only 16 per cent of babies in Pakistan are exclusively breastfed(given no other food or drink) for six months, it is obvious that promoting breastfeeding would have a dramatic impact on mortality rates.
As a pediatrician I have always been a strong advocate of breastfeeding and had decided early on that I wanted to breastfeed my own babies. Just to ensure that I wasn’t tempted to stray, I made sure that didn’t buy any bottles, teats, sterilizer or formula prior to the delivery. The reason I had been so keen to start breastfeeding immediately was because it is in the first hour after birth this their exhaustion kicks in and they sleep for hours.
While skin to skin contact exerts a calming influence on the baby heart rate, respiratory rate and blood pressure, colostrums, that rich honey colored liquid that is precursor to breast milk contains immunologic ally active cells and serves to protect the baby against many infections, serving as a kind of first immunisation.It is rich in Vitamin A, which helps protect the eyes and reduce infection. It reduces jaundice in the baby and also stimulates the baby to have bowel movements. It is produced in small volumes, perfect for small tummies!
Sucking at the breast stimulates the release of oxytiocin which in turn leads to milk being” let down” from the milk ducts. Oxytocin is sometimes called” the love hormone” because, in addition to causing the uterus to contract, thus aiding delivery of the placenta and reducing maternal bleeding, it also causes a mother to feel calm, relaxed and “in love” with her baby.
Once that first feed was over and I was shifted to the postnatal ward, I felt ready to sleep for hours but although Baby N appeared to feel the same way, it seemed that the rest of the babies on the ward had different plans. It was early morning by the time all the babies had cried themselves to sleep and I was quite ready to go home.
It’s a fact: happy, healthy mothers produce happy, healthy babies! High levels of cortisol (the stress hormone responsible for the body’s fight-or-flight response) in pregnancy are associated with babies who cry more and sleep less after birth. Chronic stress in pregnancy has also been linked with low birth weight in babies. It’s therefore in everyone’s interests for Mom to pay extra attention to her emotional state, making relaxation and stress reduction two of her top priorities.
Sometimes, despite our best efforts, life is stressful during pregnancy. If this is the case for you, then be sure to take time out regularly to do something that soothes you – be it yoga, meditation, listening to your favorite music, watching your favorite TV show, or taking a warm bubble bath (but avoid very hot water, which is bad for the baby). The importance of the physiological effects brought on by such activities can hardly be overstated. The simple act of relaxing deeply will alter the chemical composition of your blood, reducing cortisol levels and improving immune function. Not only is this good for your baby’s developing nervous and immune systems, but you will feel stronger and less frazzled, too – particularly as you contend with the dramatic physical changes of the third trimester.
Mom will of course also want to keep her energy levels up in preparation for the birth (not to mention the job of looking after a newborn!). Now is the time for the whole family to pull together and help Mom and the baby be as healthy and happy as possible – by encouraging Mom to eat well and get plenty of rest, by reminding her to take her pregnancy supplements (pregnant women can be very forgetful!), and by helping her to remain as calm and relaxed as possible. Read the rest of this entry »
Take supplements
You may want to take an all-round supplement for pregnancy – ask your obstetrician for a recommendation. Alternatively, you may want to take only the most important supplements, which are as follows:
- Folic acid – A form of vitamin B9, folic acid is the most important pregnancy supplement. Its use has been shown to reduce the risk of babies developing neural tube defects (deformities of the spinal cord and brain) by up to 70 percent. You should preferably take 0.6-0.8 mg of folic acid daily from one month prior to conception until the end of the first trimester. If your pregnancy was unplanned, start taking folic acid as soon as possible. Chances are your baby will be fine, but in any case, screening for neural tube defects is a standard part of obstetric care.
- Calcium – A woman’s need for calcium does not increase during pregnancy (instead, her body absorbs more calcium from the food she eats). However, it is vital that you get enough calcium at this time, as otherwise your body will take calcium from your bones to give to your baby. The recommended daily intake is 1,000 mg – how much you take in supplement form will depend on how much you get from your food. The body can only absorb around 600 mg of calcium at a time though, so if you need more than 600 mg, take your supplement twice a day.
- DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) – An omega-3 essential fatty acid, DHA has been shown to produce a number of beneficial effects – in mothers as well as babies. High DHA levels in pregnancy (particularly in the third trimester) are associated with increased attention span and higher intelligence in children at age one and four respectively. DHA supplementation is also linked with longer pregnancies (which benefit babies), while significantly low levels of DHA have been found in women suffering from postpartum depression.
- Iron – Some doctors recommend that all pregnant women take iron. Others only recommend it when the mother is suffering from anemia (which is more common during pregnancy than at other times). Speak to your doctor about whether you should take iron supplements. If you do decide to take them, you may be more prone to constipation (which is in any case more common during pregnancy), and so will need to increase your fiber intake. If you decide not to take iron, then look out for signs of anemia starting from the second trimester. Symptoms include dizziness, exhaustion, pale skin, labored breathing, and heart palpitations.