Should i exclusively breastfeed for 6 months

Breastfeeding and the Use of Human Milk external icon. DOI Accessed August 24, World Health Organization. WHO Breastfeeding website external icon. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Reasons for earlier than desired cessation of breastfeeding external icon. Sriraman NK, Kellams A. Breastfeeding: What are the barriers? Why women struggle to achieve their goals external icon. J Womens Health Larchmt. Top of Page. Read here about what breastfeeding provides at the different ages and stages of your baby's life. Even if breastfeeding has not worked out as you had planned, you can be reassured that even a few days of breastmilk has been important for your baby.

Breastfeeding is how your baby expects to start and he is born with the instincts to help guide this process. It also helps your own body recover from the birth.

Given how little it takes to offer it, and how very much your baby stands to gain, it makes good sense to breastfeed for at least a day or two, even if you plan to bottle-feed after that. Newborns who are not breastfed are much more likely to get sick or be hospitalised, and have an increased risk of SIDS than breastfed babies.

After 4—6 weeks, you'll probably have worked through any early breastfeeding concerns, too. Make a serious goal of breastfeeding for a month, call the Breastfeeding Helpline or an international board certified lactation consultant IBCLC if you have any questions and you'll be in a better position to decide whether continued breastfeeding is for you. Giving nothing but your breastmilk for the first 6 months helps to protect against infections eg ear, respiratory and gastrointestinal.

Weaning may be fairly easy at this age If you want to avoid weaning this early, be sure that, from the start, you breastfeed willingly to provide comfort, not just to provide food.

Her one-year-old body can probably handle most of the family foods your family enjoys. COVID vaccine for children ages receives final approval. Read the latest issue. Subscribe to AAP News. Column collections. Topic collections. News Latest News Archive. Close Modal. This site uses cookies.