Mammals generally have a lactation period of six times the gestation period. This means that humans should breast feed up to four and a half years old, to get the maximum benefit. While few women would want to do this, even if the last 18 months or so is one feed at night, it does show us that, we as a species, have lost that knowledge and contact, which gives so many benefits in later life.

Following is a list of ailments attributed to lack of mother’s milk in babies and toddlers:

• diarrhoea
• respiratory difficulties
• meningitis
• ear symptoms
• allergies
• SIDS
• digestion difficulties
• teething problems
• learning difficulties

And later in life some of the ailments are:

• dental problems
• diabetes
• high cholesterol
• heart disease
• obesity

For the mother, benefits of breast feeding for a long period are:

• delays the return of the period, so acts as birth control (not 100% effective in all women)
• she is less likely to have osteoporosis in later life (her bones strengthen at weaning)
• she is less likely to have hormone related cancers (breast, ovarian, cervical, etc)
• post natal depression is rare

Initiating a Good Start to Latching On

Immediately after birth, the baby should be placed on the lower part of the abdomen, very close to where they have come into the world. The baby is born with crawling instincts and will crawl up the mother’s stomach to the breasts. This will  be a slow process, as the baby is still suffering from exhaustion from the birth process. However, it should not be hurried.

The baby will be distracted by the mother’s voice, but will eventually become very hungry, so that the mouth is wide open. This is when the baby is ready to start feeding, and will latch onto the nipple correctly. Naturally, from birth to first feed takes about an hour and this should not be hurried. Allow the baby to do this in his/her own time.

Growth Rate

The problems with formula milk is that it is based on cow’s milk. Cow’s milk is excellent for calves, but humans have different requirements. A calf need to grow to full size in a year, whereas a human takes around eighteen years to reach full size. Accordingly human milk is much lower in protein than is cow’s milk.

A baby on formula is likely to grow much too fast. The ideal growth weight for a baby in the first three months is between 100 and 150 grams a week. More than this is not healthy and is linked to obesity in later life, but is very common today on bottle fed babies.

Much crying is more likely to be from overfeeding than under feeding (especially in formula fed babies), as is commonly thought.

Most bottle fed babies milk is warmed in the microwave. Proteins are changed in microwaves.

Position Of Feeding

There are three positions in which the baby can feed: Try all the different ways to find which suits you and your baby the most.

• the Madonna is the usual position, with the baby cradled in the mother’s arms, across her abdomen
• the Football position where the baby is held under an arm
• the Primate position where the baby is vertical. This is a very easy position for the baby to drink from, as gravity helps.

Milk

If your supply of milk is too copious, make sure one breast is emptied before feeding on the other one. This will reduce your milk to the amount required by the baby.
Nappies
There is no normal bowel movement frequency in breast-fed babies. Babies can have a bowel movement after every feed or once a fortnight. Consistency should be like thick gravy, golden in colour and sweet smelling.

Frequency Of Feeds

Babies stomachs are about the size of a walnut, about 30 ml, so they can’t tolerate big feeds. They are much happier on small and frequent feeds. Milk with a good fat content will keep a baby satisfied for about two hours, as fat takes longer to digest. If your baby is hungry more frequently, look at the fat content of your diet. Maybe it’s too low.

When feeding, the fat-rich milk tends to be the last milk, so ensure the milk is exhausted in one breast before changing to the other.