12021 Breastfeeding

When we trust the makers of baby formula more than we do our own ability to nourish our babies, we lose a chance to claim an aspect of our power as women. Thinking that baby formula is as good as breast milk is believing that thirty years of technology is superior to three million years of nature's evolution. Countless women have regained trust in their bodies through nursing their children, even if they weren't sure at first that they could do it. It is an act of female power, and I think of it as feminism in its purest form. — Christine Northrup

If a multinational company developed a product that was a nutritionally balanced and delicious food, a wonder drug that both prevented and treated disease, cost almost nothing to produce and could be delivered in quantities controlled by the consumers' needs, the very announcement of their find would send their shares rocketing to the top of the stock market. The scientists who developed the product would win prizes and the wealth and influence of everyone involved would increase dramatically. Women have been producing such a miraculous substance, breast milk, since the beginning of human existence. — Gabrielle Palmer

Breastfeeding your baby is the choice that cares for people, cares for the future, and has a care for the future. Each mother's body makes it especially for her baby. It is free and formula is expensive. Formula is an inferior substitute for mother's milk.

Benefits of breastfeeding for your child

  • Immunity from diseases. A baby is born with a very immature immune system. Breast milk is the way that nature provides for babies to be protected from disease. As they drink the milk made by their mothers breasts, they receive immune system antibodies from the mother, so that whatever the mother is immune from, the child gains protection from.
  • The first milk — colostrum — is the perfect food for a newborn baby. It is low in fat but high in protein, carbohydrates, and immune system antibodies. It is produced in quantities just right for a newborn children. This first milk is very important for the development of your baby's gastrointestinal system. As the first week passes by, the colostrum evolves into regular breast milk and increases in quantity.
  • Breastfed babies have a decreased chance of developing allergies as they grow older.
  • Enhances the bond between the parents and the child and helps the parents, the mother especially, observe the child's development.
  • Reduced risk of SIDS.

Breastfeeding benefits for the mother:

  • Suppresses fertility and menstruation.
  • Lowers the risk of the mother having a stroke or heart attack or developing diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol. The beneficial effects last for decades after breastfeeding ceases.
  • Breastfeeding is an important aspect of a mother's recovery from childbirth. Not breastfeeding the baby short-circuits the woman's normal post-pregnancy cycles.
  • It lowers a mother's chance of getting cervical, breast, and ovarian cancers.

Problems of feeding formula.

  • Formula requires bottles and nipples, which require sterilization, which requires soap, water, and energy to heat water, and produces grey water.
  • Formula requires cans and packaging, manufacturing facilities, and transportation for wholesale and retail distribution.
  • Formula is an expensive manufactured food.
  • Formula is made with commercial ingredients which likely include Genetically Modified Organisms.
  • Bottle-fed babies are more likely later in life to develop diabetes, allergies, asthma, and obesity.
  • A study from the Philippines found that deaths from respiratory conditions and diarrhea were eight to ten times higher among babies fed formula.
  • In the United Kingdom, phthalates, which is a chemical component of plastic, is found in all brands of baby formula tested by the government. The majority of them had levels high enough to reduce sperm counts in rats.

Ten Easy Reasons for Breastfeeding From the La Leche League:

  • Baby's whole body and brain benefit immensely.
  • Release for mother hormonally causing calmer feelings.
  • Easier digestion for baby than formula.
  • Available fresh instantly for hungry baby.
  • Soothing for a crying baby.
  • Treasure of a lifetime bond with your child.
  • Free (cheaper than formula by a long shot)!
  • Effortless pregnancy weight loss.
  • Poop smells better than formula-fed babies (until solids start!).
  • Decreased risk of SIDS than formula-fed babies.

For more information:

To find a La Leche League Leader in your area, call 1-800-LALECHE or 1-847-519-7730. They will refer you to a La Leche League Leader near you. You can also access information about Breast-feeding at the La Leche League website:

http://www.lalecheleague.org/