I thought it was about time I made a post talking about the activity that has basically consumed my life since my daughter was born. Working in the field of pediatrics, I know a lot about why breastfeeding is the best option for babies and that's what I want to talk about today. More on the actual logistics on learning to breast feed and planning to continue breast feeding after going back to work in future posts.
First, what is breast milk? It is essentially the perfect blend of fat, protein, glucose or sugar, and water that babies need to grow. Each ounce of breast milk contains approximately 20 calories. If this sounds familiar to popular infant formulas, it should! All of the formula companies have spent plenty of time and money trying to replicate breast milk. For the most part, they have done a good job and formulas will provide almost the same blend of nutrients and pack the same caloric punch. The differences? Breast milk protein is easier for babies to digest than the cow's milk protein used in infant formulas. On the flip side, formula is fortified with Vitamin D which breast milk is deficient in. This means myself and other breast feeding moms will need to discuss initiating a supplement (vitamin drops) for their baby around 1 month of age.
What else makes breast milk best for babies? In addition to providing the best nutrition, nursing also provides baby with mom's antibodies to help fight disease before their own immune system kicks in and allows for important bonding time between mom and baby. If that isn't enough, breast feeding actually has been proven to have some pretty impressive medical benefits that include: protection from SIDS, fewer ear and respiratory infections, less risk of asthma, eczema, and other allergic conditions, less risk for both type I and II diabetes, and less obesity later in life. Breast fed babies have also been shown to have higher IQs and better academic performance than their formula fed counterparts.
There are also huge benefits to breast feeding for moms and families. For moms, breast feeding can help take off pregnancy weight more quickly, lowers the risk for postpartum depression, and even lowers risks for ovarian and breast cancers. Families can also save a significant amount of money if moms breast feed. The obvious savings is due to not having to buy formula, but families will also save money due to the health benefits listed above (fewer doctor visits, fewer prescriptions to fill, and less time off for parents to care for sick children). Exactly how much money can you count on saving though? From research I've done, it appears that a large can of powdered formula translates to about 200 ounces of prepared formula. For my baby who is 2 months old and should be eating around 24-25 ounces a day, this would last 8 days. Each can of formula (and this is your basic formula, not any of the special formulas for reflux or milk protein intolerances) costs around $30 where I live. Which means this month I will save approximately $120 by breast feeding.
And finally, how about breast feeding in combination with formula feeding? For some moms, this seems like a much easier option as bottles can be easier to feed the baby in public and will allow breaks for the mom if others can feed baby too (information to come on pumping). Some moms are also worried that they aren't going to be able to produce enough milk and will use formula to supplement their babies (research speaks against this fear as in studies >90% of women were able to produce an adequate supply of milk). In general, some breast milk is always going to be better than no breast milk, BUT research has shown that by an as of yet unknown mechanism, formula decreases the protective affects that breast milk has on babies. Does this mean that moms shouldn't breast feed if they plan to use formula too? Of course not! I just mention it because knowing this provides extra incentive to me to push through the days that breast feeding is hard or inconvenient.
And that's all I have to say about the facts around breast feeding. Much more practical information to come over the following days and weeks. For more information you can visit these legitimate websites: http://www.4women.gov/Breastfeeding/index.cfm and http://www.aap.org/publiced/BR_BFBenefits.htm
***Please note, this blog is meant for the sharing of information only and should not be considered medical advice. Please use this information only to start a discussion about breast feeding, formula feeding, and vitamin supplementation with your child's pediatrician***
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