The first feeding
We advise the new mother to breastfeed her baby as soon as
possible
after birth, because there are many benefits in doing so.
One of these benefits is that the milk that is secreted by the
mother’s breast after birth,
which is called colostrum, is full of
protein, vitamins and minerals, especially
potassium and sodium
chloride. It also contains less fat. Colostrum also contains
antibodies which the child did not acquire when he was still in his
mother’s womb. The colostrum also
contains digestive enzymes
that are suited to the stomach of the newborn in his first few
days.
Another of the benefits of breastfeeding straight away is that it
helps the uterus to contract and
prevents haemorrhage after
giving birth.
Advice for the first days of breastfeeding
Do not worry about the small amounts of milk that you are
producing from your breasts during
the first few days after birth,
because the newborn infant does not need a lot of fluid as he is
born with reserves of water. What he actually needs is the
protein and antibodies that are in the colostrum.
Does my baby need water?
In fact the infant under the age
of six months does not need
water, because he gets enough water from his mother’s milk. The
amount of water in breastmilk, or even in baby formula, is usually
no less than 880 ml per litre which is ideal.
Moreover, before the age of six months the baby’s
immune
system is not mature enough to fight any contamination that may
be present in water, even if the contamination is minor.
Dr
Jennifer Anders, a specialist in emergency paediatric medicine,
says:
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