The 10 most frequently asked questions about exclusive breastfeeding

After giving birth, it is strongly recommended that you give exclusive breastfeeding to the baby. Not solely to provide food and drink for your little one. This is because exclusive breastfeeding is the best food that can also provide many benefits for babies and mothers.

However, do you understand well about exclusive breastfeeding? Here are various information that will answer your curiosity about exclusive breastfeeding.

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What is exclusive breastfeeding?

Exclusive breastfeeding is the provision of breast milk (breast milk) to a newborn baby until he is 6 months old.

During this 6 month period, the baby is only allowed to receive breast milk and is not given any other food or drink, including water.

Only after the baby is over 6 months old can he be introduced to various other types of food while still providing breast milk.

This is known as complementary foods (complementary foods). That is why breastfeeding should be continued until the baby is 2 years old.

However, breastfeeding when the baby is more than 6 months to 2 years old is no longer known as exclusive breastfeeding.

Sometimes, in Indonesia, mothers still like to give water, sugar water, or tea water to the baby while waiting for the milk that has not come out.

Even though it seems trivial, this has thwarted exclusive breastfeeding.

In fact, although the other types of drinks are given only once during the first 6 months, aka during the exclusive breastfeeding period.

This cannot be said to be exclusive breastfeeding, but it is more suitable to be called predominant breast milk.

The predominant breastfeeding is giving breast milk to babies during exclusive breastfeeding, but by giving little water or water-based drinks other than breast milk.

There is also the term partial breastfeeding. Partial breastfeeding is giving breast milk to babies during exclusive breastfeeding by including artificial foods or drinks other than breast milk.

Intake other than breast milk can be in the form of formula milk, porridge, or other foods before the baby reaches 6 months of age.

Both partial breastfeeding and predominant breastfeeding are breastfeeding that actually cannot be called exclusive breastfeeding.

This is because predominant breast milk involves providing food and drink in addition to breast milk.

What are the ingredients in exclusive breastfeeding?

When breastfeeding for the first time, the exclusive breast milk that comes out is milk with a slightly yellowish clear color. This first breast milk liquid is called colostrum.

Even though the color does not look like milk in general, you should not throw away this first breast milk liquid.

The reason is, colostrum is a liquid that has many important nutrients in it.

The content of nutrients in colostrum in exclusive breast milk is vitamin A, antibodies, and white blood cells, which are good for babies.

After the colostrum fluid runs out, the breast milk liquid will then turn a milky white color.

Not inferior to colostrum, breast milk, including exclusive breastfeeding, is a baby's food and drink with a number of good nutrients.

Various contents of breast milk, including exclusive breast milk include carbohydrates, protein, fat, minerals and vitamins.

What are the benefits of exclusive breastfeeding?

Of course there are many benefits of exclusive breastfeeding. Breast milk is the perfect food for babies, especially if it is given exclusively for 6 months.

Providing exclusive breastfeeding for up to 6 months is important because it can greatly support the growth and development of your baby.

In fact, breastfeeding in this way is a great way to forge a strong emotional bond between mother and baby.

There are various other benefits of breastfeeding that you and your baby can get, such as:

• Prevent babies suffering from allergies. Giving formula milk, cow's milk, or soy milk to babies is prone to making babies experience allergic reactions.
• Improve baby intelligence. Breastfeeding can improve a baby's cognitive development.
• Protect babies from obesity. Exclusive breastfeeding given to babies can reduce their risk for obesity when they are adolescents or adults.
• Breastfeeding helps mothers lose weight which increases during pregnancy.
• Helps increase uterine contractions, reduce bleeding, and restore its original size after pregnancy. This is because breastfeeding increases the production of the hormone oxytocin which supports these things.
• Reducing the risk of the mother experiencing postpartum depression or postpartum depression.

Seeing so many benefits, exclusive breastfeeding is the best food and drink for babies less than 6 months old.

So you should not waste the golden period of exclusive breastfeeding for your little one.

In fact, not only mothers, fathers as well as support from fathers or husbands during exclusive breastfeeding are also important for babies and mothers.

There are various supports that a father or husband can do during exclusive breastfeeding.

Take, for example, helping mothers with household chores, helping with babies, and being a good listener for mothers.

Fathers can also give attention that makes mothers feel supported, make mothers feel comfortable, and change roles occasionally so that mothers can rest during the breastfeeding period.

Support her whenever she experiences breastfeeding challenges, breastfeeding problems, or doubts about breastfeeding myths.

Also make sure that the mother's nutritional needs are well fulfilled by eating a variety of foods for breastfeeding mothers.

