I'm Really Excited About Breast Feeding

The WBWC gives out the book "Our Bodies, Ourselves: Pregnancy and Birth" to their newly pregnant patients. I have been reading a little bit everyday and finished it last night.  My favorite part of the book is in section five. In this section they have 29 pages dedicated to breastfeeding, from "Deciding to Breast-Feed" to "How to Bottle-Feed." I have known that I've wanted to breast-feed long before I knew I was pregnant. I was breast-fed, many of my closest friends breast-feed their babies, so I'm sure that is what has influenced my decision and reading more in depth about it solidifies my desire to do it.

My Mom breastfeeding me on the left and her sister, my Auntie Ann, feeding my cousin Jesse on the right. 

While on my flight from Maui to California I sat near a Mom of two, her youngest was 3 months old. We talked about pregnancy and birth and breastfeeding. She told me that when her youngest was just born she and her 2 year old boy got really sick but that the baby never got sick. She breastfed the baby throughout her sickness. Basically, you can look at breastfeeding your little one, not only as nourishment but as a way to help the new one build antibodies and a strong immune system. I'm sure the ill mama passed on some of her germs to the baby but also the antibodies that the Mom built up to help fight her cold were passed along through her breast milk like a perfectly mixed homeopathic remedy. My co-worker, Kay, told me that she breast-fed her daughter for 2 years and her daughter never got sick for those entire first 2 years of life. Amazing. In my book it says,

"Babies who are formula-fed are more likely than babies who are breast-fed to develop ear infections, gastrointestinal problems, asthma, diabetes, lower respiratory tract infections, and eczema."

You can read a brief article on the book's website about more of the benefits of breastfeeding here: Breastfeeding. 

Another great thing about breastfeeding, especially for a cheapo like me, is that you don't have to spend money on bottles or formula. I - hopefully if nothing is wrong with my milk production - will be my very own milk-factory and restaurant for the squirrel. My friend Amy is handing down a box-full of these glass bottles when I'm ready to pump my milk so that Mike can be a part of the feeding ritual:

One of the most amazing stories I've heard about human instinct is from my friend Heather. After she gave birth the nurse put her baby on her belly and it was like the baby knew what to do, it started climbing up to her breast as if to feed. This reminds me that as much as we humans like to separate ourselves from the other mammals in the animal kingdom, we have these primal instincts too. If only we could all let go of the self-consciousness or shame that some may feel about breast-feeding in public and let nature just run it's cycle. If only there weren't those people out there who are offended by a mother breastfeeding her baby, it's natural, people! (Of course there are reasons that a mother cannot breast feed: low milk production, HIV in the mother, medications taken by the mother, etc. Luckily, in this day and age there are alternates to cow's milk or soy based formulas in the form of  Human Milk Banking Association of North America. )In "Our Bodies" it says,

"Most babies can locate the nipple and initiate feeding on their own. A healthy newborn will be ready to nurse within the first hour after birth. Your colostrum (sometimes called the "first milk") is the best fuel for your baby during this learning phase."

Colostrum. I just learned about this. This sounds like really important stuff. It is the first stuff that comes out. Your milk doesn't come out until a couple of days later.

"From the earliest moments of your child's life, your breasts create and secrete colostrum,  a yellowish, milky substance that's tailor-made for a newborn. Colostrum contains proteins, minerals, and calories a new born needs before breast milk is available. Colostrum also has antibodies to help fight infection. It is easy to digest and the temperature is just right. Colostrum helps "seal" the inside of the baby's intestines, preventing the invasion of bacteria. There is no artificial equivalent of colostrum, no formula that provides its unique combination of benefits for newborn development."

I'm mostly looking forward to that baby-bond that you hear so much about when it comes to breast feeding. You can read more about how your body releases oxytocin, a.k.a. the "trust" or "cuddle" hormone, during breastfeeding in this article here. I look forward to witnessing those signs of fullness in the baby,

"...appearing relaxed, with the hands open and arms and legs curled in; closing or relaxing the eyes; and softening the facial muscles."

Just reading that description makes me satisfied and ready for a nap. There are things about breast feeding, like colostrum, that I had not known before. This includes uterine cramping. In the first several days or sometimes weeks the nursing mother will feel her uterus contract. The stimulation of the nipple will cause this. Basically, this is a natural cause and effect; a signal for your body to say, "O.K. baby is out, let's turn this uterus back to it's prepregnancy size!" I can just imagine little managers in my body directing body parts to do certain things when given the appropriate signals. Thank you ahead of time, little managers! There are the icky things that come along with breastfeeding too like sore nipples, engorgement and plugged milk-ducts. Luckily there are things you can try to do to help remedy these problems. I think these icky things will all be worth it for the health of the baby in the long run because of the benefits that breast milk brings.

All quotes were taken from the book "Our Bodies, Ourselves: Pregnancy and Birth". Touchstone, Simon & Schuster New York. The Boston Women's Health Book Collective. 2008.