Breastfeeding Your Toddler
Think that when you deliver your baby, the hard part will be over? Once the baby is born, the new challenge that presents itself is raising the infant. Breastfeeding can begin within moments of giving birth as long as there are no problems with the baby and the mother. Breastfeeding should be continued for at least the first 6 months of the baby's life, but can continue for up to one year, or until such time as your pediatrician feels the baby can handle other liquids.
Some people question ending breastfeeding that early, and believe that breastfeeding can continue on until the baby becomes a toddler. It has been shown that children who continue to be breastfed tend to get sick fewer times and recover more quickly from illness than children who are no longer breastfed.
This is because breast milk has just the right concentration of protein, water, fat, sugar and antibodies. These protect the toddler from harmful bacteria and viruses, and defend against disease and infection better than any medicine available in the market. Other benefits of breastfeeding are:
1. Breastfeeding helps burns calories, helping the mother shed the excess pounds gained during pregnancy.
2. It provides time for the mother to bond with the baby, building a sense of security, warmth, and comfort, and strengthen the relationship between mother and child.
3. Breastfeeding reduces the risk of cancer in the breasts and the ovaries.
4. It helps stop the post-partum "Period" women get, and helps the uterus return to its original size.
5. Breastfeeding until the child chooses to wean promotes emotional growth. Parents and pediatricians have seen these children grow up to emotionally secure and independent.
6. Toddlers who have been breastfed score higher on IQ tests than kids who were not.
7. Breastfeeding helps the toddler grow normally and avoid becoming overweight or obese in the future.
Breastfeeding can be awkward for mothers when their baby becomes a toddler. If this is the case, one can still continue breastfeeding with an aid of a breast pump. This can cost a little or a lot depending on the model of breast pump you buy and if you choose to pump manually or electronically.
Choosing a what kind of breast pump to get depends on the lifestyle of the mother. If she only needs it to go shopping for a few hours without the baby, then a manual pump is enough. However, if the mother goes back to work after the child is born, then it is best to get an electronic breast pump.
You can purchase breastfeeding equipment from a department store, a baby specialty store, or from the hospital. You can also rent if you don't want to buy. A breast pump can be ordered off of the internet and shipped to you in just a few days.
Feeding breast milk in a bottle is still okay for the baby since the child is still able to get the correct nutrients for his or her growth and development. As the baby gets bigger, solid foods can be used in conjunction with breast milk.
Whether expressed with a pump, or taken directly from the breast, breast milk is the healthiest thing for your baby to drink. And with the great breast pumps available these days, you can give your child breast milk even longer than ever.
William Jones contributes to several online magazines, including http://litoc.com and http://go-recreation.com
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