There are many campaigns that try to raise awareness about the importance of breastfeeding for all the benefits it carries for the health of both the mother and her baby.
Nutritionist Mary Bill Harb from B-Beauty beauty center shares with you the most prominent of these benefits:
Breastfeeding holds so many benefits for the health of the baby. It enhances his immunity system and protects him from many diseases. The mother’s milk provides the baby with a large number of essential nutrients for natural growth, stimulating the production of hormones in his intestines and thus facilitating effective absorption of the nutrients. This gives the baby a feeling of fullness and sleepiness and increases his immunity.
Breastfeeding and the mother’s health
As Harb notes, the most notable benefits of breastfeeding include reducing the risk of getting breast and uterus cancer in the future, as well as helping the mother lose calories. Breastfeeding directly after giving birth can also help build a strong bond between and the mother and her baby.
Harb emphasizes the importance of having a diverse and healthy diet that includes all kinds of food groups, necessary for lactating women, including meat, milk, vegetables, fruits, and starches. Meanwhile, lactating women should avoid caffeinated drinks, like tea, coffee, and soft drinks. Harb affirms the need to replace the latter with no less than two liters of liquid per day.
Avoid these foods…
Harb underlines the importance of avoiding foods rich in spices and seasoning that change the taste of the milk and make the baby reject it. Further, it is important to avoid eating peanut if there’s a family history of peanut allergy. Avoid taking food supplements like vitamins and minerals or those with herbs, it is preferable to have these nutrients from their natural sources. Supplements should only be taken when they’re necessary and after consulting a physician.
She also emphasizes the importance of not having some kinds of vegetables like cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, onion, and garlic, as they contain elements which could cause severe stomachaches for the baby. She recommends drinking herbal teas which contain cooking ingredients, such as chamomile, fennel, and mint…
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