Benefits of Breastfeeding

You all know by now that I am a bit old-fashioned, and not always politically correct. Well, when it comes to new babies I have two thoughts:

• mom is the best (ie. stay home from work for as long as you can!)
• breastfeeding is the best (hence this article)

Pregnant women have so many things to consider before they give birth to their child. There is clothing to buy, bedding to choose, and nurseries to paint. Yet one of the most important things is often overlooked: whether or not to breastfeed their child. To answer that question, each woman must educate herself on the benefits of breastfeeding and only then make a decision.

Breastfeeding has two distinct stages, colustrum and regular milk. Colustrum is the very first milk that a woman's body produces. It is a thick, whitish liquid, and is produced for the first two to three days. It is low in fat and high in carbohydrates, protein, and antibodies, and is extremely easy for the newborn's system to digest. One of the immediate benefits of colustrum is its laxative effect. It helps the baby to pass the first stools, meconium, which is thick and tarry. It also helps to clear the baby's body of excess bilirubin and prevent jaundice. So, if a baby is born with jaundice, the best thing is to nurse, nurse, and nurse. Colustrum carries an extremely high number of both antibodies and leukocytes (protective white cells) to the baby, and helps his immature immune system fight off disease, viruses, and bacteria. In effect, colustrum super-charges the baby's system and helps prepare him for life outside the womb.

The second stage of breastfeeding occurs when the regular milk comes in. This typically happens on the third or fourth day after birth. This milk is a thinner consistency than the colustrum and contains all the nutrition a baby needs to grow and thrive. It does not carry nearly the same high concentration of antibodies, but it is ingested in much higher quantities than the colustrum. As you probably know, antibodies are molecules made by your immune system that help to fight off illness. Breast milk contains all of the antibodies that the mother's body has created. So, anything that the mother is immune to, the baby will also be immune to for as long as he is nursing. As new germs are introduced into the baby's environment, the mother's body begins preparing antibodies to ward off those germs. These new antibodies are then passed through the breast milk to help the baby fight off the new threat. Now, this doesn't mean that breastfed babies never get sick, but research has shown that they do typically recover more quickly than a formula-fed baby.

There are additional benefits to breastfeeding other than just the antibodies. It has been shown that breastfeeding offers protection against ear infections, respiratory illnesses, allergies, intestinal disorders, colds, viruses, staph, strep, e-coli infections, diabetes, juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, childhood cancers, meningitis, pneumonia, urinary tract infections, salmonella, and SIDS. Breastfeeding also offers lifetime protection from Chrohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, some lymphomas, insulin dependent diabetes, breast cancer, and ovarian cancer.

Breastfeeding also offers benefits to the mother. Long-term breastfeeding, for a cumulative total of two years or more, has been shown to reduce a mother's chances of developing breast and ovarian cancer. Breastfeeding also helps the mother to lose weight more quickly after having a baby. Because many women do not get their periods back until they stop nursing, breastfeeding also helps to naturally space out children. But, it is important to note that one should never rely solely on breastfeeding for birth control.

These are just a few of the many benefits of breastfeeding a child. It doesn't just make for a healthier child, but also makes for a healthier mother. Remember, a woman's body is designed to naturally feed her children. Breast milk is the perfect food for babies, and is what the formula manufacturers strive to mimic. Oh, did I mention that breast milk is free? Think about it, and then decide what is right for you and your family.