The 5 Most Important Reasons to Breastfeed

The 5 Most Important Reasons to Breastfeed

August 25th, 2010 by admin  |  No Comments

Breastfeeding can be challenging. While it’s a natural process, that doesn’t make it an easy one. Many new moms struggle with getting the hang of it, and it can be frustrating and disappointing. Although a rough start to breastfeeding can lead many moms to throw in the towel, remember that there are very good reasons to push forward. You are making an excellent choice for your baby as well as for yourself. Check out this list if you need a reminder of why it’s worth every minute of the struggle.

1. Building Baby’s Immune System

Formula can’t give your baby the antibodies needed to stay healthy in the first few months of life. Until around 3 months old, your baby’s body isn’t yet capable of producing its own antibodies, so breast milk is the only source. Even beyond the first months, the incredible combination of nutrients found only in breast milk will continue to strengthen your baby’s immune system. This means fewer colds, infections and other illnesses to make your baby (and you) miserable. It also means that those illnesses your baby does contract will likely be over faster and less severe, as your baby’s body is better able to fight it off.

2. Protecting Baby’s Future Health

Breastfeeding has been connected with a lower risk of a number of conditions later in life. Breastfed babies are less likely to obese, and less likely to be diagnosed with diabetes. They have a lower incidence of asthma, allergies and other respiratory issues. Breast milk has also been connected with a lower risk of childhood leukemia.

3. Providing Your Baby with the Perfect Nutrition

Breast milk is not just the perfect baby food; it’s the perfect food for your baby. Every woman produces breast milk that is designed specifically for her own baby’s needs. The balance of nutrition and composition changes over time, meeting the ever-changing needs of your baby’s growing body. This is something formula just isn’t capable of doing. While formula is one size fits all, breast milk is tailored perfectly for the baby it is being made to feed.

4. Protecting Your Health

The newest research indicates that breastfeeding isn’t only beneficial to the baby. Mothers who breastfeed have a lower chance of both breast and ovarian cancer. It also encourages postpartum weight loss, and research shows that not only do breastfeeding mothers lose more weight; they also keep it off better than non-breastfeeding mothers. Despite previous concerns about calcium being leached from the bones of breastfeeding mothers, the newest evidence suggests that breastfeeding actually strengthens bones and results in a lower chance of osteoporosis later in life.

5. Keeping Your Budget in Check

Have you looked at the price of formula recently? It’s expensive, and it adds up fast. Not only does breast milk save you a lot of money on formula, but also on bottles, nipples, washing and sterilizing equipment and probably on laundry too – formula spit up tends to stain while breast milk spit up doesn’t.

Whenever you feel like breastfeeding is just too hard, remember all of these important reasons to carry on. You are doing something incredible for your baby and for yourself, and you will see the benefits for many years to come. Although there may be hurdles to overcome as you settle in to breastfeeding, they will soon be a thing of the past. These benefits however, will last a lifetime.

How Breastfeeding Benefits Mom and Baby

How Breastfeeding Benefits Mom and Baby

August 18th, 2010 by admin  |  No Comments

In recent years, study after study has come out revealing a huge number of reasons why breastfeeding is the best choice for a newborn baby. Not only does it have many health benefits for the baby, new research is now proving it’s healthy for the mom as well. Making the choice to breastfeed your baby is without a doubt the best thing you can do for both of you.

Breastfeeding and Nutrition

Breast milk is a complex liquid; it comprises an incredible number of vitamins, minerals, and antibodies that your baby simply can’t get anywhere else. In spite of improvements to formula over the years, it is still light years away from matching what nature has created for your baby.

In addition to providing compounds that can’t be replicated, breast milk is created by the body to meet the specific needs of your baby. Studies have shown that the composition of breast milk changes over time as your baby’s nutritional needs change with growth. The body even adjusts the content of the breast milk to meet the needs of a baby born prematurely. Thus, your particular breast milk is the best possible baby food for your particular baby.

Benefits for the Baby

The benefits to breastfeeding your baby are numerous, and more are being discovered all the time. Breast milk is the only source of antibodies in the first months of life, when baby’s body isn’t yet able to produce them. This means that a breastfed baby will have greater protection against illness. Even when baby’s body does start to produce antibodies, the breast milk will continue to provide immune support. Breastfed babies suffer fewer colds and other common childhood illnesses than babies who are formula fed.

Breastfed babies are also less likely to develop a number of health problems later in life, including obesity, respiratory problems including asthma, allergies, leukemia, diabetes and many more. Studies have also indicated that breastfeeding reduces the chances of SIDS.

Breast milk is easier for a baby’s delicate digestive system to handle, so it may also reduce problems with gas, constipation and reflux.

Benefits for the Mother

New research shows that mothers who breastfeed have lower incidences of postpartum depression. They are also at a lower risk of both breast and ovarian cancer. In addition to these major health benefits, breastfeeding can help a new mother to lose the extra baby weight faster, as the production of breast milk burns calories.

The benefits aren’t just health ones either. Breastfeeding saves a large amount of money over having to purchase formula, which can be very expensive. You also won’t have to purchase bottles, nipples, or sterilizing products – nor will you have to spend time on the process of sterilization. This can be a huge benefit in the middle of the night, when you can simply feed baby without having to go make a bottle and get it to the right temperature.

One of the biggest benefits of breastfeeding for both mom and baby is the special bond that it creates. The time spent nursing your baby will become a special quiet time that you will cherish. Studies have shown that the skin-on-skin contact is beneficial to baby’s growth and development as well. For this reason, a system of skin contact known as “kangaroo care” has been implemented in hospitals with premature babies who are not yet able to nurse. Premature babies who get kangaroo care tend to do better than those who do not. Your baby can get the same benefits from time spent breastfeeding.

