Exclusive Breastfeeding For Increase the Little One's Body Resistance

Do you know Mother? Breast milk is one of the gifts given by God to increase the immune system of the Little One. Babies who are breastfed at birth are known to have a lower risk of going to hospital than babies who are not breastfed. This is because breast milk can protect your little one right after he is born.

The first milk that comes out is yellowish in color. Sometimes there are some mothers who throw away the milk because it is yellow in color and think that the milk is not good. In fact, the first breast milk that comes out is colostrum or which contains antibodies to strengthen the little one's body's resistance to fighting infection. These antibodies are very important so that your little one's immune system can work perfectly.

In the content of breast milk there are many cells, especially in the first weeks of breastfeeding. Colostrum and first milk contain 1-3 million white blood cells (leukocytes) per ml. In mature breast milk, namely breast milk after 2-3 months of breastfeeding, the number of these cells decreases to 1000 cells per ml consisting of monocytes/macrophages (59-63%), neutrophil cells (18-23%), and lymphocyte cells (7- 13%) breast milk also contains protective (protective) factors that dissolve in breast milk such as lysozyme enzymes, lactoferrin (as iron binders), cytokines (substances produced by immune cells to influence other cell functions), and proteins that can bind vitamin B12, bifidus factor, enzymes, and antioxidants.

Given that there are so many cells that can boost your little one's immunity, you must always be enthusiastic about giving exclusive breastfeeding. WHO recommends exclusive breastfeeding in the first 6 months of your little one's life. Breast milk is the only food source that can be consumed by the Little One. Furthermore, your little one can be given complementary food while still being given breast milk until he is 2 years old.

So How is the mother being away from the baby? Maybe the mother is working, traveling or the mother is sick and is being cared for separately by the baby?

Don't worry mother, mother must remain enthusiastic in pumping breast milk. Mothers can continue to pump breast milk every 3 hours so that breast milk can continue to produce properly. The more often the mother pumps breast milk, the more milk production that comes out.

Mothers can pump breast milk and put breast milk in bottles or breast milk bags. The quality of breast milk will remain the same, whether stored in the refrigerator or breast milk given directly to the baby, as long as the storage is correct and according to the recommended storage standards.

How to properly store breast milk?

• For storage at room temperature, breast milk that has been pumped and placed in a container will last for approximately 8 hours.
• Expressed breast milk lasts up to 24 hours when stored in a cooler box added with an ice pack
• Expressed breast milk lasts up to 5 days, when placed in the refrigerator section of the refrigerator with a minimum temperature of 4°C
• Expressed breast milk lasts up to 6 months in the freezer at 18°C ​​below the freezing point of 0°C (-18°C). Cold temperatures can increase the antimicrobial function of breast milk and inhibit the activity of microbial growth that damages breast milk.

It's so easy to store breast milk that has been expressed, isn't it Mother? Keep the spirit in loving. Hopefully the little one is always healthy mother. If there are complaints about your little one's health, immediately check his health with the pediatrician at RSU Hermina Medan.