My Milkshake... a Post on Nursing

I love nursing my babies. Well, about 95% of the time I do.  I don't when it's 100 degrees out and we're at the pool.  Or when I want to wear a maxi dress.  Or if it's right before I go to Wal Mart and I have to sit in the car.  But aside from those few moments, I am grateful I can nurse my babies.  Aside from the many health benefits, which I'll include below, I love the connection I have with my baby.  Not only did my body provide her the ability to grow for 9 months, but it can also keep her alive for at least the first year of her life. Jeff is always fascinated by that.  It must be the biology major in him, but he thinks it's amazing that a woman's body creates milk.  We were talking about formula once and that someone ignorantly said formula was better for a baby, and he said, "That's like saying man knows more than God does about feeding a baby.  He created your body to be able to feed your baby, do you think man can top what God did?"  I love that Jeff supports me in nursing our babies.  He is always worried about their health and makes comments that he is glad they're being nursed so they can stay healthier.

I love nursing because it means that every couple hours, I am forced to sit down, focus on this little squirrel, and feed her.  It's our one on one time.  I get to stare at her and notice little things, like the way her arm turns into a windmill, or how she clutches my shirt, or holds my other hand. I love it when she stops eating so smile at me.  I love the closeness we experience.   I am also so glad that I don't care how many ounces she has eaten.  I just nurse her til she is done.  I don't have to wash a bottle, or make more milk, or think about packing bottles wherever I go.  I love that when she wants to nurse she balls up in my lap (or Jeff's, which is even funnier) and just tries to get her face by my boob.  It always makes me smile when she is crying, but when she sees me getting ready to feed her she quits and just waits.  I love the little moments we have together because it's such a "we" experience.  I also love that at 3am, I am not making bottles or having to get more, or being irritated if she falls asleep and doesn't finish eating.  There is no waste when you nurse.  There is also no contamination-no risk of giving your baby a dirty bottle, or worrying about the filtered water you need. Milk goes right from boob to baby.  And, rumor has it, there are glands on your boobs that actually keep your boob clean for the baby.  It's pretty impressive what the human body can do.

I have had really good experiences nursing my kids.  Tristan was amazing-no pain, just latched and ate and we were good to go!  Summer was a little different, I had bleeding boobs for a couple weeks.  It hurt.  I was miserable. I told myself if I didn't feel better within a week, that I was going to quit.  I am not opposed to formula, so I wasn't going to freak out if it didn't work out.  But, things got better and went on the mend so we have been nursing.  I am not a total hippy and pop boobs out.  I always cover up, but that is mostly because I am a fan of not flashing other people.  I am glad nursing works for us.  I know not everyone supports nursing, and I'm OK with that.  What works for some doesn't work for others-and as long as your baby is fed there is no need to judge.  However, I do want to point out that breastfeeding (no lies here) IS the best food for your baby.  You will not find research that says otherwise. There isn't a single formula on the market that doesn't mention breastfeeding on the can (that it's a better option), or that can provide all the nutrition breast milk does.  Whether or not you support or choose to breastfeed, you can not argue with facts.  And, the simple fact is that breastfeeding is better for your child.  Some points include:

• In developing countries, differences in infection rates can seriously affect an infant's chances for survival. For example, in Brazil, a formula-fed baby is 14 times more likely to die than an exclusively breast-fed baby.
  
• Researchers have observed a decrease in the probability of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) in breast-fed infants.
•  Some studies suggest that children who were exclusively breastfed have slightly higher IQs than children who were formula fed.
  
• Another apparent benefit from breastfeeding may be protection from allergies. Eczema, an allergic reaction, is significantly rarer in breast-fed babies. A review of 132 studies on allergy and breastfeeding concluded that breastfeeding appears to help protect children from developing allergies, and that the effect seems to be particularly strong among children whose parents have allergies.

• Several recent studies have shown that children who were breast-fed are significantly less likely to become obese later in childhood. Formula feeding is linked to about a 20 to 30 percent greater likelihood that the child will become obese.
  
• Children who are exclusively breast-fed during the first three months of their lives are 34 percent less likely to develop juvenile, insulin-dependent diabetes than children who are fed formula.
  
• Breastfeeding may also decrease the risk of childhood cancer in children under 15 years of age. Formula-fed children are eight times more likely to develop cancer than children who are nursed for more than six months. (It is important to note that children who are breast-fed for less than six months do not appear to have any decreased cancer risk compared to bottle-fed children.

• Breastfeeding appears to reduce the mother's risk of developing osteoporosis in later years. Although mothers experience bone-mineral loss during breastfeeding, their mineral density is replenished and even increased after lactation.
  
• Diabetic women improve their health by breastfeeding. Not only do nursing infants have increased protection from juvenile diabetes, the amount of insulin that the mother requires postpartum goes down.
  
• Women who lactate for a total of two or more years reduce their chances of developing breast cancer by 24 percent.
  
• Women who breastfeed their children have been shown to be less likely to develop uterine, endometrial or ovarian cancer.
  
• The emotional health of the mother may be enhanced by the relationship she develops with her infant during breastfeeding, resulting in fewer feelings of anxiety and a stronger sense of connection with her baby.
  
• A woman's ability to produce all of the nutrients that her child needs can provide her with a sense of confidence. Researchers have pointed out that the bond of a nursing mother and child is stronger than any other human contact. Holding the child to her breast provides most mothers with a more powerful psychological experience than carrying the fetus inside her uterus. The relationship between mother and child is rooted in the interactions of breastfeeding. This feeling sets the health and psychological foundation for years to come.

I know that a lot of this information is old news, but it's been something I have been thinking about for a couple years and since my blog is now hardly read, feel like I can put it out there without anyone freaking.  
You can find more information on the benefits of breast feeding by going to google, and typing in "Breast feeding or bottle feeding" and see what they have to say.
Pictures by my dear friend Sarah, owner of Think Pretty photography!