Breastfeeding: Advantage and Disadvantage

The advantages of breastfeeding

Breastfeeding Is Natural

Breastfeeding is the most natural way to feed your baby. Your body was created as the ideal way
to supply your child with the perfect source of nutrition.

Breast Milk Is the Healthiest Food for Your Child

Breastfeeding provides your baby with a variety of health and developmental benefits. The
natural ingredients found in breast milk help protect your baby from illness and disease during
infancy. They also continue to provide your child with better health as he or she grows, even
after weaning.

Breastfeeding Is Good For Your Health

Women who breastfeed tend to recover from childbirth faster than women who choose not to
nurse their babies.

Breastfeeding may reduce your risk of ovarian and breast cancer. It may also decrease your
chances of developing rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease as
you age.

Breast Milk Tastes Good to Your Child

Breast milk is sweet and creamy, a flavor that is much different and, arguably, better than
formula. Also, the taste of the foods you eat is passed along to your baby, which can diversify
their diet right from the start.

Breast Milk Is Easy for Your Newborn to Digest

Your body makes breast milk specifically for your baby. It is easier to digest than formula and
may help prevent gas and colic.

A breastfed baby's bowel movements are not as smelly. They are also not as irritating to a baby's
skin and can reduce diaper rash. Breastfed babies tend to experience less diarrhea and
constipation as well.
Breastfeeding Is Convenient

Your breasts are the perfect way to supply your baby with optimal nutrition at the perfect
temperature. There's no need to worry about preparing and heating formula, and there aren't any
bottles to clean up after feedings.

Breastfeeding Is Economical

Breastfeeding can save you thousands of dollars. If you exclusively nurse your baby, you will
not need to buy formula, bottles, and supplies. Breastfeeding also helps keep your child healthier,
which can lower medical costs and reduce the amount of work you miss to care for a sick baby.

Breastfeeding Is Comforting

A scared, injured, or sick child can be comforted by breastfeeding.

Nighttime Feedings Are Faster and Easier

When you breastfeed, you don't have to make and warm bottles in the middle of the night.

Breastfeeding Is Relaxing

While you're breastfeeding, your body releases a hormone called oxytocin, a feel-good hormone
that promotes relaxation. It also provides you with time each day to take a break, sit down with
your feet up, and spend quality time with your baby.

Breastfeeding Delays the Return of Your Period

Breastfeeding can prevent your period from returning for three to six months or even longer.
Typically, menstruation returns approximately one month after you stop breastfeeding
exclusively.

Exclusive Breastfeeding Can Work as Birth Control

If you breastfeed exclusively without supplementing, your child is under six months old, and
your period has not yet returned, then you can use the lactational amenorrhea method (LAM) for
birth control.

When you meet the criteria and follow it correctly, this natural birth control method is up to 98
percent effective.

You Can Feed Your Baby Pumped Milk

Pumping your breast milk can give you a bit more freedom. It can make it easier for you to spend
time away from your baby, so you can return to work or do other activities that you enjoy. It can
also allow your partner to participate in feedings.
 The disadvantage of breastfeeding

You Have Less Freedom

When you breastfeed, you are always on call. You and your breasts need to be available for
every feeding, day and night. It can be exhausting, especially during the first few weeks when
you will be breastfeeding your baby every two to three hours around the clock.

Breastfeeding Can Be Painful

You may have to deal with some of the uncomfortable or even painful problems common with
breastfeeding. These include things like mastitis, breast engorgement, plugged milk ducts, and
sore nipples.

Your Partner Can't Feed the Baby

Your partner might want to feed the baby and may feel left out of the breastfeeding relationship
(unless you pump milk in advance for your partner to use).

It Can Be Stressful If You Are Modest

Some women may be uncomfortable and embarrassed about breastfeeding around others or in
public. If you find it difficult to go out with your baby, you might end up staying home more
often. This may lead you to feel lonely or isolated.

Breastfeeding Can Be Difficult in the Beginning

Not every baby latches on immediately or breastfeeds well. Breastfeeding might be harder than
you think, and you may end up feeling disappointed or discouraged. For some, breastfeeding is a
learning process.

Breastfeeding Requires Healthy Lifestyle Choices

You have to think about your diet and lifestyle when you breastfeed. Your baby may have a
reaction to different foods in your diet. So you may have to stop eating dairy products or other
items that you enjoy.

There are also some substances that you should avoid, like caffeine, alcohol, and nicotine. These
can be harmful to your baby. Stress and other factors can also affect breastfeeding and
even decrease your milk supply.
 Breastfeeding: Positions

Proper positioning makes breastfeeding easier and more comfortable for both you and your
baby. It allows your baby to remove the milk from your breast and swallow easily. It also helps
you avoid tender nipples.

• Cradle position. Rest the side of your baby's head in the crook of your elbow with his whole
body facing you. Position your baby's belly against your body so he feels fully supported. Your
other, "free" arm can wrap around to support your baby's head and neck -- or reach through your
baby's legs to support the lower back.

