Breastfeeding, what a good practice for mothers. We have talked about this before but for any pregnant ladies out there I want to boost this most wholesome and beneficial practice. Forgive my bullet point style but I am short on time.. I know the girls at VNN will flesh out this thread after me.

Good for Mom.

1-- helps loose that excess pregnancy weight by increasing the calorie draw.
2-- alleviates painful engorgement of breasts. helps secrete prolactin which reduces uterine swelling.
3-- pleasurable bonding with baby as nature intended.
4-- helps keep that baby from getting ear infections by virtue of your natural antigens and immunities transfered to the baby in your milk. ear infections are a major hassle, in addition to being painful to the child.
5-- breastfed babies gain weight naturally, which tends to be a little slower than bottle babies, because the feeding takes a little more effort. however, its better for them in the long run
6-- no need to carry around bottles all the time, warm them up at night, etc. though, if you want to pump and freeze, you can do that at your convenience

Good for Baby

1-- natural antigens and immunities. few or no ear infections compared to bottle babies.
2-- pleasurable bonding with mother as nature intended
3-- how can soy milk or cow milk be better suited for a human child than human milk?
4-- tends to keep mom close at hand, which babies like

Good for Dad

1-- easy
2-- happy mom and baby, makes dad happy too.
3-- healthier mom and baby, makes dad happy too.

best resource for this info:

http://www.lalecheleague.org/

I'm by no means one of those "Breastfeed or you're not a good mom" types like I see so much of at SF and other WN forums. I see it the way that it is: the natural way to feed your child.

There are some who cannot breastfeed, for various reasons, just like there are some who simply choose not to. If you choose to, there is a plethora of help and support out there. I don't know about elsewhere, but my local health dept has two women from LaLeche League on staff with 24 hour pagers (which came in handy with my first child).

A few things that came to mind: Since Mom is the one who takes care of all the feedings, for obvious reasons, make sure Dad isn't left out. Bathing, changing, cuddling are all things Dad can do to not only give Mom a break but to strengthen his bond with the child.

At one point or another, the infant will use you (your nipples) as a pacifier. Nip that habit in the bud, it can be painful. 'Nuff said.

Sure, my mom didnt breastfeed me and I turned out somewhat OK. For my kids, they have had something different and in my opinion better. It's certainly less expensive if nothing else. I think I forgot to mention that.

My mother didn't breastfeed either me or my brother, and we have surprisingly good immune systems. I think if she could redo it, she probably would have breastfed us, for the reason that AE mentioned about the weight loss... she had a horrible time trying to lose the baby weight.

Sure, my mom didnt breastfeed me and I turned out somewhat OK. For my kids, they have had something different and in my opinion better. It's certainly less expensive if nothing else. I think I forgot to mention that.

I wasn't a breastfed baby either. Both of my kids were, for a short amount of time. Even with the pro-breastfeeding sites I've seen it said that even if you don't plan on breastfeeding, it would be good to do so for the first few days of life....because of the colostrum.

I wasn't a breastfed baby either. Both of my kids were, for a short amount of time. Even with the pro-breastfeeding sites I've seen it said that even if you don't plan on breastfeeding, it would be good to do so for the first few days of life....because of the colostrum.

and, right at that website you can find this explanation to that reference

What is colostrum? Does it benefit my baby in any way?
Colostrum is the first milk your breasts produce in the early days of breastfeeding. This special milk is low in fat, and high in carbohydrates, protein, and antibodies to help keep your baby healthy. It is extremely easy to digest, and is therefore the perfect first food for your baby. It is low in volume but high in concentrated nutrition for the newborn. Colostrum has a laxative effect on the baby, helping him pass his early stools, which aids in the excretion of excess bilirubin and helps prevent jaundice.

When your baby is breastfed early and often, your breasts will begin producing mature milk around the third or fourth day after birth. Your milk will then increase in volume and will generally begin to appear thinner and lighter in color. In those first few days it is extremely important to breastfeed your newborn at least 9-12 times in 24 hours-- and more often is even better. This allows your baby to get all the benefits of the colostrum and also stimulates production of a plentiful supply of mature milk. Frequent breastfeeding also helps prevent engorgement.

Your colostrum provides not only perfect nutrition tailored to the needs of your newborn, but also large amounts of living cells which will defend your baby against many harmful agents. The concentration of immune factors is much higher in colostrum than in mature milk.

Colostrum actually works as a natural and 100% safe vaccine. It contains large quantities of an antibody called secretory immunoglobulin A (IgA) which is a new substance to the newborn. Before your baby was born, he received the benefit of another antibody, called IgG, through your placenta. IgG worked through the baby's circulatory system, but IgA protects the baby in the places most likely to come under attack from germs, namely the mucous membranes in the throat, lungs, and intestines.

Colostrum has an especially important role to play in the baby's gastrointestinal tract. A newborn's intestines are very permeable. Colostrum seals the holes by "painting" the gastrointestinal tract with a barrier which mostly prevents foreign substances from penetrating and possibly sensitizing a baby to foods the mother has eaten.

Colostrum also contains high concentrations of leukocytes, protective white cells which can destroy disease-causing bacteria and viruses.

Later, when you are producing mature milk for your baby, the concentrations of the antibodies in the milk will be lower, but your baby will be taking in much higher volumes of milk. The disease-fighting properties of human milk do not disappear with the colostrum. In fact, as long as your baby receives your milk, he will receive immunological protection against many different viruses and bacteria.

which reminds me of another word: merconium.

That's the stinkiest baby poo that the newborn makes the first few days, laden with bilurubin. So, breastfeeding, via delivery of colostrum, helps reduce the incidence of jaundice.

and, right at that website you can find this explanation to that reference



which reminds me of another word: merconium.

That's the stinkiest baby poo that the newborn makes the first few days, laden with bilurubin. So, breastfeeding, via delivery of colostrum, helps reduce the incidence of jaundice.

Ahh yes, the seedy yellow and green paste like bowel movement for the first few days. I'm always glad when that's done and over with. :D

One other point I've found on pro-breastfeeding sites.....a child who is breastfed has less foul smelling bowel movements...due to the fact that the baby can digest mothers milk better than formula. It's natural. Cows milk was meant for baby cows not baby humans. Non-stinky poop...always a bonus. :D

"Infant Formula" was a judeo-capitalist fraud foisted off upon the gullible White women of the former generations. We must clean up our environment so that our women's breast milk doesn't have contaminants in it. This judeo-capitalist America has harmed our environment. Still breast feeding is a good idea.

Ahh yes, the seedy yellow and green paste like bowel movement for the first few days. I'm always glad when that's done and over with. :D

Thanks for the visual. :(

Thanks for the visual. :(

If you've smelled it, the mere reference conjures an overpowering stench. This and a lack of good rest are the only downsides to the newborn parenting experience. At least for that father. LOL

If you've smelled it, the mere reference conjures an overpowering stench. This and a lack of good rest are the only downsides to the newborn parenting experience. At least for that father. LOL Indeed, I have smelled it. I once lost a bet and got suckered into changing my coworker's kid's diaper.... it was by far one of the nastiest things I've ever smelled.

This and a lack of good rest are the only downsides to the newborn parenting experience. At least for that father. LOL

And for the mother...sore genital area or lower abdomen. Engorged breasts that leak at inopportune moments. The lack of good rest isn't so bad...as most mothers quickly learn how to sleep with their eyes open, while cooking supper and taking care of the infant..it's called New Mother Auto-Zombie mode. :D