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Breastfeeding - Breast is Best
Declan Tobin
Women have been feeding their children this way from the
beginning, and it is of course natures intended food, therefore
the best nourishment for your child. The decision to breast-feed
is entirely up to you and each woman should make up her own mind,
it is an individual choice.
There are a number of reasons why a mother would decide not to
breastfeed, including infection e.g. hepatitis or HIV this can be
passed onto the baby through the breast milk, or if the mother is
on long-term medication for an illness, in this situation it is
advised to bottle feed instead. Some mothers can’t produce enough
milk and others just do not like the idea at all, either way it’s
a personal decision.
In the 40s and 50s it was very unfashionable to breastfeed and
mothers were encouraged to bottle-feed. It’s a different story
now days with our health conscious society, more and more mothers
are deciding that for them and their infant’s breast is best.
Breastfeeding benefits not only the child but the mother also.
It is the baby’s natural food and is easily digested limiting
stomach problems and wind causing pain and discomfort to the
baby. It is also provides antibodies reducing the risks of
gastro-intestinal infections, urine infections, chest and ear it
infections, breathing difficulties including asthma, diabetes,
eczema and childhood obesity.
There are also lots of benefits to the mother for breastfeeding
including a close maternal bond between you and your baby, a
reduced risk of breast cancer, ovarian cancer and osteoporosis.
Breastfeeding also helps the womb to contract back to its normal
size much quicker than if you were not breastfeeding.
You need to keep in mind that when you are breast-feeding it is
not safe to take the combined pill but you can take the mini pill
for this duration, this of course dispels the myth that you
cannot get pregnant during breastfeeding you definitely can.
Another positive note is that breastfeeding aids in the loss of
the body’s fat stores that were stored in preparation for
breastfeeding, this will speed up loosing the pregnancy weight.
Although keep in mind that eating a well balance diet with daily
vitamins and minerals is fundamental for producing high quality
milk for your baby, this is not the time for any crash diets.
One of the big concerns for mothers when breast feeding is that
they are unsure of the amounts of food the baby is consuming,
once the baby is breastfeeding well and he or she is having wet
and dirty nappies be assured all is well. Your midwife or maybe
friends and family can help and advise when you are going through
those anxious few weeks of breastfeeding, there are also breast
feeding support groups that you can go along to and speak to
other mums with the same problems or concerns as you.
Another concern for mothers is breast-feeding in public, most
people are okay with breastfeeding in front of friends and family
but the thought of breastfeeding in public makes them a little
nervous. Do not let this put you off, if you and your baby are
comfortable with it that’s all that matters. There is always a
discrete table you can sit at in a restaurant and or on the train
and there is always the option of planning your outings around
feed times to avoid it completely.
When you decide the time is right to wean your baby onto bottles
and get some routine back into your life you need to decide if
you will be expressing your own milk or using formula.
Expressing is said to be a difficult and tricky task that takes a
bit of time and patients, however if you decide to go down this
route you can build up a store of breast milk and freeze it in
specially adapted freezer bags. Breast milk can last up to six
months in the freezer. This way you can be more flexible with
your time and your baby gets all the goodness of breast milk.
Although a lot of women actually want their breasts back and to
feel it’s their body once again so they go with formula. Bottle
feeding using formula is not a bad idea as you can stop worrying
about those embarrassing wet patches and get back into your
pretty smaller size bras again.
Not all women want to or can breast feed but I think you should
give it a go. It is a wonderful bonding experience for both
mother and child providing a lot of health benefits, its
extremely rewarding all round.
Declan Tobin is a successful freelance writer providing advice
for parents and consumers on purchasing a variety of baby
products which includes baby crib bedding, strollers, and more!
His numerous articles provide a wonderfully researched resource
of interesting and relevant information.
http://www.no1-in-babies.com/
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