What is the importance of a mother’s health for breastfeeding, and what are the common mistakes that new mothers make in terms of diet and nutrition during breastfeeding?
The health of the mother is crucial for successful breastfeeding, as healthy, nourishing, and digestible milk can only be produced by a healthy parent. It is essential for a mother to pay careful attention to her own health, including diet, exercise, and exposure to pure air, in order to provide the best possible milk for her infant. Indisposition in the nurse can affect the infant’s health.
One common mistake made by new mothers is to assume that they should eat very fully and drink wine, porter, or other fermented liquor to increase milk supply. This is incorrect and can cause an unnatural degree of fulness in the system, which can place the mother on the brink of disease and frequently stop the secretion of milk. The right plan of action is to pay attention to the ordinary laws of health, and if the mother has a sound constitution, she will make a better nurse than if she deviates from a healthy diet and lifestyle.
Another mistake is to consider every expression of the infant’s uneasiness as an indication of appetite, and to offer the breast every time the infant cries, even if only a short time has elapsed since the last meal. This can be harmful to both the mother and the child, as it can lead to an overfull stomach and indigestion in the infant, and may lead to the mother becoming overtired and prone to illness.
Based on the above, consider the following for breastfeeding:
it is important for new mothers to pay careful attention to their own health, including diet, exercise, and exposure to pure air, to provide the best possible milk for their infant. They should avoid common mistakes such as overeating, consuming fermented beverages, and offering the breast too frequently, which can be harmful to both the mother and the infant.
