A VERY PERSONAL DECISION: Whatever nutritional option you choose, be sure to talk to your child's doctor about the choices available to help you make the decision that's best for both you and your baby.
BIO: My name is Julie Laitala and I breastfed both of my children. I breastfed my son for over a year and I breastfed my daughter for 2 1/2 years. Although my first experience was painful and hard, I stuck with it thanks to the support of my husband and parents. I am a strong believer in doing what is best for my children so breastfeeding was a no brainer.With all of the studies and scientific proof, who could argue that breastfeeding was not best for my children? I understand in this day and age when convenience is a must, breastfeeding is just too hard and inconvenient for a lot of moms. You have to be on call 24/7! I know that I felt like a cow for the 1st couple of months! I hope that you choose to breastfeed, but if not.. that's ok too.
Breastfeeding is one of the most natural and beneficail activities for mom and baby. There is no other single action by which mom can so dramatically impact the present and future health of her baby.
NO formula can duplicate the unique properties of breastmilk, no matter how many vitamins, minerals and supplements are added to what is basically a chemical formulation. (Don't you wonder WHY formula companies are so desperately trying to copy breastmilk? It's because they know that breastmilk is best!)
Breastmilk is the one and only natural, complete and complex nutrition for human infants. Just as importantly, breastfeeding promotes an exceptional bond between mom and baby that only mom can provide.
The American Academy of Pediatrics Work Group on Breastfeeding has stated that "human milk is preferred feeding for all infants, including premature and sick newborns, with rare exceptions." In addition, the Group states that babies should be exclusively breastfed for first 6 months and ideally, breastfeeding should continue for the first 12 months of life.
In the next section I will explain the pros of breast feeding and the cautions you'll want to take if you decide to co-sleep. I learned early on that there are OODLES of conflicting information so in the end I did what I thought was right for me and what was comfortable.
HUMAN MILK
Has perhaps 1,000 known ingredients (and many more unknown) including:
*interferon and white blood cells
*antibacterial and antiviral agents
*intestinal soothers
*readily absorbed nutrients
*everything a baby is known to need
*non-allergenic
*changes to meet the baby's changing needs
FORMULA
Has far, far fewer ingredients, including:
*tropical oils
*no anti-infective properties
*intestinal irritants
*poorly absorbed nutrients
*micro deficiencies
Found @ www.wiessinger.baka.com
BREAST FEEDING BENEFITS FROM TOP TO BOTTOM
Breast feeding is good for every part of a baby's body -- from the brain to the diaper area. Here's a list:
* BRAIN: Higher IQ in breast-fed children. Cholesterol and other types of fat in human mild support the growth of nerve tissue.
* EYES: Visual acuity is higher in babies fed human milk.
* EARS: Breast-fed babies get fewer ear infections.
* MOUTH: Less need for orthodontics in children breast-fed more than a year. Improved muscle development of face from suckling at the breast. Subtle changes in the taste of human milk prepare babies to accept a variety of some foods.
* THROAT: Children who are breast-fed are less likely to require tonsillectomies.
* RESPIRATORY SYSTEM: Evidence shows that breast-fed babies have fewer and less severe upper respiratory infections, less wheezing, less pneumonia and less influenza.
* HEART AND CIRCULATORY SYSTEM: Evidence suggests that breast-fed children may have lower cholesterol as adults. Heart rates are lower in breast-fed infants.
* DIGESTIVE SYSTEM: Less diarrhea, fewer gastrointestinal infections in babies who are breast feeding. Six months or more of exclusive breast feeding reduces risk of food allergies. Also, less risk of Crohn's disease and ulceral colitis in adulthood.
* IMMUNE SYSTEM: Breast-fed babies respond better to vaccinations. Human milk helps to mature baby's own immune system. Breast feeding decreases the risk of childhood cancer.
* ENDOCRINE SYSTEM: Reduced risk of getting diabetes.
