Breastfeeding allows you and your baby to emotionally bond in a special way that cannot be matched, since breastfeeding meets both the nutritional and nurturing needs. Nursing is a learned skill for both mother and baby that requires time and patience.
Whether teaching instructional basics on breastfeeding, helping with breastfeeding problems, troubleshooting in the early days/weeks, and/or dealing with weaning, I can assist mothers with all stages of breastfeeding. In addition, I have contacts with qualified IBCLC Lactation Consultants to whom any breastfeeding problems and issues beyond her scope may be referred.
Pre-natal Education
Because breastfeeding is a learned skill, it is important to understand how it works before you start actually doing it.
I can offer individual sessions in the last few weeks of pregnancy covering the following issues:
• What to expect your breasts to do in the early weeks
• What to expect your baby to do in the early weeks
• Good positioning of mother and baby
• Effective attachment of baby to breast
• How to achieve comfortable, efficient and productive breastfeeding
• Breastfeeding myths
• Baby lead weaning (introducing solid foods)
Post-natal Breastfeeding Support
Even the most prepared new mother may not find it easy to achieve comfortable, efficient and productive breastfeeds in the early days.
I can offer regular home/hospital visits in the first few weeks after birth and/or troubleshooting visits, as required, at any stage.
My approach is tailored to each family. I can give you as short or as long a visit as is necessary. (Subject to prior arrangements with other clients and childcare).
Benefits of Breastfeeding
There are many benefits to breastfeeding. Even if you are able to do it for only a short time, your baby's immune system can benefit from breast milk. Here are many other benefits of breast milk for a mother, her baby, and others:Benefits for Baby:
• Breast milk is the most complete form of nutrition for infants. A mother's milk has just the right amount of fat, sugar, water, and protein that is needed for a baby's growth and development. Most babies find it easier to digest breast milk than they do formula.
• As a result, breastfed infants grow exactly the way they should. They tend to gain less unnecessary weight and to be leaner. This may result in being less overweight later in life.
• Premature babies do better when breastfed compared to premature babies who are fed formula.
• Breastfed babies score slightly higher on IQ tests, especially babies who were born pre-maturely.
Benefits for Mom:
• Nursing uses up extra calories, making it easier to lose the pounds of pregnancy. It also helps the uterus to get back to its original size and lessens any bleeding a woman may have after giving birth.
• Breastfeeding, especially exclusive breastfeeding (no supplementing with formula), delays the return of normal ovulation and menstrual cycles. (However, you should still talk with your doctor or nurse about birth control choices.)
• Breastfeeding lowers the risk of breast and ovarian cancers, and possibly the risk of hip fractures and osteoporosis after menopause.
• Breastfeeding makes your life easier. It saves time and money. You do not have to purchase, measure, and mix formula. There are no bottles to warm in the middle of the night!
• A mother can give her baby immediate satisfaction by providing her breast milk when her baby is hungry.
• Breastfeeding requires a mother to take some quiet relaxed time for herself and her baby.
• Breastfeeding can help a mother to bond with her baby. Physical contact is important to newborns and can help them feel more secure, warm and comforted.
• Breastfeeding mothers may have increased self-confidence and feelings of closeness and bonding with their infants.
Benefits for Society:
• Breastfeeding saves on health care costs. Total medical care costs for the nation are lower for fully breastfed infants than never-breastfed infants since breastfed infants typically need fewer sick care visits, prescriptions, and hospitalizations.
• Breastfeeding contributes to a more productive workforce. Breastfeeding mothers miss less work, as their infants are sick less often. Employer medical costs also are lower and employee productivity is higher.
• Breastfeeding is better for our environment because there is less trash and plastic waste compared to that produced by formula cans and bottle supplies.
Health Risks of Not Breastfeeding:
• Breast milk has agents (calledantibodies) in it to help protect infants from bacteria and viruses. Recent studies show that babies who are not exclusively breastfed for 6 months are more likely to develop a wide range of infectious diseases including ear infections, diarrhea, respiratory illnesses and have more hospitalizations. Also, infants who are not breastfed have a 21% higher postneonatal infant mortality rate in the U.S.
• Some studies suggest that infants who are not breastfed have higher rates of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) in the first year of life, and higher rates of type 1 and type 2 diabetes, lymphoma, leukemia, Hodgkin's disease, overweight and obesity, high cholesterol and asthma. More research in these areas is needed (American Academy of Pediatrics, 2005).
• Babies who are not breastfed are sick more often and have more doctor's visits.
• Also, when you breastfeed, there are no bottles and nipples to sterilize. Unlike human milk straight from the breast, infant formula has a chance of being contaminated.
Check out these sites for more information and help with Breastfeeding:
http://www.kellymom.comhttp://www.lalecheleague.com
http://www.breastfeeding.com
http://www.promom.org
http://www.safefetus.com
http://www.mothering.com
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