Reasons to breastfeed

It may seem like ages until you actually give birth, but how you will feed your baby is an important decision, which can have lifelong benefits for your health as well as your baby’s.

Breastfeeding protects your baby’s health from birth. Research also shows that the benefits can last into childhood and beyond. Breast milk builds immunity to infection, and can help prevent obesity and childhood-onset diabetes.

Breastfeeding is the healthiest option for you and your baby, and health professionals will give you information about it. If you choose not to breastfeed, formula substitutes are available. Whatever you decide, it’s important that you are prepared and feel confident about how to feed your baby.

It is normal to find breastfeeding difficult for the first couple of months until it is well established, especially if this is your first baby, or if you have not breastfed your previous babies. However, it is important to give it a chance right from the beginning and to be patient, as you will experience the rewards later on, when breastfeeding is established and you can start to really enjoy it.

You can speak to your midwife about local breastfeeding support group which you can attend before and after the birth of your baby where you can ask any questions. You will also be given Bump to Breastfeeding DVD at your booking appointment

Talking about breastfeeding

During pregnancy your midwife will discuss the health benefits of breastfeeding for both you and your baby, to make sure you have all the information you need to make your choice. Some areas run breastfeeding workshops which you can attend when you are pregnant. They give you lots of information about what breastfeeding is like and what you can expect in the early days.

Most Scottish maternity hospitals are taking part in the UNICEF UK Baby Friendly Award Scheme, which means that staff are trained to give you as much support as you need to breastfeed. It can also be a good idea to chat to a friend who successfully breastfed her baby.

Health benefits

You will be told about the health benefits of breastfeeding for you and your baby. This is not to press you to breastfeed, but to make sure you have all the information you need to make your choice. It can be helpful to talk to other breastfeeding mums and find out what kind of support is there for you.

Breastfed babies are less likely to have many illnesses, including:

• chest, urine, ear and gastro-intestinal infections (sickness and diarrhoea). They have better immunity and protection because of the antibodies and anti-infective properties in breast milk. Formula milk cannot copy these
• breast milk contains bioactive compounds, which help regulate and mature the immune system in a way that helps to prevent the development of allergies. Formula milk does not contain these.
• high blood pressure and obesity. Many breastfed babies have better appetite control.
• breast milk doesn’t damage your baby’s teeth. Childhood tooth decay is caused by frequent and prolonged exposure of the teeth to sugar, such as drinking sweetened drinks from a bottle. Breastfeeding can help avoid this as you don’t need to give your baby anything else for the first six months.

Breastfed babies often have improved eyesight and increased alertness because special fats found in breast milk are good for their rapidly growing brains. In addition, breast milk has special value for sick and premature babies, protecting them against infections and serious gut problems.

Breastfeeding has benefits for you too

Mothers who breastfeed have a lower risk of:

• ovarian and breast cancer
• hip fracture in later life, caused by the bone disease osteoporosis.

Other benefits for you include:

• successful breastfeeding makes you feel good
• you see your baby growing and developing as she should
• you can be proud that its all your own work
• breast milk is always available, at the right temperature and with just the right ingredients
• there are no bottles or teats to sterilise
• it's free- mothers who breastfeed save money because they don’t have to pay for formula milk, bottles, teats and sterilising equipment.

Breastfeeding may also help you return to your pre-pregnancy weight. In pregnancy, your body lays down fat stores for breastfeeding. If you breastfeed, you use these stores, helping to avoid the long-term health risks associated with being overweight, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, cancer and heart disease.

Although it’s a natural process, you and your baby will both need to learn how to breastfeed. For some mothers it may be difficult for the first few weeks. It helps to be prepared for it and have the support of people around you, including your midwife and your family.

How your choice to breastfeed is supported

Soon after your baby is born, you will enjoy skin-to-skin contact with her. This keeps your baby warm and calms her by stabilising her heartbeat and breathing. It also helps to stimulate your breastfeeding hormones.

Keeping baby close, sometimes called rooming in

Most maternity units in hospitals now recommend that babies stay with their mums 24 hours a day. This is called ‘rooming in’ and it helps you to get used to breastfeeding your baby as well as reducing the risk of infection. You’ll have support on hand from the staff in the maternity ward – as well as other new mums – and, of course, you’ll have the opportunity to spend time with your new baby and start bonding with her.

Help and advice

When you are in hospital – and once you are back at home – your midwife will be on hand to give you plenty of practical advice to help you to establish breastfeeding. You’ll be shown how to hold your baby (positioning) and how to encourage her to take your nipple and breast in her mouth correctly (attachment). This will help your baby to feed effectively – and also help you to avoid sore nipples or some of the other problems that new mums can experience when breastfeeding for the first time.

Early first feeds

When you start breastfeeding your baby, the first milk she gets will be colostrum. This will help her to have her first bowel movements and, as it is rich in antibodies, will also help her to fight infections.

It is normal for colostrum to come in very small volumes. It helps the baby adjust to life outside the womb as he learns how to coordinate suck/swallow/breathe. Colostrum is the ideal first food, a very concentrated form of nutrition, high in protein and very easy to digest.

Avoiding teats and dummies

Experts now believe that it is best to avoid bottles and teats altogether if you want to breastfeed successfully. Your midwife will be happy to discuss this with you.

Baby-led feeding

By allowing your baby to feed according to her own hunger or thirst – rather than a rigid timetable – you’ll find that you establish a good supply of milk and avoid breast engorgement.

For further information and advice please visit the section of the site about breastfeeding – or talk to your midwife to discuss your choice to breastfeed.