Breastfeeding

Posted by Cindy

June 15, 2007 |

I’m a huge fan of breastfeeding. I nursed my first son for close to a year and a half, and now I’m nursing my second son at a year and still going strong. There are so many myths and so much misinformation out there about breastfeeding that its a wonder any mother can weed through it all to have a happy breastfeeding relationship. Even worse is when a mother comes face to face with a nurse or doctor that either is not educated about breastfeeding or is still holding the old beliefs that anything made by science is better than nature. Scary, but true.

BabyLune shared a bit about the new catchy slogan for breastfeeding. Babies were born to be breastfed. Of course! It is one of those so simple and yet so perfect statements. Human infants were designed/evolved/created to receive their nurishment 100% from their mother’s milk. We are mammals, that’s what we do. The milk a mother creates from her body is the perfect blend of nutrients to feed her child. Its not the best, its not the gold standard, it is exactly what nature intended. Anything else is less than standard.

Sadly, giving less than standard nutrion can be deadly for some children. Like the 16,000 Filipino children die as a result of “inappropriate feeding practices”. Is that reason enough to get angry? We can blame the government for allowing it, we can blame the formula companies for marketing, some will even blame the mothers for not knowing better. But could some of the blame go to the mothers who choose to give their money to the formula companies for non-medical reasons? If money talks, what are they saying?

At least in America support for breastfeeding is happening more and more. And the biggest support a breastfeeding mother could have is from her partner. The Lactivist shares some touching stories on Fathers and Breastfeeding, and reminds men how important they are to a sucessful breastfeeding relationship. Many mothers do not breastfeed because they say they want the fathers to be able to bond with their children through feeding them. My experience was that by supporting me we were better able to bond as a couple, which gave our sons a stronger set of parents as their foundation. Sure he had to set out the feedings during the first few months, but he was still more than able to bond with both by reading to them, cleaning them, taking them out, cuddling with them, and now by taking the time to play with them often. There is certainly no lack of bonding in this house.