Exclusive breastfeeding

Ten things you may not know about exclusive breastfeeding

Every mother who chooses to exclusively breastfeed her baby in the first 6 months is doing the best thing she can to help her baby grow and stay healthy

  1. Not all breastfeeding is equal and the differences are important:

     

  2. The healthiest babies are the ones who are exclusively breastfed

     

  3. Whilst breastfeeding, adding formula, water, teas, other drinks, cereals and other foods, in the first 6 months increases the baby's risk of getting diarrhoea, pneumonia, malnutrition and allergies

     

  4. The more the baby suckles at the breast, the more milk will be made The way to make more milk is to feed the baby more often. If the baby is given a dummy or drinks from a bottle he/she will not suckle often enough from the breast, so the mother will make less milk. The baby may also become confused about how to suckle well, and may refuse the breast.

     

  5. Breastmilk only, with nothing else added contains all the nutrients and water a baby needs for the first 6 months of life

     

  6. Colostrum cleans the stomach out, and breastmilk is clean. No medicines or drinks should be used to clean the stomach.

     

  7. The first milk (foremilk) that comes from each breast is nutritious, but looks thin and watery. This milk is especially to quench the baby's thirst.

     

  8. After this foremilk comes the richer hindmilk which contains extra fat and energy so the baby will feel full and grow strong. Let the baby drink until satisfied on one breast, before offering the other breast.

     

  9. Constipation and diarrhoea are rare in exclusively breastfed babies. In the first few weeks babies commonly pass stools with every feed. Older babies, however sometimes only pass one soft stool a week, and this is fine.

     

  10. Working mothers can continue exclusive breastfeeding by expressing breastmilk at work and at home. Expressed milk should be left covered in a clean container in a cool place, to be fed from a cup while the mother is away. Expressed breastmilk will last 8-10 hours out of the fridge, and 3 days in a fridge. When the mother returns home, she should breastfeed the baby often through the night.

Izinto Eziyishyumi Okungabe Awuzazi Mayelana Nokuncelisa Ibele Lodwa

Umama okhetha ukuncelisa umntwana wakhe ibele lodwa wenza into engcono angayenzela umntwana wakhe ukuzc akhulc kahle enempilo.

  1. Izinhlobo zokuncclisa azifani kunjAo nje umehluko ubalulekile;
    Ukuncelisa ibele lodwa: kusho ukuncelisa umntwana ibele lodwa, umgamuphi lutho olunye.
    Uhwtcclisa okuxubile: ukuncelisa ibele wengeze okunye okunjengamanzi, ujusi, itiye, ubisi olusethinini, amasiriyeli abantwana nokunye. Lendlela yokuncelisa yandisa-amathuba okuba umntwana angenwe izifo.
     
  2. Abantwana abaphile kahle yilabo abancela ibele lodwa.
     
  3. Uma uncelisa ibele ulixube nebhodlela, itiye, ijusi, nokunye ezinyangeni eziyisithupha zokuqala wandisa amathuba okuba umntwana aguliswe izifo ezifana nesifo sohudo; isifo samaphaphu (pneumonia) kanye nesifo sendlala. Kanti futhi uma esemdala kungenzeka kube nokudla angezwani nakho.
     
  4. Ukuncelisa zikhathi zonke kwenza izindlala zikhiqize ubisi oluningi: Abantwana abanikwa imincumo, bayebe sebedembekisela ukudonsa ebeleni. Lokho kunciphisa inani lobisi oluphumayo. Abanye abantwana bagcina ngokuliduba ibele.
     
  5. Ubisi lwebele lodwa lunawo wonke amanzi nomsoco umntwana awudingayo ezinyangeni eziyisithupha zokuqala zempilo yakhe
     
  6. Umthubi uhlanza isisu ukhiphe namakaka amnyama; ubisi lwebele luhlanzekile. Akudingeki ukuba uthenge imithi yokuhlanza isisu.
     
  7. Ubisi oluphuma kuqala olubukeka luhlambulukile lunomsoco futhi lubalulekile. Lolubisi luqeda ukoma kumntwana.
     
  8. Ubisi olulandelayo yilona olusuthisa umntwana lunamafutha anika amandla ukuze akhule eqinile futhi asuthe. Ncelisa umntwana aze enele ebeleni elilodwa ngaphambi kokumshintshela kwelinye.
     
  9. Ukuqunjelwa nokukhishwa isisu akwejwayelekile ezinganeni ezincela ibele lodwa. Emasontweni ambalwa okuqala umntwana uvama ukukaka njalo emva kokuncela. A bantwana asebekhulile bangakaka kanye ngesonto amakaka athambile, lokhu akuyona inkinga.
     
  10. Omama abasebenzayo bangaqhubeka bancelise ibele lodwa uma belukhama ubisi besekhaya noma emsebenzini. Ungalugcina ubisi lumboziwe esitsheni esihlanzekile endaweni epholile ukuze osele nomntwana amphuzise ngesipuni. Lolubisi lungahlala amahora awu 8 kuya ku10 lungekho efrijini nomo izinsku ezintathu efrijini. Uma umama esebuyele ekhaya makancelise kakhulu ebusuku.

This site is best viewed at 1024 x 786 using Internet Explorer 4 or later.

The materials on this website may be copied for non-commercial use as long as our copyright notice and website address are included.
Copyright © KwaZulu-Natal Department of Health, 2001

 | Disclaimer