* KIDNEYS: With less salt and less protein, human milk is easier on a baby's kidneys.
* APPENDIX: Children with acute appendicitis are less likely to have been breast-fed.
* URINARY TRACT: Fewer infections in breast-fed infants.
* JOINTS AND MUSCLES: Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis is less common in children who were breast-fed.
* SKIN: Less allergic eczema in breast-fed infants.
* GROWTH: Breast-fed babies are leaner at one year of age and less likely to be obese later in life.
* BOWELS: Less constipation. Stools of breast-fed babies have a less-offensive odor.
THE BREAST FEEDING DAD
With breast feeding, which the dad cannot actually do himself, a father's support and encouragement can make all the difference, and cuddling up together while the baby is nursing can be a lovely way for the whole family to enjoy each other. In the first few months especially, because of the frequent nursing that is occurring, it is not uncommon for babies to need to spend a lot of time with their mothers. However, dads have plenty of opportunities to bond with their children and to develop an attachment. Dads can wear their babies and young children in a sling or co-sleep with the baby and mom during the night.*
*Note: It is recommended if you co-sleep that you use a firm mattress, have no pillows or soft bed coverings near the baby's head, do not overheat the baby, do not smoke, drink or take drugs which could impair your judgment.
Ref: www.storknet.com
Dad, not a pinch-hitter: Mothers and fathers profit differently, and our children profit from that difference. One of the myths of modern fatherhood is that fathers are portrayed as mere substitutes for mothers, pinch-hitting while mom is away. There is nothing optimal about father involvement, nor is dad just a hairier version of mom. The father's input into his children's lives is different from the mother's, not less, different.
Ref: www.askdrsears.com
FORMULA OR ARTIFICIAL FEEDING
To be fair, formula companies have produced milk for babies which, at least on paper, seems to resemble the real thing. Formula is definitely better than it used to be. On close inspection, what the factories make doesn't quite measure up to what mom makes. It is nearly impossible for artificial baby milk manufacturers to make a milk with nutrients even close to what mothers' bodies can make. And these companies primary goal is to make a profit, so marketing and manufacturing issues influence what finally gets in the can.
Human milk is a live substance containing live white blood cells, immune-fighting substances, and is a dynamic, changing nutritional source, which changes daily (sometimes hourly) adjusts to meet the individual needs of a growing baby.
Formulas are an excellent alternative when breast feeding is not possible, but human milk is the superior food for human babies for many, many reasons.
REF: www.drgreene.com ; www.askdrsears.com
Visit Breastfeeding.com for more infomation
Breastfeed a Toddler - Why on Earth? (Article written by Jack Newman, MD, FRCPC)
CODE WATCH -
25 years ago, the International Code of Marketing of Breast milk Substitute (the Code) was adopted by the World Health Assembly (WHA). The Code set out simple, basic rules to regulate harmful marketing practices.
*No advertising of breast milk substitutes, feeding bottles and teats;
*No free samples to mothers;
*No promotion in healthcare facilities, including no free or low-cost formula;
*No company personnel to contact mothers;
*No gifts or personal samples to health workers. Health workers should never pass samples to mothers;
*No pictures of infants or words idealizing artificial feeding, on the labels of products;
*Information on artificial feeding, including that on labels, should explain the benefits and superiority of breastfeeding and the dangers associated with artificial feeding.
SOME EXAMPLES OF CODE VIOLATIONS:
*Company materials and websites disguise promotion as infant feeding information. They minimize the risks of not breastfeeding and make claims such as that fatty acids in formula will make a baby more intelligent.
*Companies give large quantities of brochures, containing misleading information, to health professionals who often pass them to mothers.
*Follow-on formulas are marketed as essential for babies' health, convincing women to give up breastfeeding early. WHA has declared follow-on formulas to be unnecessary.
*Huge financial incentives are paid to health facilities to distribute discharge packs containing infant formula samples to new mothers.
