Choosing to breastfeed your baby is an intensely personal decision, a decision that should not be made without an understanding of the valuable benefits breast milk can provide for you and your infant. After all, the benefits don’t stop when your child is weaned.
Dr. Karen Wambach, associate professor at the University of Kansas School of Nursing and International Board Certified Lactation Consultant, explains some of the many benefits of breastfeeding--for both moms and babies. Mothers also share their nursing experiences.
Healthier Babies, Healthier Moms
“Breast milk is the gold standard for infant nutrition and many professional health care organizations, as well as Healthy People 2010, endorse and encourage breastfeeding for the first year of life,” Wambach says.
Breast milk contains antibodies (disease-fighting cells) that help protect infants from illness. Breastfed babies have a lower risk of certain health-related problems when compared to formula-fed infants, including fewer ear infections, cases of gastroenteritis and respiratory infections. These health benefits spill over into childhood, offering a lower risk of obesity, diabetes and childhood cancer.
Moms also benefit when they choose to breastfeed, reducing the risk of breast and ovarian cancers, post-partum depression and Type 2 diabetes. The uterus also recovers and returns to pre-pregnancy size more rapidly in women who are breastfeeding.
Convenience
Breastfeeding does not require mixing, pouring or sterilizing. Many nursing moms enjoy the convenience of a readily available food source provided by breast milk.
“One thing I loved about breastfeeding was the get-up-and-go convenience,” says Jennifer, mom of two. “I never once packed a bottle, fumbled with a measuring scoop in the middle of the night or had to test formula for the right temperature.”
Bonding
Nursing also provides an opportunity to slow down and enjoy the physical contact required to breastfeed. “Mothers who breastfeed experience improved maternal-infant bonding,” Wambach says.
Alice, mom of two, agrees. “The best thing about breastfeeding was being able to sleep next to my babies and not really wake up through the night feedings. Also, it made me really happy (and I think them too) to have so much skin-to-skin holding time.”
Desi, mom of two, also loved bonding with her babies. “I can’t imagine trying to connect with my baby without breastfeeding. Holding your babe heart to heart, smelling them, smoothing their hair and nourishing them on the inside too. It couldn’t get any better!”
Save Money, Save Lives
The U.S. Department of Health estimates that breastfeeding moms save between $1,160 and $3,915 per year on formula alone (www.WomensHealth.gov). However, the financial benefits of breast milk extend beyond the obvious. Reduced illnesses mean fewer trips to the doctor and less money spent on prescription medication, allowing families to save more on healthcare.
A study released by the American Academy of Pediatrics indicates that $13 billion annually could be saved if 90 percent of U.S. families could comply with medical recommendations to breastfeed exclusively for six months. This same level of compliance would prevent 911 deaths, nearly all of which would be in infants. At 80 percent compliance, savings would be $10.5 billion and 741 lives.
Breastfeeding offers proven medical benefits for you and your child. Nursing is a gift that will benefit your baby for a lifetime. However, breastfeeding is a choice. “Let go of the guilt, resentment and assumptions. Just focus on what works for you and your child,” suggests Desi.
Support for Working Moms
Despite the benefits of breast milk, working mothers often find it difficult to continue expressing milk after returning to the work force. “A huge challenge in reaching the healthiest breastfeeding goals is mother’s return to the workplace,” says Dr. Karen Wambach, International Board Certified Lactation Consultant. “Many mothers discontinue breastfeeding early due to difficulty in maintaining breastfeeding after returning to work,” Wambach says. The lack of workplace support (time, space) for expressing their breast milk and thus maintaining milk supply for baby is too often the culprit.
Jennifer, mom of two, experienced the frustration first-hand. Despite expressing milk in a Wal-Mart parking lot, the side of the road and even once in a bathroom stall, she is thankful she decided to see it through. “I did eventually find a rhythm to my work day and it got much easier as the months went by. I still treasure the fact that I chose to stick with breast milk.”
Section 4207 of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (also known as the Health Care Reform Bill) addresses pumping breast milk while at work. The section states that employers of more than 50 people are required to provide a private area (not a bathroom) for nursing mothers, along with reasonable break time to express milk, until the child’s first birthday. To read the entire text, visit www.USBreastfeeding.org.
Julie Steed writes from her home in Leavenworth.