Girija Meena

जन्म के तुरंत बाद शिशु को पहला स्तनपान कराएं
6 माह तक मां के दूध के अलावा कुछ नहीं दें - पानी भी नहीं
6 माह के बाद मां के दूध के साथ-साथ शिशु को ठोस आहार दें
मां का दूध कम से कम 2 साल तक दें

यह बातें तो हम पहले से ही जानते हैं लेकिन अब जानते हैं की क्यों मां व शिशु के स्वास्थ्य के लिए स्तनपान बहुत जरूरी है और क्यों स्तनपान का कोई विकल्प नहीं है।

In India, 35 lakh babies are born premature every year. Many of them die within a month because of complications of prematurity. Simple, cost-effective interventions such as skin-to-skin contact and breastfeeding can save most of these babies.

Breast milk is not only the best food but also a necessary medicine for preterm babies. It saves them from serious infections and malnutrition. Doctors know this, and they use this power of breast milk in their treatment. If a baby is sick or premature and cannot breastfeed, doctors feed expressed mother's milk by a tube or paladai. But sometimes, mother's milk is not available or insufficient. In such a case, the best option is donor human milk processed by a human milk bank.

Learn how mother's milk is vital for a healthy baby.

When direct breastfeeding is not possible, a mother can express breast milk and feed her baby with a spoon or cup. We use a paladai, also called suthi spoon.

Paladai is a small stainless steel cup with a spout that makes it easier to feed expressed breast milk without causing nipple confusion.

Here's why parents may need to spoon feed their baby.

Although breastfeeding comes natural for the baby, many first-time mothers need help latch their babies to breast. This help often comes from relatives who have experience in breastfeeding. And that's great! Because all experienced mothers know that proper latching is the key to successful breastfeeding.

Getting a good breastfeeding latch can take some practice. There are many breastfeeding positions you can use. And once you get a good latch, breastfeeding is comfortable and enjoyable.

Storing breast milk properly ensures your baby gets safe mother's milk even when you can't breastfeed directly. Here's when you'll need to store breast milk:

• Baby admitted in hospital. Doctors need mother's milk for the baby. It helps early recovery of the baby. Mothers need to express 8-12 times a day to maintain their milk supply to keep up with the baby's demand.
• Increase milk production. Frequently expressing breast milk helps boost your milk production.
• Working mother. Express in between breastfeeding sessions and while at your job. Store this extra milk. Caregivers can feed it to your baby with a paladai (a small cup-like spoon).
• Donate your extra milk left after breastfeeding. Express and store it. Donate to your local Human Milk Bank, where it will be used to treat sick newborns.

Learn how to express breast milk using hand expression or breast pump.

As a mother, learning how to express breast milk can help you a lot. Here's why:

Breastfeeding with inverted or flat nipples can be difficult for many first-time mothers. But with timely help during pregnancy, all mothers with inverted nipples can breastfeed right from the first day.

Read on to learn simple exercises you can do at home to help breastfeed with inverted nipples.

Sore nipples are a common challenge for breastfeeding mothers, especially in the first few weeks. With proper care, they are usually treatable at home. Understanding the causes and knowing how to prevent and treat sore nipples will help you continue breastfeeding comfortably.

Benefits of breastfeeding are unique. And with ongoing research, the list of breastfeeding benefits grows longer every day.

Here's why doctors recommend exclusive breastfeeding for every baby.

Many mothers worry about their breastfeeding capability because of uneven size or shape of their breasts. But can breast anatomy really affect breastfeeding?

Let's understand breast anatomy and how mammary glands work to find out what truly affects breast milk production.