Understanding the Benefits
Breast milk is one of the only substances which cannot be replicated. It’s structure is designed specifically for your baby and is full of live ingredients such as white blood cells, hormones and many other organisms which all play their part to contribute to your babies healthy development.
Breast milk adapts to cater for children’s needs such as increasing protective components when the nursing mother or baby becomes ill. Premature babies who are breastfed are also more likely to come home from the hospital sooner than those who are not breastfed. Many healthcare professionals view breast milk not just as nutrition, but as a medical intervention.
Breastfeeding and Development
During growth spurts many mums may believe they do not have enough milk to feed their babies, this is highly unlikely to be the case. Your body is extremely responsive to milk removal and knows how much milk to make for your baby; however during growth spurts the amount of milk required increases. Prolactin (this hormone’s function is to promote milk production) surges when milk is removed from the breast, therefore the more often you can feed or pump, particularly at nighttime, the greater your milk supply becomes.
Many mums rely on Medela breast pumps during these growth spurts as adding an extra couple of sessions can help to teach breasts of the required quantity of milk. Using Medela double pumps has been found to have an 18 percent increase in milk output.
Breast milk develops along with each stage of your baby’s development to provide the essential nutrients your baby needs. Your baby’s brain will almost double in size during the first six months of life. A recent study found that toddlers who had been exclusively breastfed for this period had 20 to 30 percent more white matter than those who had no breast milk (white matter connects different regions of the brain and transmits signals between them)
Difficulties Breastfeeding
Some women may feel that they cannot breastfeed despite their wish to do so, however many issues can be resolved with intervention. There are a large number of products available for those who wish to feed such as Medela Nipple Shields for difficulty with latch, Medela nipple formers for inverted nipples or Medela Hydrogel Pads for immediate relief from sore nipples which can revive your hopes for breastfeeding your baby at the breast.
Interaction with a lactation consultant is a must for those who are having difficulties and we can help to connect mums to a local or online consultant through our support network.
A significant issue faced by Irish mums is that their milk may not have ‘come in’ when their baby is born. This is especially true for those mums who have had their baby delivered prematurely or by caesarean section.
The Medela Symphony Breastpump is used in 100 percent of Irish maternity hospitals and has been created based on extensive scientific research. This breastpump is unique in design by mimicking the natural sucking behaviour of infants at the mother’s breast to initiate milk production in the first few days after birth and to optimise milk output during established lactation.
Making the Change
A report in 2013 found that only 15 percent of Irish babies are exclusively breastfed for the first six months of life, compared to the global average of 38 percent. We know that there are still steps that need to be taken to facilitate breastfeeding mums in Ireland, however, it's important to remember that legislators have protected the right to breastfeed. No person or premises can deny you the right to feed your child, after all it’s the most natural thing in the world to nurture your child with your breast milk.
Medicare Health & Living Ltd. are dedicated to bringing the most superior products available to the Irish market. As the official distributor for Medela, Medicare Health & Living ensure that all our customers have access to the highest level of support throughout their pregnancy, birth and breastfeeding journey. Our Medela breastfeeding support products, whether purchased or rented can be ordered online and shipped nationwide.
