In many maternity hospitals, early attachment of the newborn to the mother's breast is now practiced. Why and why is this necessary?
During childbirth, the baby experiences severe stress: he has just been warm and moist, he was protected, and suddenly he feels cold, the moisture around him has disappeared. Therefore, first of all, it is important that the baby feels the warmth of his mother's body, her heartbeat, and hears his own voice immediately after birth.
As soon as the baby is born, the obstetrician or doctor immediately, without washing the mucus and blood, put it on my mother’s stomach and cover it with a sheet or diaper. From the first seconds of birth, the baby is surrounded by mother's care, love, feels mother's tender hands, feels protected. This feeling of security is important for the subsequent development of the baby, his perception of himself and others, and positive relations with the world around him.
The first minutes are no less valuable for mom. It is in these moments that the maternal instinct awakens in her, the relationship "mother - child" is born. It is not for nothing that doctors note that when latching on to the breast immediately after childbirth, even those mothers who wanted to abandon the child usually take him home.
With early application, the process of completion of labor is accelerated, the uterine contractions are stimulated, as a result, the afterbirth leaves faster.
Early latching of the baby to the breast promotes a rapid and increased flow of milk into the mother's breast, and then a longer lactation.
And only in cases of the birth of a premature, severely weakened child or a child with breathing problems, early attachment is contraindicated.
It is very important to let the baby suck on the colostrum. The fact that the woman was injected with drugs or had a caesarean section is not a hindrance either. Of course, the baby still does not know how to suck, and he still has little strength. Therefore, the doctor or obstetrician brings the mother's nipple to the baby's lips and gently squeezes the colostrum droplets into his mouth. A newborn cannot suck, but he is able to swallow droplets that have fallen into his mouth.
Why is it so important to give your baby colostrum?
Colostrum is the most powerful remedy that nature has endowed mother with. A few drops contain everything necessary for the development of a newborn.
With the help of colostrum, the necessary beneficial microflora enters the baby's intestines. After all, when the baby is born, the intestines of the baby are completely sterile. And if he does not receive beneficial bacteria from the mother's colostrum, then he will be populated by the microflora of the child's environment, in this case, the hospital. And it contains, in addition to useful, and many pathogenic bacteria and microbes.
Colostrum helps to quickly get rid of the crumbs from the first waste product of a small organism - meconium (original feces).
Colostrum reduces the harmful effects of bilirubin, which cause jaundice in newborns.
Colostrum contains special substances - immunoglobulins that protect the baby's fragile body from harmful microorganisms. Children who receive colostrum in the first minutes of life have stronger immunity. They get sick 3.3 times less often than those who were attached to the breast after 24 hours after giving birth.
So, the advantages of latching to the breast immediately after childbirth:
- Helps to complete labor sooner, because it enhances the contractions of the uterus and promotes the rapid separation of the placenta;
- Includes mechanisms of milk formation, enhances lactation;
- Establishes an emotional connection between the child and the mother;
- Strengthens the baby's immunity, reduces the risks of diseases in the future;
- The phenomenon of imprinting occurs - the baby remembers exactly his mother, the emergence of a deep internal connection between them;
- The child develops a sense of strong psychological protection, which will provide him with a positive harmonious development in the future.
Latching on to the breast immediately after childbirth is an opportunity given to the mother by nature itself to establish a close emotional connection with the baby. A chance to make it easier for a newborn to enter a new, independent life. A must-take chance!
We read further on the topic of breastfeeding:
- Tips for breastfeeding mothers about hepatitis B (WHO advice and recommendations. Many videos)
- Basic rules for breastfeeding (we recommend that you read)
- Feeding positions (basic feeding positions for a newborn baby)
- Nutrition for a nursing mother (list of foods that are recommended to be consumed during the hepatitis B period)
- If it hurts to breastfeed (causes / diseases)
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