breast milk for First 6 Months Baby Food

Breast milk is baby food for the first 6 months of life, the most important. The nutritional content in breast milk is very good for growth and development of your baby's immune system. Therefore, Busui is recommended to only give exclusive breastfeeding to Little One for the first 6 months. Mother may have heard the advice to give baby food the first 6 months besides breast milk? This is not justified, because breastfeeding alone is sufficient to meet the nutritional and energy needs in the first 6 months of your child. Then, what are the virtues and how much milk should you give to your child?

The advantages of breast milk for infants

Breast milk is the best first 6-month baby food. This is because breast milk has the following advantages:

• Breast milk protects babies from bacterial and viral attacks that cause infectious diseases, so the baby does not get sick easily.
• Breast milk contains all the nutrients needed for growth and development of infants, such as protein, fat, calories, vitamins, and immune-forming substances (antibodies).
• Breast milk decreases the risk of an infant getting an infection, diarrhea, vomiting and sudden death (SIDS). Some studies also show that breastfeeding during the first 6 months of life can reduce the risk of infants becoming obese later in life.
• Exclusive breastfeeding without formula milk in the first 6 months can reduce the risk of ear, gastrointestinal, and respiratory infections.
• Studies show that babies who drink breast milk have a higher IQ and cognitive abilities better than babies who are given formula milk.

The volume and composition of breast milk depends on the needs of the baby during lactation. The nutritional content is also different when newborns, transitional breast milk, mature breast milk, and breast milk at weaning. For example, breast milk produced on days 1-5 of lactation is rich in nutrients, especially protein, while transition milk contains a lot of fat and milk sugar (lactose). Breast milk from mothers who deliver premature babies contains more fat and protein and less lactose than breast milk from mothers who deliver term babies. The content of breast milk has been biologically adjusted to meet the nutritional needs of each baby.

Amount of Breastmilk a Baby Needs

Newborns up to 6 months do not need water, juice or other fluids. Never give your child solid food at this age, because the digestive tract is still in the developmental stage and has not been able to digest other foods besides breast milk and formula milk. Newborns need to be breastfed 8-12 times a day or every 2-3 hours. As you age, the frequency of feeding your little one will be 7-9 times a day, but the amount of milk you drink will increase. If Little has begun to move their arms, legs, body, and mouth, and began fussing and crying, it was a sign he was already hungry. The faster the Little Mother breastfeeding, the better. When Little shut his mouth, stop sucking, or turn away from the nipple or bottle feeding, it was a sign he was satisfied or want to stop breastfeeding for a while. Wait one minute before giving milk again. Lastly, do not forget to make baby burp after he was given milk.

Signs Baby Ready for solids

Mother had been allowed to introduce solid foods to Little after the age of 6 months. However, the mother must first ensure that Little was ready given solid food. To determine whether the Grassroots ready or not, the mother can see from some of the following signs:

• Little weight has reached twice the body weight at birth (minimum 5.8 - 6 kg).
• Little was able to hold (support) head and sat up in the infant seat.
• Little was able to close his lips when given food.
• Little has been able to move his mouth and chew food well.

When starting to give complementary foods to breastfeeding babies, make sure the amount and texture of complementary foods in accordance with the stages of growth and development. Sometimes, the baby may want to nurse or eat more often with volume and as a share more than usual. This happens when the baby experiences growth spurt. Growth spurt usually occurs at the age of 7-14 days, 3-6 weeks, about 4 months, and 6 months. Mother is not sure whether the needs of your little breast milk are met? Pay attention to the signs. If Little urinate a minimum of 5-6 times a day, regular bowel movements, and weight gain, this means her breast milk needs are met. If Little does not show these signs, consult a pediatrician.