Discharge Teaching on Feeding Your Baby: Bottle vs. Breast
While intrauterine, the fetus depends strictly on what the mother consumes for their growth and development. Once the infant is finally born, the mother then has to decide on whether she wants to breastfeed or bottle feed. Infant feeding is a very important part and learning experience for parenting. It is up to the nurse to help the new mother choose, feel comfortable with a feeding method, and provide knowledge of the newborn’s nutritional needs and the approach to meet those needs. The nurse’s teaching and encouragement about choosing a feeding method is very essential, however it is the mother’s final decision on what feeding method works best for her and her newborn. It is the …show more content…
Breast feeding provides many advantages for the mother and the infant. Some of the benefits to breastfeeding include allergies are less likely to develop with breastfeeding. Immunologic properties from the mother help to prevent the infant from contracting infections. There is a lower incidence of the infant being diagnosed with diabetes, asthma, obesity, cancer, and sudden infant death syndrome. Breastfeeding is less likely to result in overfeeding and constipation is rare. There are also benefits for the mother as well when it comes to breastfeeding. Oxytocin release when breastfeeding causes uterine contractions which causes the mother to bleed less. The frequent skin to skin contact enhances bonding between the mom and baby. Breast feeding is convenient in which there are no bottles to wash or formula to buy or prepare. It also promotes weight loss for the mom. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that infants receive only breast milk for the first 6 months after birth. Breastfeeding should continue until the infant is at least 12 months old with the addition of complementary foods. Breastfeeding and support to help mothers achieve it are also recommended by the American Dietetic Association and the U.S. Surgeon General. “ A goal set by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for the year 2020 is for 81.9% of all infants to be breastfed at some time, for at least 60.5% to be breastfeeding at 6 months, and 34.1% at 1 year”(Murray & McKinney, 2014, p
While intrauterine, the fetus depends strictly on what the mother consumes for their growth and development. Once the infant is finally born, the mother then has to decide on whether she wants to breastfeed or bottle feed. Infant feeding is a very important part and learning experience for parenting. It is up to the nurse to help the new mother choose, feel comfortable with a feeding method, and provide knowledge of the newborn’s nutritional needs and the approach to meet those needs. The nurse’s teaching and encouragement about choosing a feeding method is very essential, however it is the mother’s final decision on what feeding method works best for her and her newborn. It is the …show more content…
Breast feeding provides many advantages for the mother and the infant. Some of the benefits to breastfeeding include allergies are less likely to develop with breastfeeding. Immunologic properties from the mother help to prevent the infant from contracting infections. There is a lower incidence of the infant being diagnosed with diabetes, asthma, obesity, cancer, and sudden infant death syndrome. Breastfeeding is less likely to result in overfeeding and constipation is rare. There are also benefits for the mother as well when it comes to breastfeeding. Oxytocin release when breastfeeding causes uterine contractions which causes the mother to bleed less. The frequent skin to skin contact enhances bonding between the mom and baby. Breast feeding is convenient in which there are no bottles to wash or formula to buy or prepare. It also promotes weight loss for the mom. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that infants receive only breast milk for the first 6 months after birth. Breastfeeding should continue until the infant is at least 12 months old with the addition of complementary foods. Breastfeeding and support to help mothers achieve it are also recommended by the American Dietetic Association and the U.S. Surgeon General. “ A goal set by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for the year 2020 is for 81.9% of all infants to be breastfed at some time, for at least 60.5% to be breastfeeding at 6 months, and 34.1% at 1 year”(Murray & McKinney, 2014, p