Breastfeeding
Breastfeeding is the natural way to feed your baby and for many women, it is a unique, satisfying and wonderful experience which will bring you great pleasure.
Breastfeeding Basics
Being well informed will help you get breastfeeding off to a good start read more.
Positions for you and your baby
How you position yourself, how you hold your baby, and how you offer your breast all affect how baby latches on read more.
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Great reasons to breastfeed
- Breastmilk is the perfect food for your baby
- Breastmilk provides your baby with all that is needed for healthy growth and development
- Breastmilk is designed specifically to meet all your baby’s nutritional needs for the first six months of life and provides protection against some infections
- The ideal time to introduce your baby to other foods is around six months of age, but it is still recommended you continue to breastfeed until the baby is about one year of age or longer
- Breastfeeding provides a means for you and your baby to get to know each other
- Breastmilk prevents constipation, no smell or staining of clothes with spilling
- Breastmilk is easily digested and it reduces the incidence of diarrhoea
- Breastmilk has economic advantages: it’s cheaper than buying formula and always at the right temperature for baby
- Breastmilk contains antibodies which help fight some infections
- Breastmilk protects against conditions triggered by allergies such as eczema and asthma
- Breastmilk protects your baby against infections such as gastrointestinal, middle ear infections and respiratory conditions
- Breastmilk may help prevent Type 1 (juvenile onset) diabetes
- Research shows breastfeeding reduces the risk of pre-menopausal breast cancer in mothers and may reduce the risk of ovarian cancer
- Researchers have observed a decrease in the probability of Sudden Unexpected Death in infancy (SUDI) in breastfed infants.
- Breastmilk is designed specifically to give your baby all the nutritional needs for the first six months of life and provides protection against some infections.
How your body makes breastmilk
Breast size does not have an effect on the amount of milk or the quality of milk a woman produces read more.
Having Problems?
Check out our page on Common Breastfeeding Problems with breastfeeding and don’t forget you can always bring up any issues, with your LMC, doctor or midwife.