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. It definitely does not! Human breast milk is the healthiest form of milk for human babies. Breastfeeding promotes health, helps to prevent disease, and reduces health care and feeding costs. Artificial feeding is associated with more deaths from diarrhea in infants in both developing and developed countries.
Over two decades of scientific research, and years of proactive measures by health experts and others, are beginning to pay off. During the last 15 years, the importance of breast-feeding has been recognized as one of the most valuable medical contributors to infant health. 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.
Breastfeeding is the natural and normal way to feed your baby and improves immediate and long term health outcomes for you both. It 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.
During pregnancy your body is programmed by nature to produce breast milk and therefore breastfeeding is the final stage of the conception-pregnancy birth cycle. In all societies new mothers need support to learn to breastfeed.
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.
Not all the properties of breast milk are understood, but its nutrient content is relatively stable. Breast milk is made from nutrients in the mother's bloodstream and bodily stores. Breast milk has just the right amount of fat, sugar, water, and protein that is needed for a baby's growth and development.
The composition of breast milk changes depending on how long the baby nurses at each session, as well as on the age of the child. The quality of a mother's breast milk may be compromised by smoking, alcoholic beverages, caffeinated drinks, marijuana, methamphetamine, heroin, and methadone.
You can prepare to breastfeed successfully by learning as much as you can about breastfeeding and how it works while you are pregnant. The more information you have, the more confident you will be and the better you can plan to overcome any challenges.
Due to high value of breastfeeding for both mothers and children, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) both recommend exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of life and then supplemented breastfeeding for at least one year and up to two years or more.
Your decision to breastfeed early on may be influenced by the level of support from your partner and your own mother's breastfeeding experience. Include your partner and other family members in breastfeeding discussions so they also understand the facts.
Benefits for the infant
- Greater immune health.
- Less necrotizing enterocolitis in premature infants.
- Fewer infections risk such as: ear infections, diarrheal illness, pneumonia, bronchitis.
- Less tendencies to develop allergic such as: eczema and asthma.
- Protection from SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome)
Breastfed babies have better arousal from sleep at 2-3 months. This coincides with the peak incidence of sudden infant death syndrome. A study has shown that breastfeeding reduces the risk of sudden infant death syndrome by approximately 50% in children up to age 1.
Statistics also reveal that for every 87 deaths from SIDS, only 3 are breastfed.
Studies examining whether breastfeeding in infants is associated with higher intelligence later in life
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. It is because there are specific proteins in human milk that promote brain development.
Breastfeeding appears to reduce the risk of extreme obesity in children aged 39 to 42 months.
Benefits for mothers
It develops a special emotional relationship and bonding with her child due to hormones released during breastfeeding.
Support for a mother while breastfeeding can assist in familial bonds and help build a paternal bond between father and child.
Breastfeeding makes you feel good. The hormones produced during nursing have an endorphin effect giving you a relaxed feeling and make her feel more nurturing toward her baby. Breastfeeding soon after giving birth increases the mother's oxytocin levels, making her uterus contract more quickly and reducing bleeding.
Helps the mother's body return to its pre-pregnancy state faster. 1/2 of calories needed to manufacture milk is pulled from fat stores. It can burn from 500 - 1,500 calories per day.
It also helps your body return to its pre-pregnant state.
A breastfeeding woman may not ovulate, or have regular periods, during the entire lactation period. So it helps delay return of fertility and to space subsequent pregnancies. However the period in which ovulation is absent differs for each woman.
Studies show that breastfeeding women have long term health benefit such as:
-Less risk of breast cancer
-Less risk of ovarian cancer
-Less risk of endometrial cancer
-Lower risk of coronary heart disease
-Reduced risk of anemia
-Protection against osteoporosis and hip fracture later in life
-Breast milk is free. It is reducing or eliminating the cost of formula (in the thousands of dollars/per year)
-Breastfed babies are sick less thus reducing healthcare costs, medicine purchases, and hospitalizations
There is no feeling to describe the child suckling at your breast and letting go to give you a big smile; and knowing that the growth of your baby came from what your body produced! What a feeling! Breastfed babies also know their moms and will never confuse them with a sitter.
Many, many more benefits, too numerous to list!!!
No comments:
Post a Comment