~ Breastfeeding for Lil' Aliya ~

Alhamdulillah...can you believe it!!

My lil' princess Aliya is turning 1 month TOMORROW!!!

So far I am still breastfeeding (BF) her even though there are times I cater her with formula milk. I know that there are readers out there are so keen giving exclusive BF to their newborn but I have valid reason why cater her both. But I can't denied that BF has a lot of benefits in a lot of ways.

PROS

Now, when it comes to the advantages of breastfeeding, there are many different ones. These advantages affect both the mother and the child. Many medical professionals feel as if breastfeeding is the right choice of nutrition for newborns. This is because of the fact that milk that comes from the breasts contains a high level of nutrients, vitamins, and other essentials that are beneficial to the health. Refer to the list below for a more detailed description of some of the pros of breastfeeding:

1. One of the most common issues that women experience after giving birth is getting all of the weight off that they have acquired while carrying the child. By breastfeeding, the body will naturally burn calories. This will result in less weight, and the extra weight to burn off more quickly.

2. One of the main issues that new parents experience is the many new expenses that are encountered when a child arrives. By breastfeeding, you can save a lot of money annually. There is actually no need to purchase formula when you breastfeed.

3. The next advantage to feeding your child by this method is that there is a lot of flexibility. If you want to feed directly from the breast, you can. If you want to pump the breasts and then store the milk in bottles for later feedings, you can do this as well. This makes feeding extremely simple and convenient.

4. It has been discovered, through scientific studies and medical case studies, that women who feed their child in this manner are less susceptible to developing serious health complications like breast cancer and even ovarian cancer.

5. The next advantage to breastfeeding a newborn child is that this is part of the natural bonding process. It is important to bond as early as possible, and breastfeeding starts on day one of the child’s life!

CONS

Believe it or not, there are actually some cons when it comes to breastfeeding. While these disadvantages can be easily over powered with the advantages, in order to make a decision on whether or not this is the right choice for you and your family, it is only best to consider these things as well. The following list details the disadvantages many have found while breastfeeding:

1. The first disadvantage is that when a mother breastfeeds, it puts a lot of pressure on her. Ultimately, as a mother, you will be responsible for every single feeding that your child experiences. Sure, it is true that you can pump the breasts in order to store milk and/or allow others to feed the baby; this can also prove to be a large hassle.

2. While breastfeeding, you may notice that you feel more tired than usual. This is because this drains a lot of energy from the body. In addition to this, you may start to experience dryness in the nipple area, as well as other aches and pains. These symptoms are generally relieved by various over-the-counter pain medications, but many do feel this is one of the down sides to feeding in this manner.

3. Those that wish to work from home or go back into the workforce may find it difficult to find time to do the things that they need to do on a daily basis. The average newborn feeds approximately three to four hours a day, and for the busy woman, this may prove to be a burden on the schedule.

4. Many women find it uncomfortable to breastfeed in front of other people. This means that special care and consideration should be made when going somewhere because you do not want to have to feed the child while you are away.

5. Breastfeeding has often been deemed as a difficult task to accomplish. Learning how to perform this can be a bit challenging and you may find yourself becoming upset or anxious as a result of it.

Sewajarnya setiap ibu haruslah memberikan bayi mereka kolostrum yang sangat berkhasiat itu demi kesihatan dan pertumbuhan bayi yang tercinta. Sesungguhnya kasih ibu sentiasa padu dan salah satu caranya untuk membuktikan kasih itu adalah dengan memberikan nutrisi yang terbaik untuk anak – anak. Dan sesungguhnya, tiada nutrisi lain yang sebaik dan seistimewa susu ibu. Hapuskanlah kerisauan mengenai mitos – mitos yang menyelubungi kolostrum ini kerana sesungguhnya setiap ciptaan yang Allah jadikan itu adalah yang sebaiknya untuk umat manusia. Maka yakinlah, jika seseorang ibu itu mampu mengandung dan melahirkan anaknya, maka mengapa pula dia tidak mampu menyusukan anak itu dengan susunya sendiri? Berdasarkan jumlah kolostrum pada 3 hari pertama kelahiran, ramai ibu merasa risau dan berpendapat bahawa susunya tidak mencukupi untuk bayi itu. Tidak ramai yang mengetahui bahawa jumlah yang sedikit (37 ml) itulah sebenarnya yang hanya diperlukan oleh bayi. Itulah sejumlah yang kecil untuk keperluan dan saiz perut yang kecil. Sesungguhnya persoalan susu tidak cukup pada hari – hari pertama kelahiran adalah tidak wajar diutarakan. Jika ibu itu mengharapkan susunya mengalir mencurah – curah sehingga 500ml pada hari pertama, memanglah mustahil. Ini kerana bayi yang masih kecil itu tidak memerlukan jumlah susu yang banyak pada mulanya. Indah sungguh ciptaan Mu ya Allah. Kau jadikan sesuatu itu cukup berdasarkan keperluannya. Tidak lebih dan tidak kurang. Mengapa masih ramai yang ragu dengan ciptaan-Mu yang satu ini? Sedangkan Kau juga telah berfirman yang maksudnya: Dan Kami wajibkan manusia berbuat baik kepada kedua ibu bapanya; ibunya telah mengandungnya dengan menanggung kelemahan demi kelemahan (dari awal mengandung hingga akhir menyusunya), dan tempoh menceraikan susunya ialah dalam masa dua tahun; (dengan yang demikian) bersyukurlah kepadaKu dan kepada kedua ibubapamu; dan (ingatlah), kepada Akulah jua tempat kembali (untuk menerima balasan). (surah Luqman: 14).


" Penyusuan susu ibu merupakan pengalaman yang dipenuhi kasih sayang dan keintiman di antara anda dan bayi dan hanya berlaku untuk satu tempoh yang sangat singkat. Sebelum sempat anda menyedarinya, bayi anda sudah pun membesar dan perhubungan anda dengannya telah melalui satu dimensi baru.

Jadi, pergunakanlah masa ini bersama bayi dengan sebaik-baiknya. Berseronoklah dan hargainya dan apabila bayi melangkah ke peringkat berikut dalam kehidupannya, anda akan terkenang kembali dan bersyukur kerana anda sudah memberinya yang terbaik apabila dia sangat memerlukannya".