Parenting Post #4: Breastfeeding/Feeding

If you’ve been reading my blog since Eli’s birth, you know what a challenge breastfeeding was for us. I never realized how difficult breastfeeding could be until little Eli entered the world. I felt that I was educated about breastfeeding and knew some of the issues that could occur as I attended a breastfeeding class and started going to La Leche League meetings. Majority of my friends breastfed, I was breastfed, so I knew it could be done and was dedicated to make it work. That being said, there were MANY times I wanted to give up. I often wondered how something so “natural” could be so difficult.

According to API, “Feeding a child involves more than providing nutrients; it is an act of love.” This statement could be no truer about the importance of breastfeeding in attachment parenting. I believe that in our society, we have lost the true purpose of breastfeeding. If you ask moms, I think most would agree with the importance of breastfeeding, but unfortunately, many of these moms are only looking at the nutritional value, and not how nursing aids and fosters in the emotional bonding between mother and child. API says “The newborn's rooting, sucking, and crying reflexes evolved to ensure the close proximity of a mother or other caregiver that the baby can depend on to meet her intense needs. The more parents learn to identify and meet their baby's needs, the more securely attached the parent-child bond becomes.” You often hear expectant moms say “Yes, I plan to breastfeed, but probably for only a few months.” Or moms might say “I breastfed but quit at 6 months because it’s no longer nutritionally necessary after that.” While I respect a mom’s decision about breastfeeding, I am often saddened how our society pushes women to wean our children too early. Moms often feel pressure to hide nursing and somehow feel ashamed that they are providing love and nutrition to their baby. While many moms start breastfeeding, it seems that as baby gets older, bottle feeding becomes the norm. I believe due to moms feeling breastfeeding is too difficult (nursing in public, pressure from spouse and family to use bottles so THEY can feed baby, the fact that breastfed babies do not meet society expectations of sleeping through the night, etc.).

As I have said before, La Leche League and my hospital lactation group saved our breastfeeding relationship. I also utilized kellymom often for nursing questions and support. The research and facts about the vital importance of nursing is vast, and I could easily write a thesis with this information. Some facts that I find so interesting about nursing, and what keeps us nursing to this day are as follows:

1. Babies who are breastfed get sick less often due to molecules and cells found in human breast milk. I find this to be true for Eli. He has had 1 bad illness of Bronchilitis with an ear infection but all of his other bouts of illness have been colds. I was just thinking the other day that Eli has not been sick for quite awhile. This benefit to breastfeeding is worth it’s weight in gold….less doctor visits and a happy baby! While many moms know about this advantage, many think the immunities built in the first months are all that is necessary. But according to this article, a child’s immunity is not fully built until at least age 5-thus a reason to continue breastfeeding until age 2….and beyond! Plus, because breastfed babies/toddlers get sick less often, moms miss less work….which is an advantage to employers! Did you ALSO know that when mom gets sick, mom’s body knows to make immunities in her breastmilk to help baby not get sick? Pretty amazing!
2. Breastfeeding is a great source of birth control….plus it delays the start of menstruation! I did not start my period back until Eli was 15 months old….how awesome is that! Breastfeeding is not 100% birth control but according to this article, if certain conditions are met, is about 98%!
3. Breastfeeding moms have a reduced rate of breast and ovarian cancer. This one speaks for itself!
4. Breastfeeding is a wonderful comforting tool for boo-boo’s and for overall bad moods! I can melt Eli’s boo-boo’s and frustration or tantrums with a simple “Eli, milk?” It’s awesome!
5. Another big reason for me to love breastfeeding is that it filled in nutritional gaps when Eli was not taking well to solids and now if he has a not so great day of eating solids. Eli didn’t take well to eating solids until he was around 11 months. Because I was still nursing, he didn’t lose any weight and my milk had enough fat in it that the pediatrician was not at all concerned about his delay in solids. This made me feel SO relieved as I knew that Eli could take his time for when HE was ready to eat solids. In addition there was no rush to start cow’s milk, which can lead to allergies or just overall digestive issues if introduced too early. Eli didn’t start drinking cow’s milk (well, he did have cheese starting around 13 months or so) until he was 16 months old. In addition, the few times Eli was sick, he would cut back on eating much but I knew that nursing would take care of him nutritionally and would also provide the needed comfort. Breastfeeding has provided me with peace of mind in this area for sure!!
6. Some other random facts are:

-that breastfeeding has been shown to reduce the tendency of child abuse as the mother is more in tune to babies cues and the rate of post partum depression is greatly lessened.

