Shopping malls open ‘Love Mommy Huts’
Print Edition
LOVE Mommy Huts” have sprung up in about two dozen shopping malls in Shanghai this month so mothers can comfortably and privately breast-feed their babies or collect breast milk when not at home.
The first 200 “Love Mommy Huts” were launched in office buildings in Shanghai last year. The number of huts is eventually expected to reach 500 by the end of this year.
The breast-feeding rate among babies six months old or less in China is 27.8 percent, according to a recent report released by the National Health and Family Planning Commission. The rate in rural areas is 30.3 percent while in urban areas it is 15.8 percent, which experts say is too low.
“A mother’s milk is the perfect food for babies as it possesses all the nutrients a baby needs. The nutrients in breast milk are also easily absorbed by the baby,” says Dr Li Ting, obstetrician of Shanghai First Maternity and Child Health Hospital.
Breast milk includes protein, fat, trace elements and vitamins that are in the best proportion for a baby to absorb. For example, the absorption rate of iron from breast milk is about 50 percent while it is 10 percent from cow milk. A baby will absorb about 62 percent of zinc in breast milk compared to 40 percent from cow milk.
Another benefit to breast-feeding is that the proportion of different nutrients in breast milk changes as the baby grows. For example, colustrum, also known as liquid gold, is produced within days after giving birth. It is rich in nutrients and antibodies to boost a newborn’s immune system. Although a baby only gets a small amount of colostrum at each feeding, it is enough for a newborn’s tiny stomach.
The abundant immunological substances in mother’s milk can protect babies from various infections. This immunity continues even after weaning.
As a baby grows, the protein content in breast milk will gradually decrease while fat and other nutrients increase. Babies who have been breast-fed are less likely to become overweight later in life.
Another benefit is that breast-fed babies don’t become constipated as the probiotics in mother’s milk aids bowel movements. Many baby formulas are helpless in this aspect. Breast milk is especially recommended for babies whose mothers have chronic allergies as it can reduce the possibility of them developing the same problems.
There is also an emotional benefit to both mother and child with breast-feeding.
“Breast-feeding helps strengthen the bond between mother and her baby,” says Li.
Cradled in a mom’s arms and hearing a mother’s heart beat will help a baby feel safe, almost as if it were still in the womb. Though some new mothers may consider breast-feeding a tiring job, it also helps them recover from giving birth. Breast-feeding process can reduce the time it takes for the uterus to return to its original size. Modern research also has found that women who breast-feed are less likely to get breast or ovarian cancer.
Breast-feeding can also help women lose the excessive weight gained during pregnancy.
“Most pregnant women will naturally preserve quite amount of calories for breast-feeding. If they are not delivered to the babies through breast milk, it is very likely it will be converted into fat,” says Li.
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