How long does breastfeeding normally last?

Children have not formed the habit of three meals a day like adults, so when a child cries, most mothers will think that the child is hungry and will feed the child. In fact, children also have their own eating habits. If they are excessively breastfed, it will increase the burden on their gastrointestinal digestive system. How long should the interval between breastfeedings be normally?

How long is best for breastfeeding?

The optimal breastfeeding period is generally considered to be between 6 months and 2 years. How long breastfeeding should last also depends on the mother's physical condition.

It is generally believed that the best weaning age is 8 to 12 months after birth in urban areas, and can be extended to 12 to 18 months in rural areas. However, if the mother has a poor physical condition and her milk secretion is insufficient, she can be weaned early.

If the mother has a good constitution and her milk secretion is still vigorous, or if the baby is weak and sickly and weaning is harmful to the baby's health, the weaning time can be appropriately postponed, but no later than 2 years old.

In addition, the specific time for weaning should be in spring or autumn.

The World Health Organization strongly recommends exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months of life. From 6 months to 2 years or longer, other foods should be supplemented while continuing to breastfeed.

The World Health Organization confirms: "Breast milk is the best nutritional food for infants." Breast milk contains a variety of immune components, more unsaturated fatty acids than cow's milk, and taurine that promotes the baby's brain development. Therefore, the breastfeeding period can be appropriately extended, contrary to the common belief that "breast milk has no nutritional value after six months".

What are the benefits of breastfeeding?

In summary, breastfeeding has the following benefits:

1. Nutrition

Breast milk is rich in nutrients, containing abundant and easily absorbed proteins, fats and carbohydrates. Breast milk contains more albumin and less casein, and is easy to digest and absorb; the fat in breast milk is unsaturated fatty acid and has high nutritional value. The particles are small, which is conducive to digestion and absorption; the lactose content in breast milk is high, which is conducive to the growth of lactobacilli.

Although breast milk does not contain much iron, it is easily absorbed and utilized. The utilization rate of iron in breast milk reaches 50%. Breastfeeding protects against later childhood obesity.

Breast milk contains many ingredients that enhance immunity and protect children from certain diseases. Breast milk contains a bifidobacterium factor, which helps the growth of lactobacilli in the baby's intestines, prevents the growth of harmful bacteria, and thus prevents the occurrence of diarrhea.

The composition of breast milk can change accordingly as your baby's development needs. The milk secreted by the mother within 1-2 days after giving birth is called colostrum. It is yellow and thin in texture, contains more protein and solid components, and has a mild laxative effect, which helps the newborn to excrete meconium.

2. For breastfeeding mothers

Breastfeeding can also stimulate the mother's uterine contractions and promote early recovery. Breastfeeding mothers are also less likely to develop breast cancer. Breast milk can also consume excess fat and water in the mother's body, which is beneficial for postpartum body shaping.

Newborn sucking can stimulate the mother's pituitary prolactin secretion, promote lactation, and promote uterine contraction, which is beneficial to the mother's uterine involution and lochia discharge, and reduces the occurrence of maternal bleeding and other infectious diseases.

The baby's sucking action also causes the mother's body to secrete hormones that help relax her. Many busy working mothers have reported that breastfeeding can help them relax after a busy day, and the feeling of tiredness and fatigue will naturally disappear.

3. Economical and convenient

Inexpensive; breast milk is free to buy and requires the mother to consume only 500 extra calories of food per day. Breast milk is neither too cold nor too hot and is ready for babies to suck at any time.

4. Enhance the relationship between mother and child

The close skin contact between mother and child during breastfeeding can strengthen the relationship between mother and child, and the mother can promptly feel whether the baby's body temperature is normal and detect certain diseases early.