I am super happy to have a friend write today's article. It is a subject that I am not too educated in nor any experience! I am a firm believer in baby nutrition and providing your child with the best nutrition possible. Here to help you soon to be moms, or moms in the very near future, Andrea has kindly given us some bits of wisdom from her experience regarding breastfeeding and formula! Enjoy ( and stay tuned for part 2 ) - Lindsay
As a mother of one adorable, rolly poly 8 month old boy, and a lover of food and all that can be cooked, baked, eaten, drunken and savored, I am happy to share with you what small amount of knowledge, research and understanding I have on the topic of food – the baby variety of food, that is, and even more precisely, the liquid form.
As a mother of one adorable, rolly poly 8 month old boy, and a lover of food and all that can be cooked, baked, eaten, drunken and savored, I am happy to share with you what small amount of knowledge, research and understanding I have on the topic of food – the baby variety of food, that is, and even more precisely, the liquid form.
Babies need just a few simple things at birth – loving arms to hold them close and a breast to nourish and sustain them. I quickly learned that breastfeeding was far from simple. Regardless of the fact that it is one of the most basic needs our newborn babes have, it also remains an intricately personal, unique and often times, challenging dance that mother and child will learn at their own pace.
I will say without hesitation that breast milk is nutritionally best, but it is a deeply personal decision that needs to be left in the hands of each mother, the one who knows herself and her baby best. My hope for you in reading these next 2 blogs is that you as a mother (or mother to be!) would be empowered and able to: 1) Seek the help you need and be aware of all that is offered in the way of breastfeeding help and support, and 2) Be informed in your decision to either breastfeed or formula feed, while also being knowledgeable about the risks and benefits of either choice.
Knowledge is power, and knowing where to go for help before breastfeeding begins, and once baby is born will help enormously! Firstly….
Know your stuff. Before baby comes, find out if your local health unit offers a breastfeeding class. Seek out a mommy mentor – someone with breastfeeding experience that can help and encourage you on your way. Pick up a book! Check out your local library for post baby information on breastfeeding guidance. Check out the internet, but be careful of your sources! Dr.Jack Newman was my online go to doctor for breastfeeding help.
Give it time. Breastfeeding is not a treacherous trial and tribulation for every mother, but more often than not the first few weeks can be trying and difficult. Allow yourself a period of time (I’d suggest at least 6 weeks) to work out the kinks. Call your local Public Health Nurses, book an appointment with a lactation consultant, or phone up your midwife!
Do what you gotta do. As I mentioned, breastfeeding was a great struggle for me. I personally was ready (and stubborn) to do whatever it took to continue to breastfeed, but in the meantime I had to make some adjustments to be able to persevere. I found a breast pump very useful, when it was too painful to breastfeed I would express my milk and bottle feed. Some would recommend cup feeding or finger feeding the milk instead to avoid nipple confusion. If I couldn’t pump enough I supplemented with formula. Your sanity and quality of life is worth something, do what you need to do to maintain it!
Breast milk is an amazing thing, and any amount of breast milk is incredibly beneficial to your baby for so many reasons. Many of the health benefits it offers simply cannot be replicated in formula, such as…
Breast milk protects against infection. Cells that fight infection are present in abundance in breast milk, and the antibodies in a mom’s milk are specific to any of the viruses or bacteria that mom and baby were exposed to during the day. This is not found at all in formula. Formula fed children are at a greater risk for ear infections, pneumonia, and GI infections.
Breast milk protects against cancer- in both mom and babe. One study showed that for every 12 months of breastfeeding, a womans risk for breast cancer reduces by 4.6%. It also has been shown to protect against ovarian cancer and diabetes. Another study showed that risk of childhood leukemia is reduced by 21% in breastfed babies.
Breast milk protects against lifelong illness, reducing incidence of childhood obesity, insulin dependent diabetes, and the development of allergies and eczema.
Breast milk has a consistent and complete recipe. The composition of a mothers milk varies from morning to night, from the beginning of a feeding to the end, as well as continually changing to meet the babies growing needs, flavored with the foods mom has eaten, making every meal special and unique. No formula will ever make food as perfect and unique as a mother does for her child.
Breastmilk has got the goods. Breastmilk has a perfectly balanced mix of the necessary fats, proteins, and carbohydrates, immune boosters (including white bloodcells and immunoglobins which boost your baby’s immune system and help fight infection, none of which are present in formula), enzymes and hormones, to help the biochemical balance of baby, and last of all, a plethora of taste, which helps accustom baby to vast array of foods! Although formula does contain many of these things, there is often too little, or what it does contain isn’t properly absorbed by the body, and therefore is not used by the body.
Dr.Sears has a helpful, objective comparison of breastmilk vs. formala. giving a more detailed overview of ingredients, absorption and health benefits of each.
[end of part one]
{More articles from Andrea here }
[end of part one]
{More articles from Andrea here }
