Breastfeeding: Benefits, challenges and the solutions

Abstract

Breast milk is widely accepted as the benchmark for nourishing new-born babies. Breast milk is a continually fluctuating fluid that signifies the principal source of nutrition for new-borns. Breast milk contains all the necessary nutrients for new-born babies. There are numerous benefits to the baby and mother when mother breast feed her baby. Time to time feeding breast to the baby reduces the babies’ risk of infectious disease like respiratory tract infections, middle ear infection, Gastro intestinal infections and more. It helps in growth and development of body organ, aids in intellectual ability of the baby, enhance normal bacterial flora. It may be advantages to the mother also such as reduction of uterine and ovarian cancer, bleeding uterus, loosing body weight, emotional stability and bonding. Breast feeding also act like natural contraceptive which will postpone the subsequent pregnancies. There are many challenges faced by the mothers while feeding breast to the baby. Cracked nipple, breast engorgement, lack of milk production, over flow of milk, retracted nipple, sore nipple, sleeping deprivation, day time sleeping and many more. Because of this issues the mother may not feed the baby perfectly which may lead to under development and mal nourishment of the baby health. Nursing mother must have the knowledge about the issues of breast feeding and their solutions.