Breast Is Best
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The Age Old Argument Continues - Is Breast Best?
As a mother of five I have looked at both sides of this coin. I have gone back and forth between breast and formula. I breastfed 4 out of my 5 children, and would have done the same with my youngest, had he not been allergic to everything.
I am an advocacy for breastfeeding, and here is my lens about why breast is best!
This about sums it up... taken from BabyCenter.com
Breastfeeding has many benefits for both you and your baby. It's a lovely way for you to feel close to each other. Best of all, though, your breastmilk gives your baby everything she needs to thrive for the first six months of her life.
And once your baby starts solids at around six months, you can carry on breastfeeding her. Breastmilk is full of nutrients that will continue to do your baby good.
Breastfeeding also helps your baby to fight infections in the first few months of her life. Breastmilk contains antibodies which help protect your baby against illnesses such as tummy bugs (gastroenteritis), colds, urinary infections and ear infections.
Breastmilk also reduces the risk of your baby getting allergic conditions such as asthma and eczema. It can even help to protect your baby against serious illnesses, such as childhood diabetes and leukemia.
As well as antibodies already in your breastmilk, your body will make new antibodies as soon as you are exposed to an infection. These antibodies then transfer to your milk, ready for your baby to receive as soon as she next has a breastfeed.
Breastmilk has long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids, which are essential for helping your baby's brain develop. Exclusively breastfeeding for the first few months can improve your baby's cognitive development. In theory, this means breastfeeding your baby could make her more intelligent.
Breastfeeding is the healthiest choice for you, too. It reduces your risk later in life of pre-menopausal breast cancer, ovarian cancer, and bone fractures from osteoporosis.
On the practical side, a big benefit of breastfeeding is how convenient it is. You have nothing to wash, sterilise or prepare. You and your baby will enjoy it, and you will feel a real sense of achievement to see her growing and developing. And it's all your own work!
Image from Birthsource.com
I am an advocacy for breastfeeding, and here is my lens about why breast is best!
This about sums it up... taken from BabyCenter.com
Breastfeeding has many benefits for both you and your baby. It's a lovely way for you to feel close to each other. Best of all, though, your breastmilk gives your baby everything she needs to thrive for the first six months of her life.
And once your baby starts solids at around six months, you can carry on breastfeeding her. Breastmilk is full of nutrients that will continue to do your baby good.
Breastfeeding also helps your baby to fight infections in the first few months of her life. Breastmilk contains antibodies which help protect your baby against illnesses such as tummy bugs (gastroenteritis), colds, urinary infections and ear infections.
Breastmilk also reduces the risk of your baby getting allergic conditions such as asthma and eczema. It can even help to protect your baby against serious illnesses, such as childhood diabetes and leukemia.
As well as antibodies already in your breastmilk, your body will make new antibodies as soon as you are exposed to an infection. These antibodies then transfer to your milk, ready for your baby to receive as soon as she next has a breastfeed.
Breastmilk has long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids, which are essential for helping your baby's brain develop. Exclusively breastfeeding for the first few months can improve your baby's cognitive development. In theory, this means breastfeeding your baby could make her more intelligent.
Breastfeeding is the healthiest choice for you, too. It reduces your risk later in life of pre-menopausal breast cancer, ovarian cancer, and bone fractures from osteoporosis.
On the practical side, a big benefit of breastfeeding is how convenient it is. You have nothing to wash, sterilise or prepare. You and your baby will enjoy it, and you will feel a real sense of achievement to see her growing and developing. And it's all your own work!
Image from Birthsource.com
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Important!
The Most Important Thing...
Is to do what's right for YOUR child! No matter what you choose, make sure it's an educated decision!
The Battle For Natural Continues...
New parents want to give their babies the very best.
When it comes to nutrition, the best first food for babies is breast milk.
Experts recommend that babies be breast-fed for six to 12 months. The only acceptable alternative to breast milk is infant formula.
Solid foods can be introduced when the baby is 4 to 6 months old, but a baby should drink breast milk or formula, not cow's milk, for a full year. Cow's milk contains a different type of protein than breast milk. This is good for calves, but human infants can have difficulty digesting it.
Bottle-fed infants tend to be fatter than breast-fed infants, but not necessarily healthier. Human milk contains at least 100 ingredients not found in formula. No babies are allergic to their mother's milk, although they may have a reaction to something the mother eats. If she eliminates it from her diet, the problem resolves itself.
Sucking at the breast promotes good jaw development as well. It's harder work to get milk out of a breast than a bottle, and the exercise strengthens the jaws and encourages the growth of straight, healthy teeth. The baby at the breast also can control the flow of milk by sucking and stopping. With a bottle, the baby must constantly suck or react to the pressure of the nipple placed in the mouth.
