It is recommended that a newborn child should be fed with breast milk for 2 years. Exclusive breastfeeding i.e. breastfeeding with no added water or formula is recommended for the first 6 months of life.

Benefits of breast feeding

1. It is convenient, cheap, nutritional, and natural
2. It contains antibodies that help to fight infection in the baby
3. It protects the baby against diarrhea and measles
4. It protects against asthma and diabetes
5. It helps mother-child bonding
6. It protects the mother from having breast and ovarian cancers

How to breastfeed

1. It is important to start as soon as the baby is born
2. Sit up on a chair that has backrest
3. Put the baby on your chest, use one hand to support the back of the baby’s head and the other hand on the baby’s buttocks.
4. Then put the baby to breast, not the breast to the baby
5. Your nipple and the surrounding dark area (areola) should be in your baby’s mouth
6. If you delivered via caesarean section, put a pillow on your lap to support the baby
7. You can stop when the child stop sucking or when the child’s tummy is full
8. Put the baby up on your chest for some minutes or until he/she belches, then you can lay the baby down