If you are a diabetic and have a baby, there are certain things to keep in mind while you are breastfeeding. Firstly, studies have proven that breastfeeding a baby can help to prevent type 1 diabetes development. Babies who breastfeed until at least six months will be at a lower risk for type 1 diabetes. Doctors generally recommend that mothers breastfeed their children until nine to twelve months.
If you have a baby, breastfeeding is definitely the best way to feed. It has numerous advantages over bottle feeding and hardly any disadvantages. Over 1 million babies die each year as a result of being fed formula!
There are many ways to prepare to be a mother and to breast feed for the first time. These can include reading about breastfeeding during your pregnancy so you will know what to do once your baby is in your arms, going to antenatal classes and learning about breast feeding there, or you can even join a support group and enjoy mingling with other mothers who can give you lots of tips and advice.
Cutting back or even quitting smoking improves your baby’s health and your own. It’s important that you do your best to cut back on the cigarettes or even better, stop completely. Your doctor, midwife, health visitor will be able to offer you support because it has been proven that smoking can lower the milk supply.
Breastfeeding your baby shouldn’t hurt, and if it does then there is something wrong which should be investigated. Some new mothers find it difficult to breast feed correctly at first, but it isn’t an admission of failure if you ask for some help, especially if you are finding the experience hurts. When done correctly there may be some tenderness at first as your breasts aren’t used to the suckling, but this should soon wear off as they become accustomed to it.
