Life Balance Hub: about family, life and health

While a mother’s breast milk is widely acknowledged as the optimal source of nutrition for newborns, human donor breast milk serves as a valuable alternative, particularly in certain circumstances. Donor milk is expressed by lactating women and then donated to milk banks for processing and distribution.

A breast pump is a device designed to help extract milk from your breasts, facilitating breastfeeding when direct nursing is not possible or convenient. Breast pumps come in two main types: manual (hand pumps) and electric pumps.

While breastfeeding is widely recognized as the optimal choice for infant nutrition, various circumstances may lead parents to explore bottle feeding options. Expressed breast milk (EBM) or infant formula delivered via bottle provides a safe and viable alternative when breastfeeding isn’t feasible or preferred.

Up until the age of six months, breastmilk or formula serves as both sustenance and hydration for your baby, fulfilling all their nutritional requirements, even during warm weather. Breast Milk is rich in essential nutrients and components crucial for your baby’s development during this stage. Introducing water prematurely may disrupt their intake of breastmilk or formula, potentially jeopardizing their growth.

Mixed feeding, which combines breastfeeding and bottle feeding, offers flexibility for parents while ensuring babies receive the nutrition they need. This approach can accommodate various family dynamics, work schedules, or medical needs, providing a balance between the benefits of breast milk and the convenience of formula. Understanding how to manage mixed feeding effectively is essential to support both the baby’s health and the parent’s peace of mind.

Weaning is the process of gradually stopping breastfeeding your baby or toddler. This natural transition is a significant milestone in your child’s growth, though it can sometimes be challenging. Weaning can occur at any stage, whether shortly after birth or when your child is older. While many children are weaned by the age of 3, the timing is a personal decision. You can breastfeed for as long as you and your child desire.

Milk provides an ideal environment for bacteria to grow, making it crucial to clean and sterilize any equipment that comes into contact with it. If your baby drinks milk contaminated with germs, they might get sick. Babies have immature immune systems, so they are less capable than older children and adults of handling infections.

Expressing is the process of extracting milk from your breasts when your baby is not breastfeeding. This can be done manually by hand or with the assistance of a breast pump. There are two main types of breast pumps: manual pumps, which require physical effort to extract the milk, and electric pumps, which automate the process and can often be more efficient.