Why the breast is best so try it, hang in there!!!!!

Breastfeeding is one of the most natural and beneficial acts a mother can do for her child.  Dramatic health benefits have been proven to pass from mother to child through breast milk   From antibodies which protect an infant at birth...to the exclusive nutrients in mother's milk which have been shown to prevent a number of childhood diseases...the benefits are incalculable.  There is no other single action by which a mother can so impact the present and future health of her baby.


     Yet, in today's society, breastfeeding is often thought of as unnecessary.  Young mothers are mistakenly led to believe that formula does very well as a replacement for breast milk.  Nothing can duplicate the properties of breast milk, no matter how many vitamins, minerals and supplements are added to what is basically a chemical formulation.

     Breast milk remains the one and only natural, complete and complex nutrition for human infants.  It is nature's formula for ensuring the health and quality of life for infants, as well as on through childhood to adult life.  Just as importantly, breastfeeding promotes a very special bond between mother and child that only a mother can provide.
     

For me personally both children had a annoying start with nursing..   But fighting through it is so rewarding, I have had to wear a nipple shield, I have had mastitis a few times (which is miserable and I don't wish it on my worst enemy), I have had pretty much everything under the sun between the two of them....  We worked through it because I knew how much they would benefit..  It has been hard work and I learn something new everyday, but my second child Miss Daphne is 13 months and is still an avid nurser with the 9 teeth and all!!!! ;)))~~~  Don't give up gals, there are so many resources to help..  Here is some food for thought!!
To fully understand the benefits of breastfeeding, these are some of the major, but by no means all of the benefits of breastfeeding your baby.

Breastfeeding Facts
Health Benefits to Babies Who Breastfeed

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• Children receive the most complete and optimal mix of nutrients & antibodies
• The varying composition of breast milk keeps pace with the infant's individual growth and changing nutritional needs
• Have fewer incidences of vomiting and diarrhea in the US (20-35 million episodes of diarrhea occur in children under the age of 5, resulting in over 200,000 hospitalizations and 400-500 deaths in the U.S.)
• Protection against gastroenteritis, necrotizing entercolitis
• Reduced risk of chronic constipation, colic, and other stomach upsets
• Reduced risk of childhood diabetes
• Protection against ear infections, respiratory illnesses, pneumonia, bronchitis, kidney infections, septicemia (blood poisoning),
• Protection against allergies,   asthma, eczema, and severity of allergic disease
• Reduced risk of SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome) Statistics reveal that for every 87 deaths from SIDS, only 3 are breastfed.
• Protection against meningitis, botulism, childhood lymphoma, crohn's disease and ulcerative entercolits
• Decreased risk of tooth decay (cavities)
• Nursing promotes facial structure development, enhanced speech,  straighter teeth and enhances vision.
• Breastfed infants develop higher IQ's, and have improved brain and nervous system development; IQ advantage of 10-12 points studied at ages 8, 12, and 18.  (Breastfeeding is considered the 4th trimester in brain growth and development...there are specific proteins in human milk that promote brain development))
• Reduced risk of heart disease later in life
• Increased bone density
• Breastfeeding plays an important role in the emotional and spiritual  development of babies
• Breastfed babies enjoy a special warm bonding and emotional relationship with their mothers    
• Antibody response to vaccines are higher
• Are hospitalized 10 times less than formula fed infants in the first year of life
• The colostrum (first milk) coats the GI tract, preventing harmful bacteria and allergy -triggering protein molecules from crossing into baby's blood
• Decreased risk for vitamin E and Iron deficiency anemia
• Decreased risk for acute appendicitis, rheumatoid arthritis, inguinal hernia, pyloric stenosis
• There are factors in human milk that destroy E coli, salmonella, shigella, streptococcus, pneumococcus....and many others
• Less risk of childhood obesity
  
  
  less waste as well, all the bottles and formula....  such a waste and hastle!!

  Benefits for Mothers

  
  
  
  1.  Delays Fertility
  Women who nurse frequently during exclusive breastfeeding remained amenorrhoeic longer than infrequent nursers, introduced supplements later and did not resume menses as promptly thereafter.  Duration of exclusive nursing and night nursing after supplementation were the major influences on amenorrhoea.
  Source:  Elias,M.F. "Nursing Practices and Lactation Amenorrhoea."  Journal of Biosco Sci, 1968.
  
  2.  Breast Cancer
  Among both premenopausal and postmenopausal women, risk of breast cancer decrease with increasing duration of lifetime lactation experience although the effect was consistently stronger for premenopausal women.
  Source:  McTieman, A., Evidence of Protective Effect of Lactation on Risk of Breast Cancer in Young Women."  American Journal of Epidemiology, 1986.
  