-breastfeeding helps babies deal better with vaccinations especially when nursing during the shot

-breastfeeding lowers the likelihood of childhood obesity primarily due to babies/toddlers learning to eat when they are hungry and have portion control

-breastfeeding reduces the risk of SIDS

Extended nursing has been wonderful for us. I know it’s not a choice for every mom, but I have been so happy that we have chosen to continue our nursing relationship. I hope to allow Eli to self wean as much as possible. Here are some facts about nursing toddlers that I found too awesome…..did you know that:

* In the second year (12-23 months), 448 mL of breastmilk provides:

-29% of energy requirements

-43% of protein requirements

-36% of calcium requirements

-75% of vitamin A requirements

-76% of folate requirements

-94% of vitamin B₁₂ requirements

-60% of vitamin C requirements (kellymom.com)

*Extensive research on the relationship between cognitive achievement (IQ scores, grades in school) and breastfeeding has shown the greatest gains for those children breastfed the longest. (kellymom.com)

*According to Sally Kneidel in "Nursing Beyond One Year" (New Beginnings, Vol. 6 No. 4, July-August 1990, pp. 99-103.):

"Research reports on the psychological aspects of nursing are scarce. One study that dealt specifically with babies nursed longer than a year showed a significant link between the duration of nursing and mothers' and teachers' ratings of social adjustment in six- to eight-year-old children (Ferguson et al, 1987). In the words of the researchers, 'There are statistically significant tendencies for conduct disorder scores to decline with increasing duration of breastfeeding.'" (kellymom.com)

Here are few wonderful articles about the benefits and experiences of nursing toddlers:

http://www.kellymom.com/bf/bfextended/ebf-benefits.html

http://www.llli.org/NB/NBMarApr04p54.html

API continues to discuss the importance of “nurturing through feeding” even beyond breastfeeding. They talk about watching baby for signs of solid readiness and not going strictly by age, introducing solids slowly to reduce allergens, following baby’s cues of hunger and how much they want to eat, using meal time as a time for connection, offering a variety of healthy foods, and not using food for reward or punishment. They also discuss the importance of gentle and as much as possible, baby-led weaning. For Eli, I was initially concerned about his delay in starting solids but after researching and talking with other attachment parenting moms, I discovered that a child led approach to eating is the best. I read a book, My Child Won’t Eat-Carols Gonzalez, that also helped ease my mind. The author talks about how starting solids need not be rushed and in fact a delay in starting solids is best overall for baby. The book also gave an international view of the issue as he is a Brazilian pediatrician. Dr. Sears and kellymom also has some wonderful info about starting solids.

I can attest to the benefits of making sure baby is ready for solids. Eli is really an awesome eater now and likes a variety of foods. Don’t get me wrong, he has his favorites and definitely foods he dislikes, but overall he has a very healthy attitude about eating. I can only hope this continues and that as a family we can make meal time a time for bonding and connection!

I can’t close this parenting post without saying that breastfeeding hasn’t been all positive. There are issues I have dealt with such as cracked nipples, engorgement, clogged ducts (thankfully only once!), the difficulty of pumping at work, and the fact that many breastfed babies don’t sleep through the night. BUT, every day, every week, every month I re-evaluate and remind myself how important the commitment to breastfeeding is for Eli. I will look back and realize that this precious time was all too short. I’ll end with this quote that sums up the beautiful act of breastfeeding: “After the miracle of having a baby grow inside me and giving birth, nursing is another awe inspiring miracle of nature. It is the gift of my whole being: nourishment, health, love, and comfort -- all packed into one precious moment we share -- mother and baby. What other moment could be so complete!” (LLL)