Unlike circumcision, the experts all agree……”Human milk is uniquely superior for infant feeding…” This is the essence of the American Academy of Pediatrics recommendation on the feeding of our youngest human beings. It’s a “no-brainer” from the nutritional point-of-view. How could any other food be better for any mammal than the milk which comes from that little mammal’s mother?
The wonders of mother’s milk for little mammals include decreasing the risk of:
- diarrhea
- respiratory infection
- middle ear infection
- meningitis
- botulism
- urinary tract infection
- necrotizing enterocolitis
- sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)
- diabetes
- Crohn’s disease
- ulcerative colitis
-
lymphoma
- allergies
…..and these are only the benefits which have been studied up to this point in time. There is also scientific evidence that breastfeeding may enhance your baby’s brain development. Talk about some magic food…..
And these are only the benefits to the baby. Breastfeeding also reduces a mother’s blood loss after delivery, promotes involution of the uterus, provides some contraceptive benefit, helps the mother lose her pregnancy weight, and may reduce her risks of future osteoporosis, ovarian cancer and breast cancer.
It seems like a fairy tale. What could be better than breastfeeding your baby? Almost always, nothing. But breastfeeding may not be for everyone. Some women, for a variety of reasons, just don’t take to the idea. It is unfortunate……because, for the baby, it IS the best. But don’t beat yourself up if you don’t want to, can’t, or couldn’t……..love is more important than all the breastmilk in the world…….followed closely by breastmilk.