Breastfeeding is the best start

for a lifetime of health for your baby

Breast milk is a specialized food designed to meet the needs of infants. Every time your baby nurses, you are giving her advantages in life-advantages of health, optimal growth, and development, while also helping to decrease the risk for a large number of diseases-now and in the future. The breast milk you make for the first few days is colostrums and is full of infection-fighting antibodies. Even when your colostrums turns to mature milk, your breast milk provides a natural defense against infections and allergies. As baby grows, the composition and amount of your milk changes to meet baby's needs.

Recent research suggests that breastfeeding leads to normal weight gain for your baby, which may protect against obesity later in life. And if all that wasn't enough, breast milk offers a bright beginning because it contains special fats that are needed for optimal cognitive development.

The Mother Benefits

Aside from the emotional closeness you'll feel when nursing your baby, you can look forward to many physical benefits too. During the first few weeks after the birth, breastfeeding will help your uterus contract more quickly than if you weren't breastfeeding. Plus, nursing will help you use up extra calories to help you return to your pre-pregnancy weight.

You provide your baby with the best nutrition each day by breastfeeding her.

A lot of the nutrition baby receives from breast milk comes from your body's stored nutrients.

So don't forget-YOUR nutrition is important too!

Enjoy a wide range of foods and don't forget your family's cultural favorites! Even during nursing, your baby is becoming familiar with and learning to like the flavors of the foods you eat.

Foods to Avoid

Some foods can cause mild reaction such as spicy foods, cabbage, chocolate and foods high in C concentrate. It will depend on your own body and the sensitivity of your baby.

Foods such as cabbage, garlic, chili & curry may cause your baby to experience discomfort with wind. Although there is no research to support this, centuries of mothers will agree that keep these foods to a minimum if you want a good nights sleep. Some strongly flavored foods may change the taste of your milk, although babies enjoy a variety of breast milk flavors, if you baby suddenly becomes fussy at the breast after you eat particular foods (for example garlic) you be best to avoid that food while breastfeeding. However you babies tolerance may improve as he/she gets older so you may be able to re-introduce that food.

Other foods & drinks to watch out for are; pineapple/juice (being the worst offender) and other vitamin C rich fruits such as oranges, tomatoes, grapefruit and lemon, that can cause your baby to get a nappy rash. Moderate your caffeine intake, a small amount is fine, but too much can interfere with your baby's sleep, or make him/her fussy. Keep in mind that caffeine is found in some sodas, teas, and over-the-counter medicines, as well as in coffee.