Breastfeeding – a gift from the heart

We are at a point in our culture where breastfeeding is presented as a choice. Our species didn’t have that choice when it first began. If women did not breastfeed their children, none of us would be here today.

Breastfeeding is about more than food. It is a gift of health and love that you only have one chance to give to your children. So why are many women choosing to breastfeed? Why are their partners supporting this (or maybe even encouraging it)?

H – Healthy Moms – Yes, that’s right. Breastfeeding is good for mom. The longer she breastfeeds, the more she reduces her chances of breast cancer. Choosing to breastfeed also decreases her risk of ovarian cancer, helps her lose weight after baby. If a mother has to go back to work at any point in the breastfeeding relationship, she can continue breastfeeding when she is home. This can allow her time to connect with her baby that no one else can replace. It can help make that emotional transition a little easier because she still has an important role to play in her baby’s life.

E – Eye development is balanced. When a woman is breastfeeding, she uses both breasts throughout the day. The act of switching sides allows the baby’s eyes to develop equally. Some babies who are fed using a bottle or other methods including cup feeding or finger feeding have their caregiver hold them in the same position every time they eat.

A – Always available – Breastmilk is always being made. The more the baby nurses, the more milk mom will make. This is also a great benefit to any sleepy parent. It does not involve any cleaning, prep work or any other task that takes you away from your baby. This is a great time saver no matter what you were doing. I read a great story about a family who went camping and decided to go on a hike from their campsite. They got lost in the woods and had to spend the night away from their stuff. They were very thankful for deciding to breastfeed because they did not have to worry about where they would find clean water, how much artificial milk they would pack or any other details. They did return to their campsite the next day when daylight returned.

R – Required Rest – This might be one of the most challenging aspects as well for some people. I can speak for myself – prior to my daughter’s birth, I worked 3 jobs and was in school full-time. I could multi-task in my sleep. When she was born, priorities changed and the rest that I didn’t allow myself before was more important than ever, especially when it came in small increments. This rest allows the body to recover from birth and allow mom some time to be mothered herself. After birth, mom has bleeding for a few weeks, this bleeding is called lochia. The bleeding will begin as red and change to lighter colours. If mom is doing too much before her body is ready, the body responds by going back to the bright red bleeding. The body does speak back to us but we need to listen.

T – Touch – touching is an important part of breastfeeding. It encourages skin-to-skin contact, which has many benefits including regulating baby’s heart rate, blood sugar levels, respiration rate, and body temperature. It allows you to get to know your baby because it encourages bonding. We all need human touch in our lives. This is becoming more evident to researchers as we study our technological developments. Some people may go days without even hearing another person speak. Touch can be calming, powerful, centering, or just a reminder that there is someone who cares about you. Remember, your baby could feel you all the time. Imagine that loving touch being taken away and replaced with a bouncy chair or swing and a towel to hold your bottle in place. It doesn’t have the same care, love, and attention, now does it?

There are many more benefits that are not listed here. If you are pregnant and wanting to learn about breastfeeding, why not contact your local La Leche League chapter. They are an international breastfeeding organization that supports any mom who wishes to breastfeed. This includes women who want to breastfeed once a day, to women who are exclusively breastfeeding, and women who are breastfeeding adoptive babies – visit www.llli.org to find the one nearest you!