The gift that lasts a lifetime
Print Edition
BREAST-FEEDING is the optimal way to nourish and nurture newborns and infants. It provides infants with nutritional, immunological and psychological benefits and can continue well into the second year and beyond. In fact, breast milk is all your baby needs until he/she is six months old, at which time you can start slowly introducing solids.
Most breastfeeding-related problems can be overcome with information and support. At Shanghai United Family we are strongly in support of breast-feeding and provide the help that you may need for a successful breast-feeding experience, especially for first-time parents.
For some mothers, however, issues such as blocked ducts leading to frequent mastitis (inflammation of the breast) can arise. Treatment can be given but it may still make it difficult to continue breast-feeding. If you cannot breast-feed, the alternative is to feed your baby with formula.
It is important that you do not give a newborn food or drinks other than breast milk (or formula), unless medically indicated, including water or glucose water. Whole cow’s milk, goat’s milk and soy milk are not suitable for infants under 12 months.
These products do not have all the nutritional elements a baby needs to grow and thrive and can cause allergy problems.
It is important for new parents to:
• Learn as much about breast-feeding as possible before giving birth;
• Attend childbirth classes that provide breast-feeding preparation;
• Meet with other breast-feeding mothers by going to monthly La Leche League meetings both in Beijing and Shanghai (meetings are in both Chinese and English);
• Have a well-trained team of health care providers including pediatricians, midwives and nurses to give you positive feedback and support, particularly during the first few days in hospital.
Meika Chin is a midwife consultant of the Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology at Shanghai United Family Hospital and Clinics.
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