Breastfeeding??
Answers:
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), American Association of Family Physicians (AAFP), and the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ACOG) strongly endorse breast-feeding. The AAP recommends breast-feeding infants for at least a year.1, 6, 7 Infants and toddlers can still receive many nutrients from breast-feeding should you want to continue past the first year.
Breast milk is the ideal food for your baby.1 It is the most complete and only nutrition source needed for babies up to 6 months of age.
Breast-feeding also reduces your child's risk for developing:
Many types of infections.
Eczema and asthma.2, 3
Obesity, high blood pressure, and diabetes.
High cholesterol later in life.4
Breast-feeding helps you:
Recover from the stresses of pregnancy, labor, and delivery.
Bond with your baby.
Lower your risk for breast cancer.5
Respond to your baby's hunger quickly and conveniently.
Benefits of breast milk
Breast-feeding is a natural way to nourish your baby. Breast milk provides your baby with unique nutritional and health benefits, such as:
Antibodies to strengthen the immune system.
A reduced risk for eczema.2
A reduced risk for asthma.3
A reduced risk for becoming obese later in infancy and during childhood.
A reduced risk for developing diabetes and high blood pressure.
A reduced risk for high cholesterol later in life.4
Feeding your baby milk at the breast offers the added convenience of having a ready food source at all times that does not require special preparation.
How breast-feeding affects the mother
Soon after your baby is born, breast-feeding helps your body recover from the stresses of pregnancy, labor, and delivery. Breast-feeding also lowers your risk for developing breast cancer.5 The longer you breast-feed, the more this risk is reduced.5
Your body produces the hormone prolactin, which prepares your body for breast-feeding during pregnancy. After your baby is born and the placenta is delivered, prolactin immediately stimulates milk production. The amount of prolactin you produce depends on how frequently you breast-feed: the more often you breast-feed, the more prolactin your body generates, and the more milk your breasts produce.
Breast-feeding also stimulates your body to release oxytocin, which helps your uterus contract, bleed less, and return more quickly to its prepregnancy size. You may feel these contractions occur in the first few hours after birth, which are known as afterpains. The contractions may be slightly uncomfortable and last for a day or two.
Oxytocin also stimulates the let-down reflex, which occurs just before or soon after feeding or pumping begins. Let-down is often described as a tingle or an ache. If this is your first baby, you may not notice this sensation for the first few weeks.
Your body's hormones stabilize when your baby is about 3 months of age. At this time, you begin to lose the full feeling in your breasts between feedings. Your milk supply should remain the same even with this change.
The breasts first produce colostrum, followed by transitional milk after a few days. Mature breast milk usually is produced about 10 to 15 days after delivery. This milk contains about 50% fat calories, 45% carbohydrate calories, and 5% protein calories. Most of the carbohydrate is milk sugar (lactose), which helps babies absorb calcium.
You may find that losing weight is easier with breast-feeding. However, weight loss rates after delivery vary among women. Focus on eating a balanced diet to get adequate vitamins and minerals needed for breast-feeding. Eat an additional 500 nutrient-rich calories a day over the recommended amount for nonpregnant women of your height and weight; this is 200 calories over your recommended calorie intake during pregnancy. Talk with your doctor about continuing to take your prenatal vitamins while breast-feeding.
You can quickly become exhausted during your baby's first weeks. Allow others to help you when possible, so you can focus on breast-feeding and can nap with your baby.
You are not likely to become pregnant in the first 6 months of exclusive breast-feeding (which means you are feeding your baby on demand and not using formula, food, or water to supplement his or her diet). However, talk with your doctor about birth control while breast-feeding if you want to ensure that you do not get pregnant right away. After your baby is 6 months of age, you need to use a birth control method if you want to avoid pregnancy, regardless of whether you are breast-feeding exclusively.
Problems such as sore or cracked nipples, blocked milk ducts, or breast infection (mastitis) sometimes occur while breast-feeding. Most of these conditions are minor, easily treated, and do not significantly interfere with breast-feeding. For more information, see the Home Treatment section of this topic.
Some women notice that they become aroused during breast-feeding. Although this sensation is similar to a sexual response, it is not sexually driven. It is your body's way of preparing for breast-feeding. Do not worry or be ashamed if this happens to you.
Other Answers:
I don't know what the WHO recomments, but I nursed my daughter for almost 2 years. this is normal and very healthy for the baby's immune system. I have heard of nursing up to the age of 5 or 6 in some cultures where womens breast are not rediculously glorified sexually as in the US. that is where the real problem is for extended breast feeding
Source(s):
try googling 'World health org breastfeeding' for more info
Some women nurse for five years. The reason they ask two years is for women living in developing countries.
Some food companies try to push women to use powder milk, the families then think it is better. It cost a lot of money but they want the best for the child. Therefore they water down the powder so it last longer. In turn the baby gets less food and is underfed.
The WHO wants the women to feed longer, it cost less, the babies are healthy and it acts as a naturelly birth control. This is very important in these countries to use birth control. Many men do not wish to use condoms.
Two years seems a bit long to me, but that could simply be my Westernized mind speaking. Most women can tell when a child is able to take a bottle. When the child indicates a willingness to drink from a bottle, gradually reduce breastfeeding until he or she is weaned.
Breast milk is the best food available for a baby on this earth ,there is no substitute for this.It is advisable to feed the baby as along as the mother is capable of producing this vital food there is no limit even if she is feeding a three year old with her milk there is no harm .
i breast feed my boyfriend.
bcoz its most nutritious healthy and natural baby food
The WHO recommends breast feeding for the first 12 mths and anything afterwards is a bonus. You can nurse a baby as long as the mother and child both feel comfortable. I personally breastfeed my daughter until she was 7 months and my son for 4 months. It really is an individual thing and I weaned around the time I went back to work. I would have loved to have done it longer but juggling motherhood, work and being a wife was all a bit much for me and I became a little stressed and decided it was better for a happy mum that bottle feed than a stressed out one that breastfeed. Breast is best for babies, a small number of women can't and that's fine too. Please don't feel pressurised either way - it's your choice and don't let anyone make you feel bad.
I know of a guy who was breast fed till he was 7 !!! - Fat_kids_are_hard_to_kidnap .
True. and yummy....
Some children will nurse forever & others will not.
My nephews nersed until the age of three, my son only nursed until 7 m/o. I think it depends on how busy the child becomes, my son didn't want to be restricted, he wanted to see everything & move around.
yes it is true that who recommends brest feeding upto two years as it is believd to b beneficial to the babay. i am studying health admin and know abt this matter.
as long as you feel comfortable with it
Alright I personally breastfeed both my children till they was 2 yrs old. But personally its your perference as to how long you want to breastfeed. They say that because Breast Milk has nuitrents that helps your baby's brain to develop its healtier. But they do have all those baby powder milk products that are good too. So just do your own judgement your body will tell you. Good Luck!
It's true 2 years is recommended. My daughter is turning 2 in a couple of weeks...but is showing no sign of being done with breastfeeding. I think the World Health Organization should put out something helping to get 2 year olds to stop breastfeeding! I think she's going to have to go to some sort of detox centre for babies to help her give up the boob! :o)
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