How to Breastfeed a Newborn

As a young pregnant woman enters the latter stages of her pregnancy, she becomes conscious about the changes that occur in her body and life. It is not easy to raise a child, but it certainly is rewarding.
A pregnant woman often try to know as more as she can about raising a healthy child. She looks for every book in her local library to know everything that may help her in caring a baby, changing diapers and breastfeeding.

Importance of breast feeding

Breast milk is naturally formulated for a newborn’s digestive system. It is rich in antibodies which help the child to fight against viruses and bacteria and hence, breast milk is not only the most nutritious food for a newly born child, it actually is a life-giving medicine for the child. A mother’s breast milk is so naturally adjusted with the child that in the course of child development, the composition of her milk changes to adapt with the nutritional necessities of the developing baby.

If it is the first time for the woman to be a mother, breastfeeding techniques will be the vital new skills she will have to learn. However, breastfeeding is not something that one can learn by reading some book or guidelines. Breast feeding is a natural act that a mother and her baby need to learn together just after the infant takes birth.

According to doctors and experts, breast feeding should commence within the two hours of a baby’s birth. A newly born child may take 80 percent or 4/5th of the feed within the first ten minutes of breast feeding and then the baby may suckle mother’s breast for another few minutes. Babies need to be fed whenever they demand. A newly born baby may require to be fed after every two or three hours and during every feed period, a mother may need to invest 10 to 40 minutes. Every expert and pediatrician will recommend breast feeding till a baby is at least six months old, however, it will add to good health of the baby if a mother keep breast feeding him or her for longer periods. There are no specific technical steps that you need to learn before you may ably breast feed your infant.

According to gynecologist Dr. Suman Bijlani, a woman is not required to do anything special to get herself ready for breast feeding. Dr Bijlani says, "No massaging of breast or nipple stretching exercises are needed during pregnancy. Be ready with breastfeeding accessories like nursing bras, breast pads and breast pumps. It is a good idea to get adequate and correct information regarding breastfeeding from your doctor or even attend antenatal lactation sessions. This gives you confidence, which is the best preparation a mother can have."

Benefits of breast feeding

The simplest, most healthy and natural way to feed your infant is breast feeding. Breast milk contains the appropriate mix of nutrients like proteins with perfect equilibrium of amino acids, sugars, fats, water, vitamins, minerals, antibodies and enzymes for your newly born child.

Breast milk boosts a baby’s immunity and offer protection for your infant against diarrhea, respiratory infections, ear infections and many more illnesses. A baby enjoying breast feed will show lower chances of diabetes, allergic conditions and obesity while he will also enjoy better cognitive and physical development.
Breast feeding is a natural and effective birth control method. If a woman hasn’t got her period in a time less than six months post her delivery and if she is solely breastfeeding her child, then she is 98 percent protected from another pregnancy.

Breast feeding produces such situations close to her womb that comforts the baby and makes them feel safe and protected. Breastfeeding is also beneficial for mothers because it decreases the amount of blood loss after delivery to a significant degree.

The following breast feeding tips may help a young mother and her child

• Both mother and baby should be in a comfortable position. While breastfeeding, keep the body and neck of the baby in a straight line.
• The body of baby should be held close to her own body by the mother at right angles. The right way is to bring the baby towards your breast rather than bringing your breasts towards the infant.
• Proper positioning will help you latch the baby easily. A mother should encourage the infant to suckle on the surrounding breast tissues along with the nipples.
• As the skin of a baby comes in contact with the skin of his/her mother after delivery, the baby gets stimulated with natural instincts to search for the breasts.
• Feed your infant frequently with breast milk because it will ensure ample breast stimulation to continue good milk production and flow.
• A mother should try to keep her breasts empty either by feeding her child frequently or by pumping out the milk. This helps the mother to maintain milk flow and it also helps her in preventing health problems like painful lumps in the breasts. 

Avoid Breast Cancer Adopt Yoga for Your Breasts

According to recent statistical studies worldwide, an average of 1 out of 20 women have experienced and survived the ordeals of breast cancer or are in the middle of the ordeals of this breast disorder. Many women lose their life because of breast cancer.

While even males can suffer the problems of breast cancer, it is 100 times more common in women than breast cancer in men. In the year 2008, 458.503 women lost their life worldwide because of breast cancer. It was 13.7% of all cancer deaths in women.

American women in the United States suffer breast cancer more than any other type of cancer while skin cancer is exception. Breast cancer in women in United States is second only to lung cancer and breast cancer is major cause of cancer death of women in US.

The symptoms of breast cancer varies significantly from lumps in breasts to swelling of the breasts to skin changes on breasts and in many cases, breast cancer patients have no obvious symptoms at many times. It is certainly not easy to pre-diagnosis breast cancer and the proper diagnosis becomes very difficult especially in developing countries like India, Pakistan because of lack of medical facilities.

However, women can prevent breast cancer through proper lifestyle, nutrition and healthy regimen. While it is necessary to alter your lifestyle and to reduce alcohol consumption, it is also necessary to remain physically active to avoid the menace of breast cancer.

There are certain yoga asnas or exercises that will help in preventing the issues of breast cancer. These yoga exercises will not only help women in preventing breast cancer; rather they will also work for improving the shape of breasts and to keep happy and healthy breasts.


Significance of a Healthy Lymphatic System

The lymphatic system of a woman sustains the health of her breasts. The lymphatic system holds the responsibility to keep potentially harmful entities away and to channelize clean flow of blood to breast tissues and cells while avoiding any infections.

Yoga exercises can help in improving the health of lymphatic system by maintaining proper coordination between breathing and body movement. By doing so, Yoga exercises helps in proper circulation of blood while supplying imperative energy in all parts of the lymphatic system of a woman.

A few Yoga Exercises for Breasts
Diagonal Stretch:

Energetic breathing and powerful movements of diagonal stretch helps the lymphatic system to get in proper motion.

How to Perform Diagonal Stretch Yoga Exercise:

• Comfort yourself in a sitting position while placing your thumbs on the palms of the hands at the end of your little fingers.
• Ascertain that your fingers are resting in straight line. Now pull your arms gradually to the sides while ascertaining that they remain parallel to the ground and your palms should be facing downwards.
• Raise your right arm while bringing down the left arm. Take deep breath in while the right arm goes up and breath out as it goes down. Continue this exercise for 20-25 times.

Reach for Health: Snapping Back Exercise

This yoga exercise is very similar to martial arts exercises. This exercise involves the movement of snapping back that helps in activating and energizing lymph and breast cells and tissues.

Method:

• Comfort yourself while sitting on your heels and remove the pressure from your knee joints by keeping a firm pillow below your buttocks and thighs.
• By tucking your thumbs inside, make a fist of our palms. Bring your hand to the height of your breasts while pulling your elbows back.
• Extend your arm in forward direction to its maximum while taking powerful breath in. Open your fingers in a fashion of grasping something. Close your fingers while grasping the air and making fist of your hands while snapping the arm to the body side while exhaling the breath out.
• Repeat the same exercise with other arm and continue these steps for 2-3 minutes with both arms in succession.

Frog Pose

This yoga exercise helps in increasing the flow of energy upwards to all parts of the body.

Method of Frog Pose Yoga Exercise

• While standing in a comfortable position, place your heels together close to each other and then squat down while keeping your heels above the ground.
• Touch the floor with your finger tips while straightening your spine and back as much as you can.
• Breathe in while straightening your legs and bring your head closure to the knees. Your finger tips should not move from the floor.
• Breathe out and come back to the squatting position.
• Perform this exercise for at least one minute or till you feel it is comfortable. Gradually increase the time for this exercise.