POLOKWANE – Breastfeeding is not only an act of feeding, but it also helps build a bond between mother and child.
Breastfeeding releases a number of hormones from mom and baby that promote mothering behaviors and the formation of a strong bond, which promotes a sense of protection, love and closeness. In support of breastfeeding and the health benefits of it, mothers celebrated World Breastfeeding Week from 1 to 7 August and in celebration Review spoke to dietitian Anke van Waveren about this topic.
“Mothers should breastfeed their babies exclusively for six months and thereafter provide them with appropriate complementary foods, while continue breastfeeding for up to two years of age.”
Anke explains breastfeeding is the best way to provide your baby with optimal nutrition, and to protect the child from illness and infections. “Breastfeeding strengthens the baby’s immune system by directly transferring antibodies that fight infections from the mother. For this reason a mother should continue breastfeeding her baby. The immune protection for the baby is important and this means if the mother can, she should be encouraged and supported to breastfeed.
There is no evidence that Covid-19 is transmitted through breastfeeding.
• If the mother is confirmed to have Covid-19, she should still continue to breastfeed. If she is ill and unable to breastfeed, then she should be encouraged to express breast milk and ask a caregiver to feed the milk to the baby. Expressing breast milk is also important to sustain breast milk production so that mother can breastfeed when she recovers. Hand expressing is the safest option. If you are using a breast pump, do not share it between mothers. The expressed breast milk should be fed to the baby preferably using a clean cup.
• For women expressing breast milk, wash hands before expressing. Breast pumps or cups if used should not be shared between mothers. “If breastfeeding is not possible the best alternatives to breastfeeding for a newborn or young infant are expressed breast milk or donated human milk. There are many risks associated with giving infant formula milk that apply to situations where there is poor access to clean water, supplies for infant formula is not readily available and where there is poor access to health services if the baby becomes ill. The numerous benefits of breastfeeding substantially outweigh the potential risks of illnesses.”
Alternative options should a mother not be able to breastfeed:
“It is preferable to feed your baby your own milk, either via breastfeeding or pumped out. The only alternative is formula. You can also give your baby donor milk. Animal product like cow milk or goat milk do not have the necessary nutrients to feed your baby. It is also advised that you do not feed your baby of younger than six months soya milk. You shouldn’t give your baby of under a year anything else except breast milk or formula.”
Storage of expressed milk:
“After you pumped out the milk you can store it between two to four hours in room temperature and a day or two in the fridge. You need to place it in the fridge as soon as you pumped it out and in the back where it is the coldest. In a freezer it can last up to three months and if you store it in a box freezer in the bottom corner, it can last up to six months. To defrost it, place it in the fridge for a day and warm it by placing the bottle in boiling water. Do not warm it in the microwave or on the stove as it will be too hot and the nutrients will be lost.”
