Breast milk is considered the divine free gift bestowed by the creator to humanity, for them to benefit from it in advanced stages of their life. Its role is not limited to providing nourishment when the infant is a weak being that has come into life without any means of nutrition other than latching onto their mother's breast. Therefore, the mother must ensure the success of breastfeeding, as it works to enhance the child's immunity so they can face any source of infection in the early stages of their life.
The newborn should not be treated as a weak being because they derive natural immunity from breast milk, and we must care for the success of breastfeeding to obtain free immunity for the child until a certain age through the important nutrients present in natural milk. Thus, "Sayidaty and Your Child" interviewed Dr. Walaa Mohi El-Din, a pediatric and neonatal consultant, in a special conversation. She pointed out the relationship between breastfeeding and the formation of the child's immunity, ways to succeed in breastfeeding, maintain it, and signs that indicate your baby is full.

When do you start breastfeeding after childbirth?

Ask the doctor supervising your delivery to present your newborn to you before cutting the umbilical cord. As the newborn's proximity to the mother and their contact before the cord is cut helps enhance and increase the chances of successful breastfeeding, the newborn will smell the amniotic fluid when close to the mother’s breast, and the oily consistency of this fluid is similar to its scent, thus leading them to suckle even if it does not contain pure white milk; by doing so, you are providing them with precious natural antibiotics that will enhance their immunity against diseases.

If you are tired after birth or undergo a cesarean section, be sure to choose a suitable position and method for breastfeeding, such as lying on your back with someone assisting you in bringing the newborn to your breast. Someone can hold the newborn while you place the breast in the newborn's mouth; the important thing is that breastfeeding succeeds and is not delayed for any reason so that the newborn receives the antibiotics that enhance their immunity which will not be repeated, referred to as the golden hour after birth. When you wonder about the golden hour after birth, it is the hour that protects the newborn from developing anemia later due to the mother's milk being offered to them, as well as in case of a delay in cutting the umbilical cord from the placenta, where stem cells and blood rich in red blood cells leak from the placenta to the newborn, enhancing their readiness to face life outside the womb.

Components of breast milk

• Know that breast milk is formed in the first third of pregnancy, where you notice a change in the size and shape of the breast, including changes in the color and nature of the nipples, which is an early symptom of pregnancy. After that, the volume of glandular tissue around the breast doubles during the second and third trimesters of pregnancy to produce milk, where the secretion of milk hormones starts by sending signals from the pituitary gland in the mother's brain, stimulating natural breastfeeding due to the maternal feelings that have been stimulated in the mother.
• Note that the newborn does not need to drink water in the first months of life, as breast milk consists of 90% of its composition being water, in addition to many nutrients that vary in percentage. Therefore, care must be taken regarding what is known as hindmilk; that is, the newborn should breastfeed until the end of the feeding session and should not be taken off the mother's breast just because they close their eyes. Instead, the nose should be stimulated to continue breastfeeding, as hindmilk contains a proportion of healthy fats that benefit the development of the child's muscles and brain, as well as enhancing their immunity, and it helps to increase their weight without causing obesity.

Benefits of breast milk for enhancing the newborn's immunity

• Notice that your newborn sleeps deeply after finishing a full feeding; that is, breastfeeding from each breast for about fifteen minutes. The number of feedings is related to how satiated the baby is and the duration of sleep between feedings. It is normal for the feeding frequency to decrease as the child ages, but when they get enough satisfying feedings, the child will not continue to ask for feeding at scattered intervals at all, and you will notice that they engage in activities indicating their fullness and healthy growth besides sleeping after every feeding, such as playing and moving their legs and arms and cooing.
• Expect your baby to wet a certain number of diapers; starting from their fourth day of life, you will change their diaper about 5 to 6 times daily, which is the daily and normal rate that should not increase significantly. If there is a decrease in the number of times you change the diaper, it means that your baby is not getting enough nourishment, and you should consult a doctor.
• Note that your child's weight increases based on the monthly rate set by global organizations and institutions as a healthy and ideal growth indicator for infants, so their weight should be around this rate. You should know the rate of weight gain for the infant and when to worry? Since the weight of infants generally increases by about 28 grams daily in the first three months after birth.
• Expect your child to have a cheerful mood and rarely exhibit crying, anger, or irritability, and also that they do not frequently get sick; this is because they possess strong immunity obtained through your milk, especially during the first six months of life; that is, the first half of their first year of life, and this period is considered the golden period when the child is expected to be less exposed to diseases.