Why Should Exclusively Breastfeed Baby for 6 Months?

Breast milk which is rich with many beneficial nutrients for baby should have been given exclusively to baby for 6 months, once it has been done the baby and mother itself will feel its beneficial effects.

Until this time we’ve heard often about exclusive breast milk for baby for her first six months of life. May be you are the one of mothers who now is trying to give your breast milk exclusively to your beloved baby. But, do you really know what the beneficial effects of exclusive breast milk? Here are the reasons why you should exclusively breastfeed your baby for 6 months:

Safe baby from the risk of death. The research’s result showed that in 42 countries exclusive breast milk could prevent about 13% from 10.6 million of toddler’s death per year. Not only that, based on research conducted by American Academy of Pediatrics, “Breastfeeding and the Use of Human Milk”, Pediatrics 100, no. 6 (Dec. 1997): 1035-1039, was found the facts that exclusive breast milk could reduce the risk of SIDS (Suddenly Infant Death Syndrome) that generally is suffered by babies under 6 months.
Contains the most appropriate nutrition for babies. Further, breast milk also contains antibodies that protect babies from bacteria and viruses as well.
Breast milk prevents some diseases to be suffered by babies. AAP writes that breast milk could reduce the risk of some diseases in children, such as ear infection, allergy, diarrhea, bacterial meningitis, lymphoma in children and diabetes.
Breast milk is sterile, moreover if mother directly breastfeed the baby (the sterility can be guaranteed).

Untuk mencapai tumbuh kembang anak yang optimal. UNICEF ,WHO dan Departemen Kesehatan RI menganjurkan bayi agar hanya diberi ASI selama 6 bulan pertama. Mulai usia 6 bulan, bayi dapat diberikan makanan tambahan dan ASI dilanjutkan sampai 2 tahun.

Through breast milk, we can hope that our baby can achieve the optimal development. UNICEF and WHO suggested that baby should be breastfed exclusively for 6 months of baby’s first life. Start at 6 months old, baby can be given additional food besides breast milk, while mother should still continue breastfeed her baby until she is 2 years old.
By giving breast milk, the bonding between mother and baby can be strengthen since every time you breastfeed the baby you have made physical contact (skin to skin) with her. Besides that, breastfeeding will also give the feeling of safe, comfort, and warm to baby.
Breastfeeding can protect mother from cancer, breast and ovarium cancer.
By giving mother’s breast milk means that you have prevented pregnancy as well, so it can be said that breastfeeding is a natural contraception method. The possibility of pregnancy during breastfeeding is less than 1%, as it was resulted by the research of T. Greiner (which was entitled “Breastfeeding and LAM [Lactation Amenorrhea Method of Contraception]: Beyond Conventional Approaches,”).
It is cheap. You don’t have to spend your money to buy formulae milk, bottle and pacifier. Instead, you have to fulfill you nutrition needs during the breastfeeding, it should be good and balance nutrition.
Environmental friendly.

Hopefully this information could pump your spirit in breastfeeding your beloved baby, also for mother who now is expecting her baby birth. Good Luck!