• Football position. Line your baby's back along your forearm to hold your baby like a football,
supporting his head and neck in your palm. This works best with newborns and small babies. It's
also a good position if you're recovering from a cesarean birth and need to protect your belly
from the pressure or weight of your baby.

• Side-lying position. This position is great for night feedings in bed. Side-lying also works well
if you're recovering from an episiotomy, an incision to widen the vaginal opening during
delivery. Use pillows under your head to get comfortable. Then snuggle close to your baby and
use your free hand to lift your breast and nipple into your baby's mouth. Once your baby is
correctly "latched on," support your baby's head and neck with your free hand so there's no
twisting or straining to keep nursing.

Breastfeeding: Techniques

The following techniques plus proper positioning can help ensure a good latch:

 Get in a comfortable chair with great back support to feed your baby. Using a stool to rest your
feet on will help with good posture and prevent you from straining your neck and shoulders.
 Use your breastfeeding support pillow if you have one. (And if you don’t, use whatever kind of
pillows you can find to help support you and the baby.) A good breastfeeding pillow can make a
huge difference in getting the baby in a proper position to latch on well.
 Make sure your baby is tummy-to-tummy with you at all times.
 Make sure you bring your baby to you, do not try to lean into the baby. Not only will this cause
severe strain on your neck and shoulders, but it can affect the baby’s position.
 Remember to keep your baby’s ear, shoulder, and hip in alignment, which will make swallowing
easier.
 The baby’s nose should be opposite the nipple.
 You might need to hold your breast to help guide the nipple to your baby’s mouth. Grasp the
breast on the sides, using either a “C” hold or “U” hold. Make sure to keep fingers far from the
nipple so you don’t affect how the baby latches on.
 Aim the nipple toward the baby’s upper lip/nose, not the middle of the mouth. You might need to
rub the nipple across the top lip to get your baby to open his/her mouth.
 The baby’s head should be tilted slightly back. You do not want his chin to his chest.
 When he opens his mouth wide with the chin dropped and tongue down, he should latch on to
the nipple. If he does not open wide, do not try to shove the nipple in and wiggle the mouth open.
It is best to move back, tickle the lip again with the nipple and wait for a wide open mouth.
 Try to get as much of the lower portion of the areola (the area around the nipple) in the baby’s
mouth.
 The baby’s chin should indent the lower portion of your breast.
 Look to see if the baby’s bottom and top lip are flanged out like fish lips. If they are not, you
may use your finger to pull the bottom one down and open up the top one more.

Baby’s Developmental stages by Month

Language/
Gross Motor Fine Motor Social
Cognitive

Moves head from

Stares at hands and Tracks movement
1 month side to side when Strong grip
fingers with eyes
on stomach

Holds head and neck

Opens and closes Begins to play with
2 months up briefly while on Smiles responsively
hands fingers
tummy

Reaches and grabs at Grips objects in Imitates you when you

3 months Coos
objects hands stick out your tongue
 Pushes up on arms Grabs objects -- and Enjoys play and may
4 months Laughs out loud
when lying on tummy gets them! cry when playing stops

Is learning to
Begins to roll over in Reaches for mommy or
transfer objects from Blows “raspberries”
5 months one or the other daddy and cries if
one hand to the (spit bubbles)
direction they’re out of sight
other

Recognizes familiar
Uses hands to faces --caregivers and
6 months Rolls over both ways Babbles
“rake” small objects friends as well as
family

Moves around --is

Responds to other
starting to crawl, Is learning to use Babbles in a more
7 months people’s expressions of
scoot, or “army thumb and fingers complex way
emotion
crawl”

Responds to familiar
Sits well without Plays interactive games
8 months Begins to clap hands words, looks when you
support like peekaboo
say his name

Learns object
May try to Uses the pincer permanence -- that Is at the height of
9 months
climb/crawl up stairs grasp something exists even if stranger anxiety
he can’t see it

Waves bye-bye and/or Learns to understand

10 months Pulls up to stand Stacks and sorts toys lifts up arms to cause and effect (“I cry,
communicate “up” Mommy comes”)

Uses mealtime games

(dropping spoon,
Cruises, using Turns pages while Says “mama” or “dada” pushing food away) to
11 months
furniture you read for either parent test your reaction;
expresses food
preferences

Helps while getting Says an average of 2-3 Plays imitative games

Stands unaided and
12 months dressed (pushes words (often “mama” such as pretending to
may take first steps
hands into sleeves) and “dada”) use the phone
Immunizations

(Vaccination)
 BREASTFEEDING,
IMMUNIZATIONS AND
GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT
OF A BABY

SUBMITTED TO:

PROF. CYNTHIA UMILA

BODOTA, IRISH JOY G.

II – AN

AUGUST 13, 2019