How is the texture of breast milk?

The texture of breast milk consists of 2 types, namelyhindmilkandforemilk. Much or at least the fat content in breast milk can affect the thickness of the texture of the milk.

Hindmilk is a milk liquid that has a thick texture, and usually comes out at the end of breastfeeding.

The more the number hindmilkexcreted, the more fat content is in breast milk.

While foremilk is a breast milk liquid with a lower fat content, and generally comes out at the beginning of breastfeeding.

Foremilk Breast milk has a texture that is more liquid than it ishindmilk.

How to provide exclusive breastfeeding right?

Each baby has different breastfeeding habits. There may be babies who are breastfeeding longer and less frequently or some are breastfeeding shorter and more frequently.

The most important thing is that after feeding, make sure your baby is feeling enough and full. If your baby is satisfied with one of your breasts, offer him to feed on your other breast.

It is a good idea to breastfeed your baby until the breast is completely empty, then change to the other breast.

Apply position latch on in babies

Latch on is placing the baby in a breastfeeding position, including when breastfeeding exclusively.

In addition to allowing babies to get breast milk easily and comfortably, latch on also aims to prevent the onset of pain in the nipples when breastfeeding.

Techniques that you can apply during the position latch onin infants while breastfeeding and up to 2 years of age are as follows:

Techniquelatch onin babies

1. Sit comfortably on a chair, sofa, or bed that has a back so you can sit comfortably.
2. Make sure the baby is in a comfortable position to feed.
3. Make sure you bring the baby's lips and head closer to the breast. Avoid directing your breasts toward the baby, which will make it appear as if you are leaning on the baby.
4. Try to keep your baby's ears, shoulders, and hips in line with your body, so that it is easier for him to swallow while breastfeeding.
5. Point the nipple toward the baby's lips or nose, and not toward the center of the mouth. It is okay to touch or rub the nipple against the baby's upper lip, so that he immediately opens his mouth.
6. When the baby opens its mouth wide with the tongue sticking out, make sure that the mouth is directly sucking on your nipple. If the baby's lips do not open, avoid pushing the nipple to open the baby's mouth.
7. Try your baby to suck all parts of the nipple and areola, which is the area around the white brownish color.

What are the signs that the baby is hungry and is receiving enough breast milk?

Recognize the signs when a hungry baby wants to suckle and is full, namely:

A sign that the baby is hungry to breastfeed

It is important for you to understand when the baby is hungry and wants to suckle. Some of the signs that a baby usually shows when they want to breastfeed are as follows:

• Sticking out his tongue.
• Suck on his own fist.
• Smacked his lips as if he were sucking or chewing something.
• The baby's mouth opens and closes many times.
• The baby's mouth opens spontaneously when the cheek is touched (rooting reflex).
• Looks uncomfortable, fussy, whines, and cries out loud.
• Turning the head towards your breast.

Try to get to know the baby's breastfeeding schedule and give your little one breast milk at regular times every day.

A sign that the baby has received enough exclusive breastfeeding

Actually, it is not difficult to know when the baby is breastfed enough. Signs that the baby has had enough or is full breastfed exclusively or breastfed until the age of 2 years should also be considered, namely:

• Your breasts feel softer after feeding, because the milk in the breasts is empty.
• The baby looks satisfied and happy after feeding.
• The baby shows no signs of hunger and fussiness anymore.
• The rhythm or movement of the baby's mouth while sucking on the breast or bottle of the teat appears to slow down
• The baby slowly releases its grip from the breast or bottle of the pacifier.
• The position of the baby's body seems more comfortable than before during hunger.
• Babies continue to gain weight and return all 10-14 days after birth and do not lose more than 10% of their birth weight.
• In the first month, the baby will defecate at least 3 times a day and change color to yellow in the first 5 to 7 days of the baby's birth.
• Babies experience fewer bowel movements or miss several bowel movements for several days after 1 month of age.
• The frequency of urinating> 6 times a day with urine that is clear and not yellowish.

Knowing the signs that your baby is full and breastfed sufficiently exclusively or until the age of 2 years is the right way to know when to stop breastfeeding.

How do you give exclusive breastfeeding if the mother is working?

Work is not a barrier for mothers to continue giving exclusive breastfeeding to babies.

Launching from the Indonesian Pediatrician Association (IDAI), before starting to work you can exclusively breastfeed during maternity leave.

Before starting work again, also make sure you have learned how to use a breast pump.

That way, later you can express and store breast milk before working.

The goal is that the baby can still get exclusive breastfeeding even though you are not at home by giving it by the caregiver or family who looks after it.

