Got Milk?
Mar 30 '00 (Updated Sep 26 '01)
I do! And so do most of the mothers I know. It's becoming apparent that more people these days are coming around to the fact that what Mother Nature has provided is best for their children.
Well, here I am. I've chosen to write on a very touchy subject. But personally, I'm not really into all that "politically correct" bologna. Just the same, I feel the need to post a little "disclaimer" before I continue.
What you are about to read is in no way ridiculing the choices you will or have made. I am not here to bash mothers who have chosen to bottle feed their infants. My objective is to inform people of the benefits that mother's milk offers to a child, as well as the mother herself.
Now that I have that out of the way, let's begin:
I sit back and think of how I imagined the world when I was a young girl. Of course every baby doll came with a bottle, and every infant I saw was being bottle fed. I can vaguely remember seeing a National Geographic Magazine with a Tribal woman nursing her baby, and thinking "No way, not for me. I'm glad I live in a civilized land". Breast feeding was the last thing I'd ever do. You know though, what do you expect? Little girls are raised to believe that any natural act is a primitive, Neanderthal like behavior.
When I was a teenager, however, my sister married and had a child. I was surprised to learn that she had chosen to breast feed her child. This was my first real introduction to nursing. I still hadn't learned a whole lot about it, but this made it a little more "OK" for me.
Well, many years later (as we fast forward through my life here), I married. Three years after that my husband and I decided to start our family. (As I've said in other reviews) I purchase every book I could get my hands on, about pregnancy and raising children. The more I read, the more I swayed toward breast feeding. I couldn't believe all the benefits. I was one of those people who though that formula was better, because humans are smart enough to add all sorts of extra vitamins and nutrients that the human body couldn't produce. Boy was I wrong. It's actually just the opposite.
For starters, breast milk offers anti-bodies that can't be found in formula or cow's milk. These anti-bodies help protect babies from contracting some viruses (kind of like a vaccine), They also help babies fight off colds, if they do catch something (for example, say mom and baby both have the sniffles. Mom's body is making anti-bodies to help mom get rid of the cold. At the same time, these anti-bodies are going through her milk to baby, enabling baby to fight the cold more easily). The very first milk a mother makes (called colestrum) is jam packed with protein and contains a major punch of anti-bodies. As the day's and weeks go by, the mother's milk gradually "comes in" and her supply builds up to what her baby requires.
Another benefit is the closeness that forms between you and baby. This is a bond like no other. You gain this feeling that you are nurturing you baby like no one else can, and that is completely true. Yes, others nurse their children, but only you can nurse your baby the way you nurse your baby. It's a feeling like, you are giving completely (and literally) of yourself to this child.
Just to ramble out a few other perks:
In some studies, it has been shown that breast fed children tend to have higher scores during the grade school years.
Breast fed babies tend to have fewer ear infections, because the angle in which they are held while nursing helps prevent fluid from passing into the ear canal.
Breast fed babies tend have fewer colds in the first years of life.
Other studied have show that breast fed babies are less likely to become obese in adulthood. (Or even as young children, for that matter. Can you believe the amount of obese pre-schoolers and grade schoolers these days?... But, that's another topic...)
Breast feeding helps Mom too: When you nurse, it causes you uterus to contract, helping it to regain it's original size. Not to mention (and some people will tell you that this is an old wives tale) it helps you lose weight. I'm a proven fact on that one. Granted, I'm not a small woman right now, but I was much larger just before I gave birth. I gained over 50 pounds during my pregnancy. Eight months after I had my son, I had lost 78 pounds. (That's more then I had gained during the pregnancy.)
I could go on for ever, but I won't. I would like to say something else though. Very often women will decide to "give breast feeding a try", only to quit a few days or weeks into it because their nipples are sore & painful, or they're getting to much flack from other people. I would just like to tell them that they are not alone. Don't give up to easily. Let me reassure you that the discomfort does go away. For me, I was sore for the first three weeks. I went out and bought some cream called "Lansinoh". This is a 100% Lanolin cream that you put on the sore nipple, and it doesn't need to be washed off before nursing again. This cream worked miracles. You can find this cream at any local drug store (over the counter, of course).
On the other issue, of pressure and flack for your family and friends. Don't let them decide what's best for your child. If you need help, support, or just feel that you need a friendly ear to listen, there is a non profit organization called "La Leche Legue International". There are charter groups of this organization everywhere. To find a local chapter near you, you can call 1-847-519-7790 (9am to 5 pm central time). You can also look in your local news paper, or check the bulletin board at the hospital. Local chapters are always advertising when their next (free) meeting will be. The other place you can look up is: WWW.lalechelegue.org. The chapter leaders are very helpful, and you can talk to them candidly if you wish.
I know that many will disagree with what I have just written. If you do, please feel free to leave a comment or post an opinion of your own. Like I said before, I'm not criticizing anyone here. I understand that there are sometimes very important reasons why people choose not to nurse. I also understand that not every mother can nurse. My comments here are for those women who are, in every way, able to nurse, but chose not to. I'm not implying that you're a bad mother because you bottle feed/fed your children. I just want to inform the world about the wonderful world of breast feeding, and it's benefits.
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Epinions.com ID:
CopeSullivan
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Member: Danielle
Location: Ahm from th' Bawstin arear.
Reviews written: 203
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About Me:
"Hatred stirs up dissension, but love covers over all wrongs." ~Prov 10:12
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