Breast milk is a natural food for babies. Since this food is so good, how long should it be fed and is it still nutritious after being fed for a long time? These issues must be the doubts that most breastfeeding mothers have. Breastfeeding naturally has many benefits, but experts point out that the timing of breastfeeding varies from person to person, and there is no need to force long-term breastfeeding.
The disadvantages of breastfeeding until the age of 2
The nutritional value of breast milk is no longer the protagonist of children's food choices. It is necessary to cultivate good habits of balanced diet and diverse food intake in children. According to the nutritional association's requirements for dairy products, a daily intake of 200 grams of dairy products (including breast milk, formula milk) is sufficient. In some nutrition surveys, it has been found that the proportion of breastfeeding is high in poverty-stricken areas, but some families mechanically believe that "breast milk nutrition is the best" and do not pay attention to the addition of complementary foods. They simply breastfeed until the age of 2, which has caused serious malnutrition in many children.
What are the physiological benefits of breastfeeding for mothers
(1) Prevent postpartum hemorrhage and promote uterine recovery
From birth, the repeated sucking of a baby causes the mother's pituitary gland to release oxytocin, which not only stimulates breast milk secretion but also causes uterine contractions. The resulting contractions prevent postpartum bleeding, promote lochia discharge, and facilitate uterine recovery.
(2) Avoid iron loss
Breastfeeding often delays the time for mothers to resume menstruation, unlike mothers who are artificially fed and typically resume menstruation 6-8 weeks postpartum. The amount of iron required for a mother's body to secrete milk is much less than the amount of iron lost due to blood loss during menstruation.
(3) Natural contraception
Menstrual delay not only has significant benefits for preserving iron in the mother's body, but also enables natural contraception and maintains a certain interval between births. Lactation amenorrhea (LAM) is a well proven contraceptive method with a success rate of 98% -99% in the first 6 months postpartum. In contrast, formula fed mothers must start implementing effective contraceptive methods within 6 weeks postpartum.
If personal conditions permit, breastfeeding until the age of two is not a big problem. But mothers should put breast milk in the right place. At the age of 2, breast milk is no longer the leading role in food, but should become the supporting role to ensure balanced nutrition of the baby. Mothers do not need to emphasize the importance of breast milk, as formula milk can also achieve the goal of supplementing nutrition.
