The Benefits Of Extended Breastfeeding

Dr Rukshin Master, M.D. (Doctor of Medicine), paediatrics (Hom), and member of Medela India LC Club, elaborates on the multitude of benefits breastfeeding beyond infancy has for both, you and your baby

- Dr Rukshin Master

WHO recommends mothers worldwide to breastfeed their infants for a minimum of two years to achieve optimal growth, development and health. To enable mothers to establish and sustain exclusive breastfeeding for six months, WHO and UNICEF recommend initiating breastfeeding within the first hour of life. Exclusive breastfeeding is where the infant only receives breast milk without any additional food or drink; breastfeeding on demand is nursing as often as the child wants to feed, be it day or night.

Some mothers are generally under the notion that breastfeeding beyond infancy makes the weaning process difficult. This is not true. It is easiest to begin the weaning process when your baby initiates the process themselves — which might be sooner or later than you expect. After a period of six months, the frequency of breastfeeding reduces and continues to reduce. After a year, your baby may only breastfeed twice a day.