Today we want to take the opportunity to talk about breastfeeding. As you may have read in the title, we are in the World Breastfeeding Week, which was proclaimed by the World Health Organization and is celebrated from August 1 to 7. Although in Spain and other European countries it is celebrated on the first Sunday of October, we wanted to give visibility to this beautiful and interesting initiative.
You are probably wondering what the reason for this celebration is; And it is that during this week activities are carried out both to raise social awareness and to promote and support breastfeeding throughout the world.
Since 2016, this week has been held annually in accordance with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. And precisely this 2020 will focus on the positive consequences of breastfeeding on the environment and its impact on climate change.
Benefits of breast milk
After all, breast milk is a natural resource that women produce after pregnancy, making it a safe food for the baby that improves their health, and is environmentally friendly as it is renewable, avoiding the production of unnecessary packaging that we often use to feed our children. It also avoids the consumption of water and electricity in the production of these products.
Therefore, it could be said that breastfeeding is the most natural and ecological way to feed our baby until 6 months, whenever possible. From 6 months, it is advisable to continue breastfeeding our child, supplementing it with other foods until 2 years of age.
It is proven that breast milk protects our baby from all types of infections, as well as from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, which we talked about in a previous post. But it not only favors the natural development of the baby, but also has positive effects on the mother herself: postpartum recovery is faster and reduces the risk of contracting breast and ovarian cancer, among other things.
Tips for breastfeeding
At Petite Marmotte, we also want to do our part and support the initiative with some tips that we hope will help you improve your experience.
- There's no need to wait for our baby to cry to breastfeed. Babies usually give signals to let us know they're hungry, for example, when they put their hand to their mouth or make little noises to call us.
- There is a concept called “on-demand breastfeeding.” It consists of offering the mother's breast whenever our child asks for it and for as long as they ask for it. A newborn can have between 8 and 12 feedings a day, although it is possible that there will be more. It is not advisable to separate ourselves from our baby; it is better to wait until they detach from the breast themselves when they want to.
- It is advisable to avoid the use of pacifiers until breastfeeding is properly established.
- We must bear in mind that the composition of the milk can change during the feeding. Normally, the milk is fattier towards the end, so it is better for our baby to completely empty one breast before giving them the other.
- For a comfortable breastfeeding position, at Petite Marmotte we have designed a multi-functional pillow that will provide the mother with the correct posture for breastfeeding.
This nursing pillow prevents lower back and neck pain, helps us maintain a correct position during feeding, and ensures the baby has a proper latch. We often tend to hunch our backs while breastfeeding, which causes a lot of muscle pain that we can avoid by using our pillows. It also ensures the baby's correct position during feeding, with a straight and supported back.
It can also be used as a support pillow when the baby starts to sit up. It is completely removable, so you can wash it easily. In addition, its filling is hypoallergenic and very breathable, and it guarantees that it will not deform over time.
