The birth of a newborn is also the birth of episodes of joy and burdensome worries. The satisfaction due to the fulfilment that heralds the dawn of a new life after about nine months of intense maternity struggle and concerns of the battles ahead. One of such battles is known as breastfeeding.
As simple as breastfeeding might look, it comes with its complexities and issues. In this blog post, we look at five things not to do while breastfeeding a newborn baby.
- Keeping poor hygiene: As much as we have proven in previous posts that your baby doesn't stand the chance of contracting a disease when you are down with one, we do not in any way undermine the fact that personal hygiene must be crucial and always kept by breastfeeding mothers. Maintaining poor hygiene is one of the easiest ways to expose your newborn baby to harmful bacterias, especially infections.
Note that 50% of malnutrition in babies is linked to malnutrition; mothers forgetting to wash their hands before handling their babies and opening them to bacteria and other pathogens.
2. Stress: The work of breastfeeding a newborn might be natural, but it can also be stressful. As much as possible, try to stay away from activities that would induce your body under unnecessary stress. Stress could make breastfeeding burdensome and tiring. However, going through necessary stress and complementing it with exercise is a way to keep the body system relaxed. Stay fit and stay healthy.
3. Certain food: Just like we discussed in the post about the three trimesters, you should also avoid certain food substances while breastfeeding your newborn. This includes fishes high in mercury and highly processed food. Breastfeeding mothers should try as much as possible to prevent these food substances as they could be detrimental to both the health of the baby and mother.
4. Alcohol and Caffeine: Alcohol and Caffeine should not be part of your diet as a pregnant mother and, most significantly, a breastfeeding mother. Caffeine and Alcohol contain toxic substances which could affect a baby's health. As much as possible, breastfeeding mothers should avoid the intake of both alcohol and caffeine.
5. Self-medication: Your baby might react to specific allergies at the early stage of birth. As a mother, you must not assume, but you must find out what is wrong by meeting the professionals for advice when necessary. Do not assume in any way, do not just give your baby any medicine and do not just take any; ask a professional on the way forward.
