10 Things You Might Not Know About Breastfeeding
Your Questions Answered in the First Episode of KASHF Foundation’s Podcast Initiative Sehat Ka Paigham
KASHF Foundation has launched a new podcast called Sehat ka Paigham to celebrate 30 years of empowering and transforming women’s lives in Pakistan’s low-income households. The first episode focuses on maternal health, specifically the benefits, lack of awareness, and the dos and don’ts of breastfeeding.
The aim of the first episode is to educate, inform, and create awareness about breastfeeding and maternal health. It also addresses social practices and beliefs related to breastfeeding and whether they have any basis in medical facts.
The podcast is hosted by actor and talk show host Sania Saeed, who leads the discussion with guest Dr. Shaheen Zafar, a gynecologist and maternal health expert. The podcast addresses myths about breastfeeding in our society and answers many commonly asked questions about the topic.
Here are 10 key highlights from the conversation that will help young mothers and their families understand how to approach breastfeeding and ensure a newborn baby receives the best nutrition in the first two years of her life:
- How Long Should a Mother Breastfeed Her Child? Mothers should try to breastfeed exclusively for the first six months of the child’s life. This means that the baby does not require any other nutrition, not even water, if exclusively breastfed. After that, it is recommended that the mother continue breastfeeding for the first two years of the child’s life.
- What Diet Should a Breastfeeding Mother Follow? A breastfeeding mother should eat fish, eggs, poultry, meat, nuts, and follow a high-protein diet prepared at home. This will ensure she receives adequate nourishment to breastfeed her baby and maintain her own health. If she does not like milk, she can consume yogurt to ensure adequate calcium intake.
- What Are the Causes of Less Milk Production in a Breastfeeding Mother? The main reasons for less milk production could be a lack of fluids, a poor diet lacking adequate protein, incorrect suckling by the baby or the mother’s posture during breastfeeding, anxiety or stress, lack of family support, and postpartum depression.
- Are Breastfed Babies Weak and Malnourished? Breastfed babies receive the best and complete form of nourishment through the mother’s milk. An exclusively breastfed baby does not require water and will receive all the nutrition needed in the first six months of life.
- What Is Colostrum, and Should It Be Discarded? Colostrum is the thickish, yellow milk that appears in the Mother’s milk in the first two to three days after giving birth and is highly beneficial for the baby. It is specifically meant for the first few days of a child’s life and should not be discarded. The milk composition changes as the baby grows.
- Does a Breastfed Baby Catch a Mother’s Infection If She Is Sick and Breastfeeding? Mother’s milk carries antibodies that enter the baby through the breastmilk and help protect her. However, the mother’s infection will not be transferred to her baby through breast milk.
- What Are the Benefits of Breastfeeding? Breastfed babies benefit from skin-to-skin contact with the mother, which makes them bond with the mother, feel emotionally secure, and reduce anxiety. Research suggests that these benefits are transferred to the child even as he or she grows, resulting in psychologically strong and confident young adults.
- Should a Mother Continue Breastfeeding Even If She Has a Nipple Infection with Pus Discharge? Breastfeeding can continue even if the mother has a breast or nipple infection. Breastfeeding helps heal the infection. The pus can be wiped off every time before breastfeeding, and the mother can continue feeding her child.
- Can Breastfeeding Aid a Mother in Post-Pregnancy Weight Loss? Breastfeeding helps a mother shed post-pregnancy weight more easily. As long as she is taking a healthy diet containing all food groups, especially adequate protein, breastfeeding will help in post-pregnancy weight loss.
- Does Medicine Taken by a Breastfeeding Mother Enter the Child’s Bloodstream? Most medicines taken by a breastfeeding mother do not enter a child’s bloodstream. However, certain medicines might be transferred through breastmilk, and the doctor can advise the mother when such medicines are prescribed.
The first episode of the Sehat Ka Paigham podcast addresses these and many more questions regarding breastfeeding and maternal health. To get answers to more questions, such as at what age a young girl is physically able to bear children, whether a woman’s age affects breast milk production, and other social practices and beliefs related to breastfeeding that might not have any basis in medical facts, catch the full conversation here.
This is the first in a series of eight podcasts from KASHF Foundation, educating, informing, and spreading awareness, one conversation at a time.
The information in the first episode of Sehat Ka Paigham has been provided by Dr. Shaheen Zafar FRCOG, Medical Director at the Sindh Institute of Reproductive Medicine and Co-chair of Ob/Gyn at Koohi Goth Hospital. She is a gynecologist and expert in maternal health.
