Breastfeeding is the most natural thing a mom can do for her newborn child, but that doesn’t mean it’s an easy easy task or even intuitive.
Whether you’re figuring out how to position your baby, try figuring out what her cries mean, or why he doesn’t seem to latch, especially when you’re running on just a few hours of sleep.
Whether you’re figuring out how to position your baby, try figuring out what her cries mean, or why he doesn’t seem to latch, especially when you’re running on just a few hours of sleep.
1. Q: What Are the Benefits of Breastfeeding?
A: Breast milk is considered the best source of nutrition for most newborns. As the baby slowly grows up, breast milk formula changes to meet the newborn's nutritional needs, communicating through the mouth-nipple connection. Breastfeeding can also help protect the infant and mother against certain illnesses and diseases.
However, because human breast milk has been implicated in transmitting HIV from mother to infant, gloves may be worn as a precaution by health care workers who are frequently exposed to breast milk.
2. Q: Is It Safe to Purchase Breast Milk Online?
A: The FDA recommends avoiding the purchase of breast milk online and instead recommends contacting milk banks. Research has demonstrated that some milk samples sold on the internet have been contaminated with a range of bacteria.
"Sharing a body fluid with all of its potential bacteria and viruses is dangerous, and it is playing Russian roulette with your child's life."
3. Q: What Legal Rights Do Breastfeeding Mothers Have?
A: Breastfeeding Laws
In the United States, all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands have laws that specifically allow women to breastfeed in any public or private location.
Workplace & Travel Laws
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) requires employers to support breastfeeding mothers to express breast milk for 1 year after each child’s birth by providing mothers with reasonable break time and a private, non-bathroom space to express their breast milk.
In the United States, all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands have laws that specifically allow women to breastfeed in any public or private location.
Workplace & Travel Laws
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) requires employers to support breastfeeding mothers to express breast milk for 1 year after each child’s birth by providing mothers with reasonable break time and a private, non-bathroom space to express their breast milk.
Air travelers are permitted by the TSA to bring breast milk, formula, and juice of more than 3.4 ounces in their carry-on baggage and it does not need to fit within a quart-size bag.
4. Q: When Should a Mother Avoid Breastfeeding (contraindications)?
A: Only a few medications are contraindicated (not recommended) while breastfeeding. Although many medications do pass into breast milk, most have little or no effect on milk supply or on an infant’s well-being.
5. Q: How Long Should Breastfeeding Last?
A: The American Academy of Pediatrics & the World health organization recommends exclusive breastfeeding up to 6 months of age with continued breastfeeding along with appropriate complementary foods up to 2 years of age or longer.
6. Q: What Kind of Special Precautions Needed for Handling Breast Milk?
A: CDC does not list human breast milk as a body fluid to which universal precautions apply. Human exposure to breast milk has not been shown to lead to transmission of HIV or Hepatitis B infection.
However, because human breast milk has been implicated in transmitting HIV from mother to infant, gloves may be worn as a precaution by health care workers who are frequently exposed to breast milk.