Breastfeeding your newborn (or even your adopted baby – yes, it is possible!) is extremely beneficial. Not only does it help develop a strong bond between you and your child, it is also more nutritional than any brand of infant formula available. Think about it this way: breast milk is 100% natural, a product made by the human body meant to nourish another human body. As long as you eat right and lead a healthy lifestyle, your breast milk will offer your baby everything she needs to thrive and more, as well as helping strengthen her immune system, which is very important. So if you tend to power down on the junk food, remember that breast milk is still best; your body is able to include all the necessary nutrients your baby needs, although some extra junk may just land you with a gassy baby.
However, there are many people who feel that breastfeeding is too much work, or that it is not worth it – it’s something many people find hard to understand. Did you know that your breast milk actually matches 50 percent of your child’s DNA? It is, quite literally, made just for him. It has also been proven that mother’s milk contains fatty acids essential to the development of the baby’s nervous system and vision. Recent studies show that breastfed babies, when grown, achieve roughly eight to 10 points higher on IQ tests than formula fed babies.
Common Problems
There are some pitfalls, however, if you choose to breastfeed; some people believe they would rather reap the so-called benefits of the bottle. For example, if you continue to work after your baby is born, as opposed to taking maternity or parental leave, you may just not have the time to breastfeed or pump enough to keep your child satisfied. Then there are some babies who have a hard time latching on, and rather than taking the time to teach them and work with them, the parents make the decision to give up and put their babies on infant formula. There is also the cracked nipples aspect, and the embarrassment some women feel when their child gets hungry in public and they have to “pop out a boob”.
Past Opinions and La Leche League
Years ago, many doctors told new moms that infant formula contained a higher nutrient content and was better suited to fulfill your baby’s needs, therefore dooming many women and babies in the years to come who wanted to breastfeed and had no one to learn from. Thus, La Leche League was born.
La Leche League was a group of seven women in the late 1950s who didn’t buy the hype doctors were feeding the general public, about the benefits of infant formula. They ended up writing books, teaching at lectures, and helping women who didn’t have experienced mothers in their lives to advise them in the art of breastfeeding. Slowly but surely, La Leche League got people back on the right track. And from that point on, the science of breastfeeding and the benefits to both mother and child have started being examined.
Additional Breastfeeding Benefits
Did you know that the risk of post-partum hemorrhaging is reduced in women who breastfeed? And that women who breastfeed regain their pre-pregnancy weight in a timelier manner than women who don’t? It’s also a known fact that breastfeeding releases endorphins, which create a feeling of relaxation and well-being in both mother and baby; it is even an ideal pain reliever for the baby. Breastfed babies also tend to suffer fewer digestive problems, or "colic", and the biggest plus of all: breast milk is totally free, it never spoils, and there’s no time-consuming bottle and nipple cleaning. It can cost between two and three thousand dollars a year to formula feed your infant, and that doesn’t include bottle supplies.
Overall, breastfeeding is the healthy, natural way to nourish your baby, and the benefits far outweigh the negative aspects.
Sources
- Adoption.com. "Breastfeeding the Adopted Child" (accessed March 25, 2011).
- La Leche League (accessed March 25, 2011).
Shayna Archer - Shayna is an aspiring young novelist and children's story-teller, and first time writer for Suite101. As a mother of two, the only time ...
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