The Breastfeeding Phase

Breastfeeding is the number one food for the newborn and it has a great importance on a child’s growth and strengthening his immunity against physical diseases. It is also the perfect food for him and no other milk can substitute it.

However, there is another aspect for breastfeeding, as the milk the baby takes plays a major role in transferring the characteristic of the nurse to the baby, as the Prince of Believers (p.b.u.h) says: “Choose the good for breastfeeding like you choose the good for marriage, for breastfeeding changes the nature.”

Islam made clear that the mother’s milk is absolutely the best and Imam Al-Sadek (p.b.u.h) said: “The Prince of Believers (p.b.u.h) said: ‘No milk fed to a boy is more blessed that his mother’s milk.”

The mother who breastfeeds her children must know that Allah (all praised) saved a reward for her: Oum Salama (mother of Salama) said: “O, Messenger of Allah! The Men took all the goodness, so is there anything left for the poor women?”

He (Allah’s prayers and peace upon Him and His Household) said: “Yes! When a woman gets pregnant she is like the faster, the prayer and the Moujahed (fighter for the sake of Allah) with his soul and money for the cause of Allah. As she delivers her baby, she will get a reward that no one can know how great it is; when she breastfeeds she gets with every suck the reward of liberating a prisoner from Ismail’s children and when she finishes breastfeeding her baby, an honorable Angel dabs her and says: Start working, for Allah has forgiven your sins.”

Women who shouldn’t Breastfeed

As we said before, the best for a baby is that his mother breastfeeds him. However, if we suppose that someone else will take this task, then the mother must avoid the following nurses:

1- The Fool: Imam Ali (p.b.u.h) said: “The Messenger of Allah (Allah’s prayers and peace upon Him and His Household said: ‘Never choose the fool for breastfeeding as the baby will be brought up on foolness.”

2- The Adulteress and the Daughter of Adultery: Imam Al-Kazem (p.b.u.h) was asked by His brother Ali Bin Jaafar if a woman who gave birth from adultery can breastfeed. So the Imam (p.b.u.h) said: “It’s not suitable and even from the milk of her daughter born from adultery.”
3- The Crazy: For the same reason that the milk transfers the congenital diseases. The Most Honorable Messenger (Allah’s prayers and peace upon Him and His Household) said: “Protect your children from the milk of the adulteress and the crazy, as the milk is contagious.”

This is an overall look at the likeable notes that we must be careful about after giving birth and before starting the actual and practical education that we will bring in the next chapter If Allah Wills.