I want to talk to you about breastfeeding today, because there are indeed some mothers around me who choose not to breastfeed because they are afraid of sagging breasts after breastfeeding.
First of all, I want to tell you that breastfeeding itself does not cause breast sagging, as for the real culprit that causes breast sagging, who will share it with you later in the article, because that is not the focus of today, and what I want to share with you today is: Why is breast milk the best for the baby?
The milk you produce is tailored to meet your baby's full nutritional needs for the first 6 months and provide him with immune protection from birth.
And the composition of the milk is dynamic, because it can better adapt to and meet the needs of the baby at all stages of growth. Although there are many infant formulas on the market that are gradually approaching the nutritional "gold standard" of breast milk in terms of function, there are still relatively large differences in terms of specific ingredients, so let's take a look at them separately:
1. Protein:
At present, the selection and adjustment of protein ingredients in infant formula on the market is still based on the infinite proximity to the protein composition of breast milk. By simulating the ratio of whey protein to casein in breast milk at 48:52, the amino acid content in the plasma of milk-fed babies is closest to the amino acid content in the plasma of breastfed babies.
In recent years, with more and more studies, it has been found that although the content of free amino acids in breast milk is small, it can be directly absorbed by the baby and has a very important role in the growth and development of the baby. For example, taurine is beneficial to the baby's growth and development, brain development, normal visual production and lipid metabolism in the body, glutamic acid is the main energy substance in the baby's intestines.
However, the free amino acid content in infant formula currently available on the market is much lower than that of breast milk, especially alanine, aspartic acid, helium acid, serine, threonine, valine, which are very low in infant formula.
2. Fat:
There are also medium linoleic acid, a-linolenic acid, DHA, ARA, etc. in breast milk, especially DHA, ARA is crucial for the baby's development, and may also affect the susceptibility to high blood pressure, heart disease and other diseases in adulthood.
However, in the infant formula currently on the market, the linoleic acid content is high, the a-linolenic acid content is moderate, and the DHA and AARA content is low, which cannot meet the continuous feeding needs of the baby's growth and development.
3. Carbohydrates:
Carbohydrates (i.e., sugars) in breast milk are 90% lactose and 10% oligosaccharides.
Although the content of oligosaccharides in breast milk is low, it has a strong immune function, which can help the baby resist otitis media, respiratory tract infections, urinary tract infections and diarrhea and other diseases, which has a very important role in the growth and development of the baby.
More than 90 oligosaccharides in breast milk have been found so far, while fewer than 10 are actually used in infant formula.
Therefore, breastfeeding allows your baby to grow healthier than formula feeding.
At the same time, breastfeeding can also stimulate uterine contractions, reduce postpartum bleeding, promote uterine rejuvenation, and reduce the chance of infection during the puerperal period. Scientists have confirmed through investigation, statistics and analysis that the incidence of breast cancer and ovarian cancer in breastfeeding women is much lower than that in non-breastfeeding women.
It is also very important that breastfeeding is the best way to improve parent-child relationships. It can not only make the baby's sense of security higher, but also allow the mother to get psychological comfort, reduce the occurrence of postpartum depression; it is very beneficial to the healthy physical and mental development of both mothers and babies.