Try to keep breastfeeding the baby after milk is expressed to get it hindmilk or final breast milk.

While at work, you can still express breastmilk in a nursing room.

The process of expressing breastmilk can be done about every 3 hours or if you feel the breasts are full and tight.

Breast milk that is full will usually drip out through the nipple.

Expressing breastmilk regularly at the office can help you feel more comfortable as well as prevent the milk from dripping and soaking your clothes.

Next, store the exclusive breastmilk that has been expressed in the refrigerator,freezer storage of breastmilk, or an ice flask that you can take back home when you're done with work.

By regularly expressing breastmilk when the amount is full in the breasts, it can help keep milk production smooth and plentiful.

So, as long as you want to work for your little one, exclusive breastfeeding is something that can be easily done even if the mother is working.

How to store and thaw expressed breastmilk?

Source: Breastmilk Counts

When breast milk has been successfully expressed, it is important to pay attention to how to store breast milk and dilute it.

How to store expressed breast milk

Several ways to store breast milk, including exclusive breast milk that has been expressed are as follows:

1. The milk that has been expressed is put into a sterile container (bottles or bags for breast milk). Then give a label with the date and time when the milk was expressed.
2. The milk is stored insidefreezer or refrigerator. Avoid putting breast milk on the door of the refrigerator because it will be easily exposed to outside air when opened.
3. Storage of breast milk has special rules, namely:
   • Fresh milk can survive insidefreezer with temperature -17 degrees Celsius or lower during 6 months or more.
   • Fresh milk can survive insidefreezer and a refrigerator with the average temperature is -10 degrees Celsius at different times. Whenfreezeer and the fridge has 2 doors, Fresh breast milk will last as long 3-4 months. If only one door, Fresh breast milk can last as long 2 weeks.
   • Fresh expressed breast milk can be preserved in the refrigerator or refrigerator with the average temperature is 5-10 degrees Celsius for more or less 5-8 days.
   • Fresh milk can be preserved at room temperature (withoutfreezeror refrigerator) with temperature 27-28 degrees Celsius for approx 10 hours.
   • Frozen breastmilk that comes out offreezer cannot be re-frozen. However, if frozen breast milk is removed from the refrigerator, it can be re-frozen for 24 hours and at room temperature for 1 hour.
4. Check the temperature regularlyfreezer and refrigerator at least 3 times a day.
5. If breastmilk is expressed during long trips, make sure that the stored milk is kept cool, such as going from home to office or vice versa.

How to dilute and warm expressed breast milk

Some of the ways to dilute and warm breast milk are as follows:

1. Choose milk milk from the earlier stored.
2. Avoid diluting expressed breast milk at room temperature. We recommend that you move frozen milk in the refrigerator first for 24 hours.
3. Shake the breast milk that has melted, so that it is fat handmilkandforemilk inside it blends well.
4. Place in a bowl of warm water, or moisten a container of milk with cold running water followed by warm water.
5. Avoid thawing frozen breast milk in the microwave or in very hot water. The temperature is too hot is very risky to damage the nutritional content in expressed breast milk.
6. Avoid re-freezing breastmilk that has thawed.

Giving drugs to babies, does exclusive breastfeeding fail?

Infants younger than 6 months who are sick may receive medicines and vitamin or mineral drops if needed.

When a baby is sick during breastfeeding, of course he needs medicine so that he can get well quickly.

In this case, drug administration will not interfere with exclusive breastfeeding. On the other hand, it is feared that if medication is not given, the baby's health could be threatened with fatal consequences.

It's good, give the baby medicine and continue exclusive breastfeeding when he is sick. Exclusive breastfeeding is a very complete food and drink for babies.

In contrast to plain water and other water-based drinks that are given during exclusive breastfeeding. This clearly prevents exclusive breastfeeding.

What if formula milk is given during exclusive breastfeeding?

Again, exclusive breastfeeding is breastfeeding only until the baby is 6 months old.

If a baby has been given formula milk before the age of 6 months, it can be said that exclusive breastfeeding for babies has failed.

Even if a baby is given breast milk mixed with formula (sufor) in the same bottle, he is no longer said to receive exclusive breastfeeding.

Even if the provision of food and drink other than breast milk is given only once or very rarely, this still does not include exclusive breastfeeding.

If you are not sure, before giving your little one food or drink during the first 6 months, you should consult a doctor or child nutritionist.

After knowing all things about exclusive breastfeeding, of course you will no longer hesitate to make sure your baby gets this main food, right? Good luck and try, yes!