Little baby out the womb
Cuddle, cradle and you croon
Hold the tiny baby close
And feed them milk, you must know-
Within an hour or ASAP
Give them colostrum, ’cause this be
The very first gift from mother to child
Saving from infections- serious and mild.
Colostrum the first milk thin
Full of nutrients, immunoglobulin
Think of it as first vaccination
Adding breastmilk to the equation
Really boosts development, growth
Breastfeeding exclusive for first 6 months so
The baby grows in body and mind
And soon enough you shall find
The baby attaining all milestones
Stronger in mind, flesh and bone.
Now that benefits of breastfeeding you know
You may wonder how to go
About this whole breastfeeding thing
Well, at first you just bring
The baby close to your bosom
(And they’ll be more than willing to come)
Hold the baby upright, support them and then
They can latch better and when
The chin touches breast, lips outward on the teat
And their tiny nose is free to breathe
Make sure to feed from one breast
For long enough, 15-20 minutes, lest
The baby misses out on foremilk or hind
And the mix of nutrients in each kind.
They’ll feed then to their heart’s content
And sleep sound as they’re meant to
On a belly satisfied
Quiet until the next time they cry.
Go on then for first months six
Give them breastmilk, do not mix
Anything else into the diet, exclusive
Breastmilk, this will be conducive
To a happy, healthy baby, smart
After 6 months give them their part
Of food from the family pot
And continue breastmilk, as you ought
To up to two years of age
By now I’m sure you must have gauged
How it aids immunity and strength
But I’ll have you know really the lengths
To which it really helps prevent
huge issues later like diabetes and cancer
Former in the child, in mother the latter.
So little baby out the womb
Cuddle, cradle and you croon
Hold the tiny baby close
And feed them breastmilk, now that you know.
(This poem was originally published in www.lexiconin.com/uncategorized/to-mother-newly-born)
