5 Cara Meningkatkan Kualitas ASI demi Tumbuh Kembang Anak

Breast milk has many benefits for babies. Besides maintaining the little one’s immune system, high-quality breast milk will also meet nutritional needs, boost intelligence, and even prevent childhood obesity. A mother is advised to provide exclusive breastfeeding for 6 full months after birth to protect the little one from the risk of various diseases. Now, Mom, it is important to understand that providing a large quantity of breast milk is not enough; you must also pay attention to the quality of the breast milk given to your little one. Therefore, learn how to properly improve the quality of breast milk in the following article.

Factors Affecting Breast Milk Quality

There are two things that affect the quality of breast milk: the nutritional intake consumed and the mother's health condition. Therefore, both must be well maintained so that breast milk production is not just abundant, but also of high quality.

High-quality breast milk will form antibodies that protect the baby from various disease risks. Furthermore, the better the mother's breast milk, the more effectively the little one's digestive system will work to absorb all the necessary nutrients.

So, Mom, it is recommended to eat nutrient-rich foods so that your little one gets high-quality nutritional intake. Prioritize consuming a variety of food sources containing fats, carbohydrates, proteins, minerals, and vitamins. Not only that, but ensure the mother's fluid intake is met to avoid dehydration.

The breastfeeding phase is indeed exhausting and quite energy-draining. Therefore, don't forget to maintain your health by exercising regularly, drinking plenty of water, and getting enough rest.

How to Improve Breast Milk Quality

Now, Mom, as previously explained, the key to success in producing high-quality breast milk is by consuming nutritious food and maintaining health properly. In addition, Mom can also apply the following ways to improve breast milk quality.

1. Choose Only Nutritious Food Sources

Breast milk is the best food source that has a million benefits for the little one’s growth and development. Therefore, every mother must maximize the quality of breast milk by eating various nutritious food sources.

Mom can obtain good fat intake by consuming avocados, nuts, seeds, and olive oil. Meet protein needs by eating fish, chicken, and eggs.

Also, to stay energized while breastfeeding, mothers are encouraged to increase carbohydrate intake, which can be obtained from rice, bread, sweet potatoes, whole grains, and brown rice.

2. Eat More Fruits and Vegetables

Besides carbohydrates, fats, and proteins, also fulfill daily vitamin and mineral needs by eating more fruits and vegetables. Breastfeeding mothers are highly recommended to increase portions of green vegetables like spinach and broccoli because they contain vitamins A and C, calcium, and antioxidants.

Not only that, green vegetables also contain phytoestrogens which can increase the quantity of breast milk production for breastfeeding mothers!

Besides green vegetables, Mom is also advised to increase fruit consumption to improve breast milk quality. The best fruit recommended is avocado. This is because avocado contains triple omega, namely omega-3, omega-6, and omega-9, which are very good for the baby's growth and health.

In addition to avocados, Mom can also consume other fruits important for breastfeeding mothers, such as dates, oranges, blueberries, papaya, bananas, apples, and dragon fruit. It is important to wash all vegetables and fruits to be eaten thoroughly to maintain the mother's health.

3. Consume Chicken Essence

Improve breast milk quality by consuming chicken essence regularly. Mom should know that chicken essence contains high protein that supports nutritional needs during breastfeeding.

In addition, this food source can also smooth out breast milk production and improve the quality of the mother's milk. Furthermore, chicken essence also helps boost energy so that the mother will not tire easily during the breastfeeding phase.

4. Drink Plenty of Water

Generally, mothers will be easily thirsty while breastfeeding. Therefore, Mom is encouraged to drink plenty of water so the body does not lack fluids/get dehydrated. This method is also effective for maintaining breast milk quality.

5. Get Enough Rest and Manage Stress

The mother's health will affect the quality of the breast milk produced. Besides doing the methods above, don't forget to get enough rest and manage stress well while breastfeeding. Fatigue and stress can cause breast milk production to be disrupted or not flow smoothly.

Now, so Mom can optimize rest time, ask for help from a caregiver, father, or other family members to give breast milk to your little one. To ensure the breastfeeding process runs smoothly, choose the right and high-quality feeding bottle products only from Hegen Indonesia.

Why use a feeding bottle from Hegen? There are many advantages offered by Hegen baby bottles because they are made of durable PPSU material, are FDA-certified, lightweight, heat-resistant up to 180 degrees Celsius, eco-friendly, and BPA-free.

Additionally, feeding bottles from Hegen also consist of 4 sizes that can be adjusted to the baby's age. Here is a list of feeding bottle products from Hegen that we recommend for your little one.

1. HEGEN PCTO™ 60ML/2OZ FEEDING BOTTLE PPSU FOR NEWBORN/0 MONTHS

2. HEGEN PCTO™ 150ML/5OZ FEEDING BOTTLE PPSU FOR AGES 1-3 MONTHS

3. HEGEN PCTO™ 240ML/8OZ FEEDING BOTTLE PPSU FOR AGES 3-6 MONTHS

4. HEGEN PCTO™ 330ML/11OZ FEEDING BOTTLE PPSU FOR AGES 6-9 MONTHS

Mom, the various feeding bottles from Hegen above are available in various sizes that can be adjusted to the little one’s age. Interestingly, Hegen baby bottles also have a long usage duration of 1 to 2 years! Besides feeding bottles, also own other mother and baby products such as teats, drinking bottles, straw cups, breast milk storage, manual and electric breast pumps, and various other accessories by clicking here!

References:

1. Alodokter. Don't Just Look at Quantity, Breast Milk Quality is Also Important. https://www.alodokter.com/jangan-hanya-kuantitas-kualitas-asi-juga-penting#

2. Halodoc. 5 Correct Ways to Improve Breast Milk Quality. https://www.halodoc.com/artikel/5-cara-tepat-agar-meningkatkan-kualitas-asi

3. Siloam Hospitals. 9 Healthy Foods for Breastfeeding Mothers with Balanced Nutrition. https://www.siloamhospitals.com/informasi-siloam/artikel/makanan-sehat-untuk-ibu-menyusui