Breastfeeding
Only the best for your baby
Breastfeeding provides your baby with everything it needs in its first months of life. Breast milk is good for the immune system and promotes an intimate relationship between mother and child through physical closeness and affection.
Why is breast milk so valuable for my baby?
Breast milk is optimally tailored to the needs of an infant. It offers your baby much more than just good nutrition:
- Breast milk contains all the important nutrients in the right quality and quantity that an infant needs for healthy growth.
- It is easily digestible and adapts to the growing nutritional needs of the infant during development.
- It contains special defense and protective substances that protect a child from illnesses, e.g. diarrhea and middle ear infections.
- Breastfeeding can protect the baby from pathogens and later allergies.
- Breastmilk prevents the baby from being overfed.
- Breastfeeding satisfies your baby's need for warmth and affection.
What are the benefits of breastfeeding?
- Breast milk is available at any time and any place.
- It is always at the right temperature and is hygienically perfect.
- The necessary hygienic precautions that are required when producing and storing bottled milk are no longer necessary.
- Breast milk is free.
By the way, neither a woman's figure nor the size of her breast has any influence on her ability to breastfeed, but only the condition of the breast tissue.
From a father's perspective: What role does the partner play in breastfeeding?
Even though breastfeeding is very much about mother and child, fathers are not on the outside, but play an important role in promoting breastfeeding. From day one, the new dad can support his partner with breastfeeding. Especially in the case of initial breastfeeding difficulties or later breastfeeding crises, the father is needed as an emotional supporter.
Breastfeeding simply works better when the mother has a partner by her side who actively supports breastfeeding. He can provide encouragement and ensure a calm and protected environment during the postpartum period. Breastfeeding takes a lot of energy for the mother, so the partner's care is particularly important during this time. If the mother occasionally expresses milk, this is a good opportunity for the father to give the baby a bottle.
In order to build up a close bond with the child himself, the father can carry the baby, swaddle it, cuddle it and gently rock it to sleep. And who says that the father can't create his own intimate moments? For example, by consciously taking time to cuddle and lay the baby on his bare upper body, dressed only in a diaper.
Where can I get help and advice on breastfeeding?
Most clinics offer the option of keeping the newborn in the mother's room (rooming-in). This allows you to have your baby with you at all times and breastfeed it as required.
You can contact the specialist breastfeeding consultants at the clinic and your aftercare midwife with any questions you may have about breastfeeding. They will show you how to latch your baby on correctly in a good breastfeeding position, help with initial difficulties and give advice on how to avoid some breastfeeding problems.
Even when you are at home with your baby, you should not hesitate to ask your midwife or a breastfeeding specialist for advice and help at any time if you have any problems.
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