The thought of a tiny mouth latching onto your breast with all its might is enough to strike fear in the heart of any new mom. But the rewards of breastfeeding far outweigh the initial pain and hassle.
I knew I would breastfeed my child.
I heard horror stories about everything from mastitis to cracked, bleeding nipples! If I wasn’t 100% committed, these tales could have convinced me to run the other way!
The most common reason to give up breastfeeding is when milk dries up prematurely or it never ‘came in’. When my daughter was born 5 lbs 12 ounces, this was my biggest fear.
She already looked malnourished and over the 5 agonizing days it took for my milk to arrive. My baby lost a critical 12 ounces.
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While breast milk truly is superior than formula, looking back I would do things differently. This is easy for me to say now, after welcoming Rubye, our most recent addition. My second daughter was born 3 weeks early but I knew the ropes.
Solving the Problem for my Second Child…
Since Rubye was born 3 weeks early via C-section, I was worried I might have difficulty getting my milk to come in at all. As soon as I got into a room and became comfortable, I asked for a lactation consultant to bring me a pump. I started pumping the day after I delivered and by day two, my milk was in!! The second round of nursing was so much simpler than it was with Ella. But initially I wasn’t making enough milk for my little 4.10 pound eating machine, so the NICU did have to supplement with formula. This time I was okay with that.
After my little munchkin graduated from a feeding tube to a bottle, I was okay with that too.
Breast milk is by far the best option for your baby, but supplementing when necessary won’t take away from the valuable gift that you are giving your baby.
A week later, when my daughter was finally released from the hospital, I was making enough milk for her AND an entire football team! (And believe it or not, several professional athletes actually pay for breast-milk! They drink it to keep them healthier & for the over-all improved immunity it offers!)
Here are some of the major breastfeeding benefits & some resources for you:
- According to the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, breastfeeding may increase your child’s intelligence. Several studies have found a likely connection between breastfeeding and higher IQs.
- There is a documented link between a lack of breastfeeding in infancy and a later development of Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. Breast milk also lowers your child’s risk of developing acute lymphoblastic and acute myeloid leukemia as well as type 1 diabetes and many other illnesses.
- Diarrhea, lower respiratory illness, and ear infections happen less frequently in breast fed babies and are less severe when they do occur. Make sure that you purchase a great pump so that you won’t be the only one getting up in the night to feed your hungry baby! (I recommend the Medela Pump In Style.)
- Your milk contains all the vitamins and nutrients your baby needs and is full of disease-fighting substances that protect your baby from getting sick.
- Breastfeeding is proven to reduce your risk of developing breast and ovarian cancer.
- Your milk provides immunities for your child (and anyone else who drinks it) and often prevents your infant from catching something you yourself have already had. You milk contains antibodies that can protect your baby from bacterial and viral infections.
- Formula is expensive! Your milk is free and all natural! Breastfeeding saves you money that you can spend on something else-like yourself! Go green(er)!
- And finally, a great motivator for anyone, breastfeeding helps you lose that pregnancy weight! When your breastfeeding, you body is constantly burning calories to produce all of that milk.
- The AAP (American Academy of Pediatrics) says babies should be breast fed exclusively for the first 6 months but recommends continuing for at least a year. They have a great parenting website.
- Here is more information on nursing positions.
The CDC has an excellent website that provides information on the benefits of breastfeeding.
