Breastfeeding

-   Not giving the child any liquids or foods other than breast milk.

-  Not giving them any type of artificial nipples (feeding bottle with an artificial nipple) or a pacifier (dummy/soother).

-   Breastfeeding 8 to 12 times within 24 hours, including at night.

-   Not limiting the number of times or duration of breastfeeding.

·        Note: Giving the child liquids or foods before initiating breastfeeding negatively affects the success of exclusive breastfeeding. The use of artificial milks may expose the child to allergies. The use of feeding bottles or pacifiers leads the child to abandon the mother's breast due to nipple confusion (makes the child unable to open their mouth wide enough to take the largest part of the areola into their mouth).

Signs of Sufficient Breast Milk

The mother is advised to observe and record the number of times the infant urinates (more than 6 times daily) and defecates (4 or more times daily) to reassure her of the adequacy of the feed. However, to truly confirm its adequacy, the child's weight gain must be monitored regularly on the growth curve.