|
The Benefits of Breastfeeding |
|
Otherwise known as: ‘The Risks of Formula Feeding’ |
|
You’ve probably heard the ‘Benefits of Breastfeeding’ described many times, so it might surprise you to hear that there is no such thing. Breastfeeding is a biological norm. It is how your body and your baby’s body are designed to operate. Therefore, there are no ‘benefits of breastfeeding’. There are only risks associated with not breastfeeding.
For baby, the risks of NOT breastfeeding include an increased incidence of: Diabetes Obesity SIDS Respiratory illness, including asthma Ear infections Childhood cancer Gastrointestinal infections and disease including Colitis and Crohn’s Disease Meningitis Eczema Allergies Dental decay and malformations . . . and a decrease in: The effectiveness of vaccines Normal development of jaw and facial muscles For mom, choosing not to breastfeed means: A greater risk of postpartum hemorrhage An earlier onset of menstrual periods postpartum. Greater difficulty returning to pre-pregnancy weight. An increased risk of premenopausal breast cancer. Lower bone density, associated with an increased risk of osteoperosis and hip fracture.
So what is the ‘formula’ for breast milk? There isn’t one. The contents of breast milk vary from one woman to another, from one baby to another, from one day to the next, from one feeding to another, and even throughout the course of a single feeding. Imagine a nine month old child whose solid food diet is restricted by an allergy to animal protein. If that child is being fed formula, his parents will give him a soy formula and hope that it works out okay. But if he is being fed breast milk, his mother’s body will adjust milk production to his needs— producing a milk higher in fat and protein, in a form that he can digest.
Sometimes family and friends, even health care providers, seem anxious to encourage a woman to give up on breastfeeding. They ‘know’ that this breastfeeding thing is too hard and that it’s just not worth the trouble of sore nipples, lost sleep and a restricted social life. They’re ‘sure’ that baby isn’t getting enough milk. What really matters is what these people don’t know: how to help with the simple, common challenges of normal breastfeeding. Since they can’t help with the challenges, they inadvertently undermine the whole process. Get good support. Breastfeeding is worth it. |
