• Breastfeeding has numerous health benefits for the mother and child
• Breastfeeding can be a tricky task in the beginning and new mothers may need support
• Consult your obstetrician to help understand your baby’s nutritional needs

Breastfeeding is also known as nursing. It includes feeding your infant breast milk directly from the breast.

Breastfeeding is highly encouraged by maternal care experts worldwide for its health benefits. Every baby has unique feeding requirements. You can identify if your baby is hungry through the following signs. Your baby may need breastmilk if he/she:

• sticks their tongue out
• moves their face as if looking for breast milk
• puts their hand in their mouth
• becomes fussy

Breastfeeding and breast milk have a wide range of health benefits. It is greatly beneficial for both the mother and her baby. Common breastfeeding benefits include:

• Ideal nutrition for infants
• Easily digestible by infants
• Contains antibodies that help fight viruses
• Lowers your baby’s risk of allergies and asthma
• Reduces your baby’s chances of developing ear infections, respiratory problems and diarrhoea
• Has been linked to higher IQs
• Offers a chance to bond with your baby through skin-to-skin contact
• Helps your baby gain the right amount of weight
• Lowers the risk of obesity, diabetes and certain cancers
• Prevents sudden infant death syndrome
• Helps the mother burn extra calories and shed pregnancy weight
• Reduces uterine bleeding after birth
• Largely decreases your risk of ovarian and breast cancer 
• Reduces your risk of osteoporosis

During first breastfeeding after birth, your body produces thick, yellow-coloured milk called the colostrum. Colostrum has additional health benefits and is considered the ideal first milk. It assists your newborn to develop his/her digestive tract fully and prepare to digest breastmilk.

Your body begins to transition from colostrum to mature milk in about 10-15 days.

Breastmilk is sufficient for your baby’s nutritional needs as it has all kinds of vitamins and proteins required for the growth of your baby.

As you nurse your baby, your body grows accustomed and begins to produce more milk to help meet your infant’s feeding needs. Your infant may require feeding every 2-3 hours.

You should exclusively breastfeed your baby till 6 months. Post this, you can begin to opt for formula milk, semi-solid foods and others.

The ideal breastfeeding position is the one in which you and your baby are completely relaxed and comfortable. Some common breastfeeding positions that you may try include:

• Cradle position
• Cross-cradle position
• Side-lying position
• Laid-back position

Here are some breastfeeding tips to help you prepare:

• Consult your antenatal expert for support and guidance
• Take breastfeeding education classes
• Consider lactation counselling
• Stay aware of your baby’s hunger and feeding patterns
• Stock up on nursing bras and related supplies