Breastfeeding is the perfect food and the protection of the baby, the basis for their health in the future. But sooner or later the milk ceases to satisfy the child and he switches to “adult” food. And the habit to suck a breast remains. What to do then?
Up to what age to feed?
Clear restrictions here: weaning should occur when it will be comfortable for you and baby. Some pediatricians say you need to finish the feeding after a year, some after six years, others after two. There are those who believe that a child should be allowed to put to the breast as long as he wants – even to school. The world Health Organization supports the latter: on her recommendation, you need to feed until two years of age and older.
To 6 months the baby should not receive anything except breast milk. Then you need to begin to introduce solid foods, but quit feeding not: breast milk will still bring child benefit.
Than breast milk is beneficial?
- Reduces the risk of viral diseases, allergies, sudden infant death syndrome, dysbiosis and many other diseases;
- Contact with the mother has a positive effect on the psyche: children, which had a long breast-fed grow up to be happier, balanced and confident;
- Breast milk is always ready to use thanks to the sterile and the ideal temperature;
- It strengthens the body in all respects: stimulates brain development, helps digestion, supports a healthy gut, etc. These children into adulthood are rarer.
And if it is not possible to breastfeed?
Then help mix. There’s nothing to fear – creating modern blends like building rockets: so this is a complex and precise process. They have everything you need for the baby. Yet scientists have found no evidence that breastfeeding is better “artificial”.
“Breastfeed at any cost” – a highly controversial thesis, which has recently been increasingly questioned. If a woman has physical limitations, but she refuses to mix, the consequences can be dire. For example, when milk is insufficient, the child may appear dehydrated. Sometimes even with the risk of brain damage.
So listen to your body and do what the doctor says. It doesn’t matter where the child will get nutrition from a bottle with a mix or from your breast. It is important to have everything you need for children’s health.
And what about the mom?
The link between breast cancer and breastfeeding has not been proven. On the contrary: the Spanish scientists say that lactation reduces the risk of developing the disease. They analyzed the medical history of 504 women and came to the conclusion that breast-feeding delays the age of disease an average of 10 years. But only on condition that the woman not smokes and feeds the child at least six months.
It seems that the contact with mother is the most important thing for the baby. Scientists say that children who are often picked up, develop faster and are less likely to get sick. Tell about this in detail in the article “Why is it important to take children on his hands?”.