Breastfeeding

Nursing has been a huge part of my life for the last two months because that's what I spend a large portion of my day doing. Eleanor and I have finally figured it out, and it's so easy now and doesn't hurt anymore. I'm so glad I stuck with it! There have been challenges, from getting her to latch on correctly to figuring out how to feed her when we go out somewhere, but we seem to be past all of that. I love my nursing cover, because with it I feel comfortable feeding her anywhere. I've even fed her at the table at a couple of restaurants. And for people who think that women should go into a bathroom to nurse in public, I just have to ask, would YOU like to eat your dinner in a public restroom? And would you like to spend 20-30 minutes either sitting on a public toilet or standing and holding a 10 pound baby to your breast?

I feel like some people don't understand why I'm nursing instead of formula feeding, so I wanted to share my reasons. First though, I want to say that I have several friends who chose to formula feed instead and I don't want anyone to think that I'm judging that choice. I think every mother has to decide what is best for her own child and family, and as mothers we should support each other's decisions rather than criticize. Being a mother is hard enough as it is! But I did want to share my reasons. (I copied most of these from this website.)

• It's natural. Just like I prefer making things from scratch and eating fresh fruits and vegetables, I want my baby to have natural food rather than something made from a powder.
• Breastfeeding is free. From what other people have told me, formula costs around $100/month or even $300/month if the baby needs a special kind.
  
• It helps prevent allergies. Babies who are breastfed for less than 6 months have seven times the incidence of allergies as those who are breastfed longer than 6 months. (And yes, I plan to breastfeed for longer than 6 months.)
  
• Breast milk contains at least 100 (some sources say up to 400) ingredients not found in formula including at least 4 unique proteins. There are unique and powerful immune building properties in breast milk, and it can enhance brain development
• Breastfed babies have up to 50% fewer ear infections than bottle fed babies
• There is growing evidence that breastfeeding can raise your child's I.Q. and there are numerous studies pointing to higher developmental test scores in breastfed children.
• Breastfed babies are less likely to become obese later in childhood. Also, the longer a baby is breastfed, the better her chances are for growing up at a healthy weight.
• Breastfeeding mothers have lower rates of certain cancers (breast, ovarian, uterine, and endometrial) as well as a reduced risk of osteoporosis.
• Breastfeeding encourages uterine contractions after childbirth, returning the uterus to it's pre-pregnancy size much faster. It has been shown that the uteruses of formula feeding mothers sometimes never return to the pre-pregnancy state.
• Breastfeeding is easier and less time consuming. There is no preparation involved, and you don't have to prepare, warm, or transport bottles.
• Breastfeeding stimulates a mothers body to produce prolactin and oxytocin, the "mothering hormones" (Prolactin helps you feel relaxed, loving, and calm. Prolactin levels can increase 10-20 fold within 30 minutes of beginning a nursing session)
• There is less consumption of natural resources and landfill space. The production and packaging of formula uses paper, glass, plastic, and metals, all of which need to be produced and disposed of.
• Colostrum is the perfect first food for babies. It is produced during pregnancy and changes into mature milk a few days after baby's birth. Colostrum provides baby with an unequaled immunity against viruses and bacteria.
• Breastmilk is a living substance. Each woman's milk is individually tailored for her own baby. What's more, her milk changes constantly - both during a feed and day by day - to meet her baby's evolving needs. When a mother is exposed to pathogens in the environment, she produces antibodies to combat them. The mother's antibodies are then passed on to her baby via her breastmilk. (This is why it's GOOD to breastfeed when you're sick)

You get the idea. :)

Several women I know who are breastfeeding are under a lot of pressure to switch to formula or to start feeding their baby cereal or solid foods. Luckily I am surrounded by supportive people, but I wonder if that will change when Eleanor gets older. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends nothing but breast milk for the first 6 months. THEN you can start the baby on cereal or other foods, but they recommend that you keep nursing until the baby is 12 months old. That's pretty much what I plan to do. If she shows signs of being ready for solid foods earlier, then I'll try it, and I'll also probably continue nursing for at least a little bit longer than 12 months. There are so many benefit for toddlers who breastfeed, but it's really hard to say for sure now what we'll be doing in a year.

Finally, I wanted to include a few things that I wish everybody knew about breastfeeding, especially people who have never done it.

• I'm doing this because I believe it's what is best for my baby. Please don't try to convince me otherwise. I'll extend the same courtesy to you and your decisions.
  
• Nursing makes you very thirsty. If you're ever in a position to offer some water to a woman who's breastfeeding, she would probably really appreciate it.
• The most comfortable place to nurse is a nice chair or couch with armrests. If you have the seat with an armrest and a nursing woman has a plain chair without one, offer to trade places. Somebody did this for me once and I really appreciated it!
• When a woman nurses, nothing is really exposed except for when she's latching the baby on. It's nice to give her a little privacy for a minute or so, but don't worry about it after that. I always wear a nursing cover when I'm in public or around other people so this usually isn't an issue for me.
• Nursing doesn't have to be difficult or impossible - there IS help out there! I had a lactation consultant in the hospital and now I go to a weekly breastfeeding support group. I know that might sound strange, but it's so helpful. There are two lactation consultants there to answer questions, and about 5-15 other moms who have been there before and can help you. Plus, at our meetings there's a scale and you can weigh the baby if you're concerned about weight gain. That's so important at the beginning! I know of at least 4 other groups like this in the area and they're all free and open to the public. I'm not sure that I would have been able to nurse if I hadn't had help.
  

I guess that's all I have to say on the subject! Feel free to leave comments if you have anything you want to add.