Nutrition in Your Breast Milk

Nutrition in Your Breast Milk

August 8th, 2010 by admin  |  No Comments

Breast milk is an amazing liquid. It contains all of the vitamins, minerals, antibodies and more that your baby needs to grow and thrive. The only thing you need to do to make sure that your baby is getting everything needed out of your breast milk is to make sure that you are healthy. Your body will take care of the rest!

Eating a Healthy Diet

While you are breastfeeding, you need to provide your body with all of the nutrients it needs to do that important job of making the perfect baby food for your baby. This means eating a healthy, balanced diet that provides all of the necessary vitamins and minerals as well as the proper amount of calories from fat, protein, and carbohydrates.

Your body will take the nutrients it needs from your body’s stores in order to fill the breast milk with all of the incredible nutrition that your baby can’t get any other way. You will need to replace those nutrients every day. Make sure that the foods you choose are varied and include lots of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and good protein sources. You should aim to follow the recommended daily amounts for servings from each food group. Try to get 6-9 servings of grains, 2-3 servings of protein, 3-4 servings of dairy, and 5 or more servings of fruits and vegetables. Avoid unhealthy choices such as those high in sugar or unhealthy fats.

Does Your Diet Affect the Nutrition of the Milk?

The answer is a little complicated. While breast milk has been shown to be remarkably nutritionally stable in spite of imperfect nutrition on the part of the mother, there are many ways in which your diet can affect your breast milk. Your body will continue to make nutritionally sound milk for your baby except in cases of extreme deprivation – however, your diet supports your body’s ability to make enough breast milk for baby’s needs.

Eating the right number of calories, keeping your body healthy with a balance of vitamins and minerals, and maintaining adequate fluid intake are all vital to keeping your production of breast milk steady. Remember that your body is working hard to make that milk – you need to give it a steady source of fuel.

There are some things you eat that can affect the composition of breast milk. Research has shown that the type of fat you consume can affect the type of fat most prevalent in your breast milk. Try to stick to healthy unsaturated fats to ensure baby is reaping the benefits these fats provide. The level of fat in breast milk is most affected by the fullness or emptiness of the breast. A highly engorged breast will have a lower fat content than an emptier one. However, as long as your baby nurses regularly, there is no need to worry about the amount of fat in the milk.

The best thing you can do for your baby’s health is to breast feed, and the best thing that you can do to help your body produce healthy breast milk is to be healthy yourself. As long as you are eating nutritious foods and drinking plenty of water, you shouldn’t have to worry about the content of your breast milk. Your body was made to produce that perfect food for baby, and it is very good at the job. All you need to do is support it!

Keeping your Baby Healthy

Keeping your Baby Healthy

March 7th, 2010 by admin  |  No Comments

Few things concern new parents more than the health of their baby. Although babies are delicate and have much weaker immune systems than adults, there are a few simple things you can do as a parent to ensure your baby stays healthy.

Baby’s Immune System

Newborns enter the world with no immunity to any of the many viruses and bacteria we come into contact with every day. They must build immunity over time, and the number one thing that you can do to help baby’s immune system grow stronger is to breastfeed. Breast milk, especially the early colostrum, contains antibodies your baby can’t get anywhere else. These will strengthen her immune system and give her an edge in fighting off common childhood illnesses.

Although there has been much controversy surrounding vaccinations in the past several years, the truth is that getting your baby immunized is a vital step in keeping her protected from potentially fatal illnesses. The reason so many childhood illnesses are practically non-existent in the US today is the strong push for vaccinations. If you are interested in an alternate vaccination schedule or have concerns about vaccines, talk to your baby’s doctor.

Well-baby Check Ups

Seeing your baby’s pediatrician regularly is vital to keeping your baby healthy. Well-baby check ups are scheduled at gradually widening intervals throughout your baby’s first two years, and yearly thereafter. These visits allow your baby’s doctor to monitor his health, and catch any signs of a problem early, before it can become serious. Well-baby visits are also the time when immunizations are usually scheduled.

You should also use these check ups as an opportunity to discuss any concerns you may have regarding your baby’s health. Remember that you are the first line of defense for your baby; because you spend more time with him than your doctor does, you are more likely to notice a problem. Don’t hesitate to bring it up, even if you aren’t sure it’s worth mentioning. Anything that concerns you should be taken seriously by your baby’s doctor.

Protecting Baby’s Health

A simple precaution you can take to avoid exposing your baby to harmful germs is to make sure you wash your hands or use a hand sanitizer before you touch her. Make sure that anyone else who wishes to touch her does the same. Don’t be afraid to stand up to strangers in public who want to touch your baby! It is your job to protect her while her immune system is not yet up to the task.

Make sure to ask friends and family to avoid visiting when they are sick. A cold that might be a minor inconvenience to an adult can hospitalize a newborn, so take this seriously. Your doctor may recommend avoiding busy public places with your newborn for the first few months, especially if your baby is born during cold and flu season. This doesn’t mean you are house-bound! Just try to keep your outings to less crowded places, and again, be cautious of strangers who want to check out your precious little one. Remind them it’s ok to look, but please don’t touch.

In spite of your best efforts, it’s likely that your baby will come down with several colds in the first year of life. However, if you have done your best to bolster his immune system and keep him healthy, hopefully they will be short-lived and infrequent.

A healthy baby is a happy baby, and that makes for happy parents too!