baby magazine-1

health & wellness // By Dr. Ruth Lawrence
The Benefits of Breastfeeding
a mother’s precious gift
M
any women think about how they will feed
their baby long before they become pregnant.
It’s important for every woman to have
the opportunity to make an informed decision and
know all the facts. Much research and experience has
been collected recently about the tremendous value
of breastfeeding for both the mother and infant. While
these thoughts are not new, the new documentation has
become very substantial.
How Breastfeeding
Benefits Babies
Advantages to the infant
include bonding between
mother and baby through the
physiologic manner in which
the baby nurses at the breast,
which is quite different from
sucking on a bottle. The infant
has been sucking in-utero from
about 14 to 16 weeks gestation
and knows the proper action
of the tongue and the swallowing
mechanism very well.
Other advantages for the infant
include the fact that it is perfect
nutrition for growth and development
and specifically for
ideal brain growth.
Exclusively breast-fed infants
have been shown to score
better on intelligence tests and
developmental tests. In addition
to nutrition, breastfeeding
provides protection against infection.
Breast-fed infants have
a low incidence of otitis media,
pneumonia, diarrhea and other
infections. The immunologic
protective components in human
milk provide ongoing protection
until the baby is weaned
and beyond – no matter how
old the infant is at the time of
weaning. Human milk contains
many protective properties
including the apparent reduced
incidence of childhood onset
cancer, diabetes and Crohn’s
Disease. Don’t underestimate
the short-term and long-term
breastfeeding benefits for mothers
as well.
Be Patient with Yourself
Many mothers worry that they
won’t know how to breastfeed.
Breastfeeding is not a reflex
for the mother but a learned
procedure, but the baby (who
is born to breastfeed) knows
exactly what to do. Read about
breastfeeding before delivery to
gain familiarly on the subject
like The Nursing Mother’s Companion
by Kathleen Huggins.
Women should also consider
attending local breastfeeding
group meetings before delivery.
La Leche League International
has local groups all over the
world. Four groups meet in the
Rochester area – North, Southeast,
South and West – call
Lifeline at 275-5151 to locate
your nearest group. Breastfeeding
mothers, mothers- to-be
and babies are welcome to attend.
Your obstetrician’s office
can also provide breastfeeding
information and your hospital
of delivery usually has a session
on breastfeeding in their preparation
for child birth series.
Some mothers worry
about breastfeeding because
they need to go back to work.
This does not mean you can’t
breastfeed. Any time spent
breastfeeding (one week, two,
three, or a few months) is a
very good investment in the infant’s
well-being. There is plenty
of help for working mothers.
In some circumstances, women
can return to work and arrange
to feed their baby at daycare
while they work, or pump at
work and save the milk for the
baby the next day.
Focus on the
First Few Days
The first few days of breastfeeding
in the hospital are very
important. The first opportunity
to breastfeed is right
after birth. The World Health
Organization and UNICEF
“Baby Friendly” guidelines
suggest that every mother have
the opportunity to put her baby
to breast within the first hour
following delivery. The baby
is ready and eager and it is the
perfect opportunity to interact
with the infant for the first
time. The bedside nurses in
26 www.GVParent.com/RochesterBaby