Breastfeeding: Numerous Benefits For Mom And Baby

Breastfeeding: Numerous Benefits for Mom and Baby

Parents care for a child should begin from the moment of conception. For Every child that is born, the mother has the choice to bottle feed or breastfeed her baby. The benefits of breastfeeding are not just in the first year; many of the benefits last a lifetime. However, many parents do not know how beneficial breast milk is for a child. These days, mothers use busy schedules as an excuse not to breastfeed their baby. For years, doctors and specialist have researched which is better: bottle feed or breast feed. Breastfeeding does not only benefit the baby but it also benefits the mother. The benefits of breastfeeding are so numerous that mothers should never consider feeding formula to their baby.

The study of breastfeeding as the traditional method of infant nourishment has undergone a revolution in the past two decades due to the emergence of supplemental foods. Breast milk, long believed the ideal form through which children could require their sustenance, is now questioned by some as being less nutritious than the modern manufactured alternatives. However, those who argue in favor of breast milk maintain that there is no better substitute for this natural food source, and that seeking alternatives has the potential to harm the infant's earliest developmental processes.

These days, breasts have gained the image of a sex symbol. Society forgets the main reason women were given breasts. Initially, breasts were created for breastfeeding and nurturing offspring. Breastfeeding is a way of nurturing a baby and it creating a special bond between a mother and her baby. The benefits of breastfeeding out number all, if there are any benefits of formula feeding.

Breastfeeding is the best food for babies and has many advantages. For the first six months of life, breast milk contains all the important nutrients. Breast milk also remains the most important part of an infant's diet for the first twelve. Breast milk is best for a baby's fragile stomach. It is easily digested and changes to meet the needs of a growing baby.

Biology determines a baby's needs, but parents decide how to meet that need. In our society, more and more women are choosing to formula feed for various reasons. Some say formula is a better source of vitamins, and others lack the desire because the sexual emphasis on breasts in our culture makes it seem indecent to breastfeed in public. Breastfeeding does not influence your child's sexual orientation, cause dental problems, or unusual dependency as that infant becomes a child. However, breastfeeding is not only the most natural way to provide nutrition for a baby, it is also the most complete way. Breastfeeding has proven to be protective against many illnesses, including ear infections, respiratory ailments, viruses, intestinal disorders, diabetes, allergies, strep and e-coli infections, colds, and juvenile rheumatoid arthritis.

There are a wide variety of immunoglobulins found in breast milk. The highest concentration is found in the colostrum, which is the very first milk that appears from the breast. Colostrum occurs in the first three to five days of the baby's life. According to Dr. Greene's website, the "Secretory IGA, a type of immunoglobulin that protects the throat, nose, ears, and the GI tract, is found in high amounts in breast milk throughout the first year." Breast milk also contains a potent digestive ingredient, Lysozyme, at a level of thirty times higher than in any formula. Lysozyme has a strong influence on the type of bacteria that is in the intestinal tract. DHA and ARA found in breast milk are still not present in many formulas.

Studies have shown that babies given shots while breastfeeding experience less pain and discomfort compared to those just being held by their mothers. According to Dr. Ronald Barr, "studies have shown that the taste, suckling, nutrients and contact associated with breastfeeding can activate a variety of responses that result in a reduction in the sensation of pain." Barr measured a variety of indicators of pain and discomfort while injection and the minute following. The breastfeeding babies seemed to show fewer signs of pain than the ones being held (Barr, 2001).

Breastfeeding is highly beneficial to mothers, almost as much as it is for babies. Breastfeeding burns so many calories that a woman regains her pre-pregnancy figure faster. Producing breast milk burns anywhere from 200-500 calories a day. In comparison, a bottle-feeding mother would have to swim 30 laps a day (Dermer, 1997).

Breastfeeding protects the mother from certain diseases now and later in life. Immediately after birth, the baby's sucking causes the uterus to contract, which causes repeated bursts of oxytocin released in response. This protects the mother from postpartum hemorrhage (Dermer, 1997). Beastfeeding can cause a delay in the menstrual cycle. "In fact, the lactational amenorrhea method (LAM) is a well-studied method of child spacing which is 99% effective in preventing pregnancy in the first six months as long as effective nursing is practiced" (Dermer, 1997).

Breast milk is one of the few foods that is produced and delivered without any pollution or unnecessary packaging. On the other hand, the production, shipping, and preparation of formula and bottles require large amounts of fuel, plastic, glass, water and rubber that significantly produce garbage in the end (Michels, 1998). Breastfeeding also makes it easier on parents. There are no extra bottles or formula to be carried around. Medical bills are also lower for breastfed babies. Healthier babies are less stressful and easier to care for.

If every child born in America were bottle-fed, there would be almost 86,000 tons of tin needed to produce 550 million cans just for one year's worth of formula. Included in those figures are the materials like plastic, glass, rubber and silicon needed to produce bottles and nipples. Most of these materials lead to end products that are not recyclable. These products use natural resources and cause pollution in manufacturing and distribution (Michels, 1998).

As more women enter the workforce, the question of whether or not to breastfeed becomes a big decision. Even if a mother has to return to work within a couple of weeks, the baby benefits from the colostrum and early milk; plus, the mother gets to experience the closeness and create an unforgettable bond with her child. Mothers who have to return to work have a few options; they can continue to breastfeed and pump while they are at work, nurse at home, or wean completely and switch to formula. Any amount of continued breastfeeding would be more beneficial than weaning and completely formula feeding. Studies have shown that the babies