Initially, a breast-fed baby will need to be fed 8-12 times in a 24-hour period, especially since both baby and mother are getting used to the process. Breast milk is more quickly digested than formula, which is another reason why more frequent feeding is necessary. Another reason for the constant suckling at the breast is to stimulate the mammary glands to produce more milk for the baby's growing appetite. But the extra time spent feeding the baby that first year is well worth it as breast milk passes along the mother's immunities and delivers the highest-quality nutrition for a developing baby.
When it comes to nutrition, the best first food for babies is breast milk.
Experts recommend that babies be breast-fed for six to 12 months. The only acceptable alternative to breast milk is infant formula.
Solid foods can be introduced when the baby is 4 to 6 months old, but a baby should drink breast milk or formula, not cow's milk, for a full year. Cow's milk contains a different type of protein than breast milk. This is good for calves, but human infants can have difficulty digesting it.
Bottle-fed infants tend to be fatter than breast-fed infants, but not necessarily healthier. Human milk contains at least 100 ingredients not found in formula. No babies are allergic to their mother's milk, although they may have a reaction to something the mother eats. If she eliminates it from her diet, the problem resolves itself.
Sucking at the breast promotes good jaw development as well. It's harder work to get milk out of a breast than a bottle, and the exercise strengthens the jaws and encourages the growth of straight, healthy teeth. The baby at the breast also can control the flow of milk by sucking and stopping. With a bottle, the baby must constantly suck or react to the pressure of the nipple placed in the mouth.
Initially, a breast-fed baby will need to be fed 8-12 times in a 24-hour period, especially since both baby and mother are getting used to the process. Breast milk is more quickly digested than formula, which is another reason why more frequent feeding is necessary. Another reason for the constant suckling at the breast is to stimulate the mammary glands to produce more milk for the baby's growing appetite. But the extra time spent feeding the baby that first year is well worth it as breast milk passes along the mother's immunities and delivers the highest-quality nutrition for a developing baby.
Some Things To Help You...
More On Why Breast Is Best...
For Your Best Success...
Make sure you breastfeed as soon after birth as possible. The sooner you latch your little one on, the better!
Breast Feeding And Public Places...
Babies that are breast fed are very portable and easy to comfort no matter where your schedule has you going. Many women however, worry about breast feeding in public. The worry of nursing in a public place is normally worse than the actual experience and often times the only people who notice you feeding are the other mothers who are doing the same thing.Many women find ways to breast feed discreetly. You can ask your partner or even a friend to stand in front of you while you lift your shirt from the waist. When you breast feed, the baby's body will cover most of your upper body and you can pull your shirt down to her face to cover the tops of your breast. Some mothers prefer to put a light blanket over their shoulders as a type of cover.
When you are visiting someone else's home, you may feel more comfortable either leaving the room or turning away from people when you first put the baby to your breast. If you would like more privacy, breast feed in an empty room, car, or public restroom.
A lot of restrooms are becoming more baby friendly and they even have a seperate are with a changing table and a chair. Several shopping malls now offer special mother's rooms where the mom can breast feed her baby in privacy, which will help sensitive babies who are too distracted by feeding to nurse well in public. It won't take long at all though, before your baby will learn to breast feed without any fuss at all.
Some More Breastfeeding Help...
What Other's Are Saying
- Soy Formula Safe For Babies, But Breastfeeding Still Best: Study
- However, the breastfed babies outscored both groups of formula-fed babies in their mental development and their ability to combine cognitive function and physical movement. "Breast-fed infants test better in some -- not all -- standardized behavioral ...
- Breastfed babies may gain less weight
- Through a series of surveys sent to their mothers, the researchers asked for?among other things?babies' weights at different ages and how often women breastfed, pumped their breast milk or used formula. Babies who were only fed from a bottle?either ...
- Extended Breast-Feeding: Is It More Common than We Think?
- There's Jamie Lynne Grumet, looking every bit the supermodel in superskinny jeans, ballet flats and a strappy tank top with the neckline tugged down to make way for ? her nearly 4-year-old son. He's breast-feeding. Over the past few months, ...
- Your pregnancy hormones, explained
- If you're breast feeding, levels will be suppressed even more and hot flashes, vaginal dryness, and a decreased libido are common. ?We often tell patients their vagina is in menopause when they're breastfeeding,? according to Hill, who is also the ...
by SylviaRolfe
I am a webmaster, a writer, and internet marketer and mommy to 5 that loves to live life and love everything. I love Squidoo and everything about it.... more »
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