Breastfeeding: A nutritionist’s guide to what every mother should know

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Transcript

00:00Breastfeeding is one of the most natural things in the world, but it also comes with a lot

00:05of questions. What should mothers eat? When should babies start other foods? What if breastfeeding

00:13isn't even possible? Mr. Fiyufolu Waudu Koya, a certified nutritionist, helps to clear the

00:19confusion. Here's what he has to say.

00:22Breast meal contains the exact nutrients that a baby needs in the right proportion.

00:30It also contains some antibodies which help to boost the immune system and in the long run,

00:35it's also great for digestive health. Foods like pap and pepper soup can help with energy and also

00:41help with hydration. However, excessive activities and food beliefs or excessive mixtures can be very

00:47harmful to the body. So things like herbal mixtures or even concoctions or even excessive food

00:52restrictions were saying that you shouldn't perform or partake in that.

00:59Formulas are great for parents that cannot breastfeed. However,

01:03head-appropriate formulas are great. There are breast milk alternatives, but even before you look

01:07into that aspect, you want to try as much as possible to explore other options like breast milk

01:12bank for example, you want to try that out. And before you even try out breast milk alternatives,

01:18you want to ensure that you're speaking with your pediatrician and you're also speaking with

01:21your nutritionist or dietitian just to ensure that they are guiding you on how to go about it.

01:29Babies can start eating or exploring other foods from the age of six months. So from six months,

01:35you want to try as much as possible to introduce other foods to them. However, ensure that they are

01:40rich in things like iron, ensure that they are also mashed and in soft consistency that they can eat.

01:46So you want to introduce food in age-appropriate consistency, very important. You also want to

01:50ensure that you're not exposing them to things like sugar, salt or even honey at a very young age.

01:56So below one year, you're not exposing them to things like honey, very important.

02:01So beyond the nutritional value of breastfeeding, we can also see that the way of connection between

02:11the mother and child, it also helps to provide brain development, ensure that they have emotional

02:17connection and all of that. So it's important to breastfeed your child beyond just nutritional value

02:22giving it a loan for other factors.

02:27So healthcare information and healthcare resources that parents can use in order to prevent

02:32misinformation. First off, you want to check out UNICEF. So I always tell parents that check out

02:36UNICEF's guideline. Then you can go to the WHO, beyond that healthcare professionals. So you want to

02:40speak to your healthcare professionals. You want to ensure that you have access to them and get

02:44adequate information to them. Please do not just take random information from people because of

02:50traditions and all of that. So social media shouldn't be your best bet first, but choose healthcare professionals.

03:06And that's it. Practical answers straight from the experts. Breastfeeding can feel overwhelming,

03:13but with the right support and information, it gets easier. A big thank you to our nutritionists

03:19for sharing its helpful insights. If you found this video useful, go ahead to like, share and drop your thoughts in the comment section below.