Breastfeeding your baby
Breastmilk is a true miracle of nature: tailor made for your baby, by you. Its composition changes as your baby develops, and even during an individual feed.
Why breast is best
The NHS recommends exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of life because it is the best possible start you can give your baby.
- Breastmilk boosts your baby’s ability to fight illness and infection in their first six months. Babies who aren’t breastfed are more likely to get diarrhoea and respiratory infections.
- Breastfeeding lowers your risk of breast cancer and ovarian cancer, and burns about 500 calories a day.
- Breastfeeding is a great way to strengthen the bond between you and your baby.
Source: Start4Life
The NHS Choices website provides lots of help and advice for breastfeeding mothers, including starting breastfeeding, positioning and attachment, how to tell if your baby is getting enough milk,and overcoming breastfeeding problems.
You can also visit the NHS’s Start4Life website, or contact one of the breastfeeding helplines:
National Breastfeeding Helpline
0300 100 0212
Association of Breastfeeding Mothers (ABM) Helpline
0300 330 5453
La Leche League Helpline
0845 120 2918