Benefits Of Breastfeeding!!

The 'prolactin' receptors within the breast stimulate the production of milk. The more frequent the extraction of milk, the more active these receptors will be. This will result in a frequent production of milk and is thus the most important and primary factor that determines the mother's ability to produce milk.

The production of breast milk is connected to the number of milk making cells within the breast and has nothing to do with the shape or the physical size of the breast. These cells start growing during pregnancy and are in full swing in the first few weeks after birth. Once you start weaning the baby, the production of the cells also goes down and then eventually stops.

The baby may become hungry and feed constantly during certain periods which are also known as growth spurts. These are periods where the baby may face rapid growth. These usually occur during the first week after birth, then in the third week, again in the third month and the sixth month. These spurts may last a couple of days and even up to a week. After the end of the spurt, the milk production will return back to normal as your baby resumes a normal feeding pattern.

Breastfeed carries the nourishment required to promote healthy growth and development in babies for the first 6 months. According to the WHO, babies should be breastfed exclusively for at least 6 months. After 6 months they can be introduced to the appropriate food and may continue to breastfeed for up to 2 years or beyond depending on you and your baby to decide when the time is right to stop it.