FAQ

If your baby refuses to breastfeed, it is his way of saying that something is not right.
Your baby won’t refuse to breastfeed for no reason.
Potential reasons for your baby’s attitude:

• Pain in the mouth caused by tooth growth, a sore, or a fungal infection,
• An ear infection,
• A blocked nose or a cold that prevents your baby from breathing well while feeding,
• Excessive use of a dummy or feeding bottle, which may confuse your baby’s feeding techniques.

This refusal to feed may last several days, depending on the cause.
Rest assured that it is almost always possible to lead your baby to resume breastfeeding.

Weaning is most comfortable for you and your baby if it is done progressively.
You can start by replacing a feeding with appropriate food (infant formula or solid meals).
Allow your baby a few days to get used to this change. Do the same for an additional
feeding. Your baby will begin to breastfeed less frequently and you will progressively produce less milk.
Between feedings, you can relieve your breasts by pumping milk.

colostrum stage:
From birth to the first 4-5 days.
Rich in proteins, vitamins, minerals and infection-preventing factors
Low in lactose and fat, it has laxative properties.
Its quantity is small (5-60) ml.

Transitional milk stage:
Between 5-15 days after birth.
Its composition is between the colostrum milk and mature milk composition.
At this stage, it increases in quantity and changes qualitatively until we reach the third stage.

Mature milk or final stage of milk:
After 15 days from birth.
Its composition is the same for all mothers, there is no difference in quality, but it may differ in quantity when there is malnutrition in the mother.
Its fat content increases at the end of the feeding to lead to feeling of satiety in the baby.

Lab tests of breast milk is clinically ineffective and has no indication.

We begin to introduce varied supplemental feeding starting from the sixth month according to the recommendations of UNICEF, while previously the recommendations were to start feeding from the fourth, fifth or sixth month of life (after the sixth in case of an allergic history).
These new recommendations are based on the fact that breast milk is sufficient until the age of six months for most mothers, but after the sixth month, additional foods must be introduced to the infant because mother's milk is no longer sufficient to meet all the metabolic needs and build the child's body.
1. Vegetables: It is the first additional food offered to the young babies from the sixth month, previously it was given from the fourth month. Vegetables should be offered boiled only.
2. Carbohydrates: It is offered after the sixth month when the baby under breastfeeding or powdered modified milk.
Cereals which are containing gluten such as wheat, barley and oats, are offered after the sixth month.
3. Meat: It is offered starting from the end of the sixth month. Fish is offered after the first year in case of allergic history.
4. Eggs: Only the yolk of eggs is given during the second half of the first year of age, fully cooked or half-cooked, and in gradually increasing quantities. Previously, egg yolk and egg whites were given during the second half of the first year.
5. Fruits: orange juice, bananas, and finely grated apples are offered starting from the sixth month, in addition to the rest of the fruits.

The current recommendations emphasize on introducing the foods to babies from the sixth month of life, taking into consideration to be offered gradually and to be given in a low number of meals then increasing the number of meals.

Egg whites are given with caution during the first year because they cause severe and sometimes fatal allergic reactions. Despite this, egg whites are high in protein fast-digesting proteins. Each type of vegetable is introduced separately to determine the causative reason in case of allergy, then vegetable soup can be introduced subsequently.

Mixed feeding: supplementing breastfeeding with infant formula.

Temporary indications:
1. In the first days after birth, when the breast milk secretion is low and does not meet the baby's need, so a few additional feedings of formula milk are given to baby until it is secreted sufficiently
2. Mother's fatigue
3. The mother has a disease or has a cracked nipple or a breast abscess.

Permanent indications:
1. Exacerbation of insufficient breast milk.
2. When the mother is forced to work outside the home and absent from her baby.

Breastfeeding promotes:
• Reduced risk of anaemia.
• Repositioning of genital organs.
• Mother-baby bonding.
• Weight loss (in association with a balanced diet).
• Reduced risk of breast and ovarian cancer.
• Reduced risk of osteoporosis after menopause.

Breastfeeding reduces the risks of:
• Infections: digestive, ear, nose, throat, pulmonary, urinary and even meningitis.
• Digestive problems.
• Allergies (eczema, asthma…).
• Anaemia.
• Obesity and diabetes, certain types of cancer and inflammatory diseases.
• Orthodontic problems.
• Sudden infant death syndrome.

· Increases the mother-child bonding.
· Its composition suits the quantitative and qualitative needs of the child. Casein protein present in breast milk constitutes 20%, while whey protein, similar to albumin, constitutes approximately 80% of the total protein in breast milk. It is easy to digest and speeds up the intestinal transit time, as well as for sugars or fats, and this is what It will be mentioned when comparing mother's milk and cow's milk.
· Reduce baby’s risk for infections.
· Breast milk is always at the right temperature and it is constant during the feeds.
· It is easily digested and quickly passes through the stomach, as it does not stay in the stomach for more than an hour and a half to two hours, while the stomach is not emptied when breastfeeding with humanized milk before three hours.
· No need for sterilization process.

Iodine deficiency: is one of the most common nutrient deficiencies, affecting nearly a third of the world’s population. It may cause mental retardation and developmental abnormalities especially in children. Most of its serious effects occur during fetal development and in the early years of a child's life.

Vitamin A deficiency: affects about a third of children living in low and middle-income countries. Vitamin A deficiency leads to a weak immune system, and thus increases a child's risk of infection from diseases such as measles and gastroenteritis.

Iron deficiency: leads to anemia in mothers and children, and thus the possibility of premature birth. The child may suffer from infections, learning difficulties and growth delay. Approximately 40% of pregnant women and more than 40% of children under the age of five years in developing countries are anemic. It is estimated that about half of these cases are due to iron deficiency.

Zinc deficiency: leads to weaknesses in immune functions and is associated with an increased risk of infection with gastro-intestinal infections, which are a contributing factor to infant mortality due to diarrhea.
Zinc deficiency is especially common in low-income countries due to low dietary intake of zinc foods.

Calcium, Vitamin D and Folic acid Deficiency: The deficiency of these substances is common especially during pregnancy and can lead to health complications for both mothers and babies. In rare cases, vitamin C, vitamin B3 or vitamin B1 deficiency may happen.

· The first feeding as early as possible.
· The frequency of feeding in the first month should be large and irregular (random).
· Do not prolong the feeding period for more than 20 minutes.