The decision of whether of not to breastfeed my baby was an easy one for me. Not only was I looking forward to that extra special bonding, but it’s the most natural choice and it makes sense that our bodies would make the perfect food for our babies. Not to mention I knew that the American Academy of Pediatrics AAP recommends it instead of formula feeding for “optimal development.” After doing some reading and taking a class through the hospital for more information, I found out much more detail about the benefits for both mother and baby from breastfeeding. It made me even more strongly committed to making it work.
Breastfeeding lowers the baby’s risk of developing diabetes, heart disease, and obesity in later life. Those things affect the baby’s lifelong health, but they are such widespread issues in the U.S. that they affect the health of the general population and therefore the insurance costs we all pay. Breastfed babies also tend to have fewer ear infections, better digestion, and fewer intestinal infections. The breast milk contains millions of white blood cells in each drop, which are what fight off infection. They build up your baby’s immune system allowing your baby to effectively fight off illnesses that formula fed babies can’t fight. The breast milk also contains the antibodies the mother has built up through a lifetime of colds and flus, decreasing the baby’s chances of getting sick even more. Some studies suggest that babies also develop better eyesight and brain growth because of some of the properties of breast milk. For example, a fat called DHA that makes up a large part of your brain and is found naturally in breast milk.
There are benefits for the mother, too. Breastfeeding can lower the risk of breast cancer, helps stimulate the uterus to contract after giving birth, stimulates hormones to make the mom (and cranky baby) relax and feel calm and happy, and can even be used as birth control.
Another major difference between the two options is that breast milk changes over time. In the first few days after giving birth, the baby is able to get colostrum instead of milk. It’s densely packed with white blood cells and proteins for fighting infection. A few days later your milk “comes in” right when the baby is becoming more awake and hungry after recovering from birth. It changes again several times as the baby ages, giving more fat in the beginning when the baby needs it, lessening later and lowering the amount of nutrients as the baby starts eating solids.
Breastfed babies have fewer to no issues with the constipation that is so common with formula fed babies. That’s because the iron in breast milk is in a more bioavailable form, so they digest it easily—especially as newborns with a still-developing digestive tract. The iron in formula is in a different, more difficult to digest form, so the formula companies have to make up for that by adding a lot more, which causes constipation. And while we’re on the subject, here’s an overlooked fact: breastfeeding makes changing diapers easier. The poop from digested breast milk does not smell as badly or strongly as it does after a baby drinks formula. It might seem like a small perk, but I know my husband and I sure appreciated it!
There’s a huge divide in the parenting community between breastfeeding and formula feeding. Notice I didn’t call it “bottle feeding?” To me, that phrase ignores the fact that many–most?–breastfeeding mothers pump and sometimes use a bottle. I pumped while working part time, and it was much harder and more frustrating than I ever had guessed, which I think isn’t appreciated enough. Some moms do both breastfeed and formula, and the fact that their babies are getting some breast milk, via a bottle or not, needs to be acknowledged. In many other countries, where breastfeeding is accepted and encouraged by the whole society, breastfeeding rates are found to be up to 99% (for example, Sweden). I have to wonder at the high percentage in the US of mothers who believe or are led to believe that they “can’t” breastfeed. As enlightened as we are about the benefits, are we really doing everything we can as a country? UNICEF’s idea of babyfriendly hospitals where the entire medical staff actively works at providing the most breastfeeding-friendly environment and education, has only 61 hospitals on board in the entire US. I consider myself extremely fortunate to have given birth at one.
I don’t want to give the impression that breastfeeding is completely easy because it’s natural; it’s very difficult in the beginning trying to figure out the latch, waiting out the painful soreness and cracking before your nipples toughen up, and getting your milk supply to be the right amount. And that’s not even mentioning the pain that can come later when the baby is teething and tempted to bite with those deceptively strong gums or bite when their sharp little upper teeth come in.
This topic is bittersweet for me, because just last week I weaned my daughter after 16 months. There is nothing in the world as amazing and special as that physical bond between breastfeeding mother and baby and knowing that you are providing everything your baby needs to grow and flourish. I will miss it greatly; it’s a huge loss for both of us. I had to wean for medical reasons or else it wouldn’t have happened so soon. My reassurance is the knowledge that I gave her the absolute best start possible by breastfeeding as long as I could.
Sites for more information:
Kellymom
La Leche League
American Academy of Pediatrics
American Academy of Family Physicians
World Health Organization
Centers for Disease Control & Prevention
Constant Chatter’s Breastfeeding Help and Support thread
Scooter
Editor’s note: Tomorrow we are featuring a counterpoint by another CC member who chose formula for her baby. Stay tuned!
“I have to wonder at the high percentage in the US of mothers who believe or are led to believe that they “can’t” breastfeed. ”
Unfortunately I was one of those who could not breastfeed, despite all my best efforts. And it wasn’t a question of “belief”, it was pure medical fact: I had next to nothing for a supply. Every time I attempted to breastfeed my preemie baby, I was, in effect, starving him. Had I not supplemented with formula, my baby would have died. At that point, I didn’t care about the ’stigma’ of formula feeding, although naturally I blamed myself for everything going wrong.
The possible culprit for my non-existent milk supply was most likely all the IV meds I was fed during my labor (I had pre-eclampsia and other complications that led to an emergency C-section). Despite constant pumping and visitations with a lactation consultant, the most I could get was a DROP a day. Certainly not enough to sustain a preemie infant.
So while I’m hopeful that maybe this won’t happen if I have another child, I can’t help but feel like a failure - even today, and my son is going on two years old!
Hopefully I will someday get the chance to feel that special bond that breastfeeding creates between a mother and child. For now, I can’t help but be envious of those for whom breastfeeding seemed as easy as pie.