  After controlling for age at first full term pregnancy and other potentially compounding factors, parity and duration of breast feeding also had a strong influence on the risk of breast cancer.  Compared with parous women who never breast fed, women who had breast fed for 25 months or more had a lower relative risk.
  Source:  Layde, P.M., "The Independent Associations of Parity Age at First full Term Pregnancy, and Duration of Breast Feeding with the Risk of Breast Cancer."  Journal of Clinical Epidemiol, 1989.
  
  If women who do not breastfeed or who breastfed for less than 3 months were to do so for 4 to 12 months, breast cancer among parous premenopausal women could be reduce by 11%; if all women with children lactated for 24 months or longer, the incidence might be reduced by nearly 25%.
  Source:  Newcomb,P. etal.  "Lactation and reduced risk of premenopausal breast cancer."  N Engl J Med 1994; 330(2):81-87.
  
  Women who were breastfed as infants, even if only for a short time, showed an approximate 25% lower risk of developing premenopausal or postmenopausal breast cancer, compared to women who were bottle-fed as an infant.
  Source:  Freudenheim, J.  "Exposure to breast milk in infancy and the risk of breast cancer."  Epidemiology 1994 5:324-331.
  
  3.  Uterine Cancer
  A protective effect against uterine cancer was found for women who breastfeed.
  Source:  Brock, K.E., "Sexual, Reproductive, and Contraceptive Risk Factors for Carcinoma-in-Situ of the Uterine Cervix in Sidney.  "Medical Journal of Australia, 1989.
  
  4.  Ovarian Cancer
  Breastfeeding should be added to the list of factors that decrease ovulatory age and thereby decrease the risk of ovarian cancer.
  Source:  Schneider, A.P.  "Risk Factor for Ovarian Cancer.  "New England Journal of Medicine, 1987.
  
  5.  Endometrial Cancer
  Lactation provides a hypoestrogenic effect with less stimulation of the endometrial lining.  This event may offer a protective effect from endometrial cancer.
  Source:  Petterson B, et al.  "Menstruation span- a time limited risk factor for endometrial carcinoma."  Acta Obstet Gyneocol Scand 1986;65:247-55.
  
  6.  Emotional Health
  At one month postpartum, women who breastfed their infants had scores indicating less anxiety and more mutuality than the women bottle feeding their infants.
  Source:  Virden, S.F., "The Relationship Between Infant Feeding Method and Maternal Role Adjustment." Journal of Nurse Midwives, 1988.
  7.  Decrease Insulin Requirements
  Breastfeeding decreased insulin requirements in diabetic women. Reduction in insulin dose postpartum was significantly greater in those who were breastfeeding than those who were bottle feeding.
  Source:  Davies, H.A., "Insulin Requirements of Diabetic Women who Breast Feed." British Medical Journal, 1989.
  
  8. Decreased Osteoporosis
  The odds ratio that a woman with osteoporosis did not breastfeed her baby was four times higher than for a control woman.
  Source:  Blaauw, R. et al. "Risk factors for development of osteoporosis in a South African population."  SAMJ 1994; 84:328-32.
  
  9. Promotes Postpartum Weight Loss
  Mothers who breastfed exclusively or partially had significantly larger reductions in hip circumference and were less above their pre-pregnancy weights at 1 month postpartum than mothers who fed formula exclusively.
  Source:  Kramer, F., "Breastfeeding reduces maternal lower body fat." J Am Diet Assoc 1993;93(4):429-33.
  
  
  The Convenience of nursing is such a huge benefit as well!!!  So much more relaxing to nurse in the middle of the night as opposed to jumping up and having to prepare a bottle!!!  Not only at night but on the go, and traveling you will notice that it is so much less work,  to not have to pack sooooo much crap... All you need is clothes, diapers and boobies!!!!  Not to mention the benefits on mother earth..   Production and packaging of bottles and formula are for sure a burden on the planet...  So it kind of feels nice to not contribute to that!!!!
  
  
• Where you can seek help:
• I am active in both of these groups and they have been a whole bunch of help.... So for sure look into them if you are needing support or someone to just talk to...

• Sacramento coalition for breastfeeding

http://www.sacbreastfeeding.org

 La leche league internatioal.

http://www.llli.org/

This is a great group to look up, there are many to choose from in lots of areas!!!!!!  

 

 I am no expert by any means but if you have any questions please message me, I have some really smart chicks in my corner on this topic that can help if I can't...  Tread lightly!!!!