Mothers milk is the best source of nutrition for an infant.

Breast milk is the milk produced by mothers after child birth. It is the primary source of nutrition for infants as it is the most natural and unadulterated food form for the new born baby. Every Infant should be fed breast milk for at least initial 6 months after birth as shown in researches done by various organisations. After this solids are introduced slowly and gradually. It is also recommended that the child be breast fed, up to first two years and continue till the mother and the child wishes.

Breast milk has its own benefits for every new born baby. Mother’s milk comes with proteins, lipids, carbohydrates and other biological active components.Mother’s milk develops an immune system for the babies where it protects the infant against allergies, sickness & infections. Loaded with best of proteins, it helps the baby to gain weight gradually during the growth process. Since mother being the source of production, the baby gets unadulterated milk at the right temperature.

Nutrients in mother’s milk

With every feed, the composition of mother’s milk keeps changing over the period of lactation. During the early days of motherhood, every mother produces colostrum which immunizes the new born’s digestive system and helps it to grow and function properly. It gradually turns into mature milk and it is not only filled with appropriate amounts of carbohydrate, protein, and fat but breast milk also provides vitamins, minerals, digestive enzymes and hormones. Mother’s milk is packed with antibodies which help in enhancing the immunity of the new born infants.

Breast feeding benefits for the mothers

Mother’s health also benefits a lot in this process. Few benefits are like getting the uterus to return to its pre-pregnancy size and to reduce post-partum bleeding or to help the mother in returning to her pre-pregnancy weight are to name a few. Breast feeding also reduces the risk of breast cancer later in life. Lactation protects both mother and infant from both types of diabetes. It also protects mother from breast cancer and from ovarian cancer. It also helps the mother to cope up with the postnatal depression

Eating habits of new born baby mothers

The mothers breast feeding their child should make sure they intake balanced and nutritious food as what they eat reflects on the quality of the milk and on their child. Also the over-all body weight, health, metabolism and immune system of babies greatly depend on what they eat as infants.

Foods to be avoided while breast feeding

Given are some foods that could be avoided or consumed occasionally in very less quantity completely till they are breast feeding-

• Mothers should try to avoid caffeine and chocolates.
• Also all the types of alcohol should be avoided.
• Spicy foods containing excess of cinnamon, garlic, curry, chili pepper
• All those veggies should be avoided which result in forming gas. Generally onion, cabbage, garlic, cauliflower, broccoli, cucumbers, and peppers are to name a few.

Emotional development

Skin contact is very important for a new born baby and so early skin contact is promoted from the moment of birth. Your baby needs to feel safe, secure and warm. So in the process of breast feeding the emotional bond between the baby and the mother also strengthens.