Breastfeeding is the most natural way to feed your baby. It is the way provided by Mother Nature. Therefore, it must be the primary means that mothers use to feed their babies.  Breastfeeding brings plenty of health benefits to both the baby as well as the mother.

The World Health Organization recommends breastfeeding to be the exclusive way of feeding newborns for the first six months of their lives.  And, for the rest of your baby’s growth, until two years and beyond, use breast milk in combination with other foods.

There are many reasons to consider breastfeeding to be the best choice of feed your baby. Perhaps when we think about these reasons, the first we can think about are nutritional ones. Because breast milk has all the key nutrients in the right amount for optimal growth and development of your baby, and it evolves at the same time as your baby does. So it will always provide exactly what the baby needs in the right quantity.

Another reason why breastfeeding is the ultimate choice is related to baby’s health. Breast milk reinforces your baby’s immune system. And the good thing is that breastfeeding your baby is also good for your health as a mum! It has been shown that breastfeeding helps mothers to recover after pregnancy and birth and provides a protective effect against certain kinds of cancer.

And last but not the least there are reasons related to convenience too; breast milk is always “ready to use”. It always is at the right temperature and it doesn’t need manipulation or sterilization.

But breastfeeding is not always as easy as it seems like. Despite all the benefits, there are situations in which breastfeeding is very difficult or even impossible. The difficulties may come from the baby, from the mum or from both of them.

In these cases, the most important thing is to look for help to establish breastfeeding. If after lots of patience, love and time, breastfeeding is still not possible, you mustn’t feel as if it is a problem or a failure on your part.

In case that you can’t breastfeed your baby, fortunately, you can count on infant formulas, which is the best alternative when breastfeeding is not the choice. Infant formulas will provide your baby with all the nutrients needed for a normal growth and development in each stage.

Remember the most important thing: a baby fed with love is a happy baby.

Amaya Prada,
Healthcare Consultant