Why Breastfeeding is Important?

Benefit for the mother

Benefit for the baby

Skin-to-Skin

• ALL babies benefit from skin-to-skin
• Helps steady baby’s heartbeat and breathing.
• Helps keep baby warm.
• Helps calm baby and mom too.
• Improves bonding between you and your baby.
• Gets breastfeeding off to a good start.

Is my baby getting enough breast milk?

• Need to be feed 8-12 times in 24 hours with a good latch.
• You can hear him swallowing during feeds.
• Baby has more than 3-4 loose stools and use a lot wet diapers per day in the hospital.
• Seems calm and satisfied between feeds.
• Baby’s stomach is very small at first.

Breastfeeding Reduces Babies Risk of:

a) Asthma

b) Vomiting /Diarrhoea

c) Obesity

d) Type 1 Diabetes

e) Sudden infant death syndrome

f) Some respiratory diseases

g) Ear Infection

Breastfeeding Reduces Mothers’ Risk of:

a) High blood pressure

b) Type 2 diabetes

c) Ovarian cancer

d) Breast cancer

10 steps to successful breastfeeding

• Give infants no food or drink other than breast-milk, unless medically indicated.
• Practice rooming in – allow mothers and infants to remain together 24 hours a day.
• Encourage breastfeeding on demand.
• Give no pacifiers or artificial nipples to breastfeeding infants.
• Foster the establishment of breastfeeding support group and refer mothers to them on discharge from the hospital or birth center.
• Have a written breastfeeding policy that is routinely communicated to all health care staff.
• Train all health care staff in the skills necessary to implement this policy.
• Inform all pregnant women about the benefits and management of breastfeeding.
• Help mothers initiate breastfeeding within one hour of birth.
• Show mothers how to breastfeed and how to maintain lactation, even if they are separated from their infants

Article by:

Sister Mok Siew Ling, Unit Manager (O&G Ward)

KMI Taman Desa Medical Centre