King City Rustler, Jan 2011
One of the decisions a woman makes when she has a new baby is weather to breast-feed or formula feed.Most health care professionals agree that breast-feeding gives the baby, but also the mother, advantages over formula.
"All it takes is time, patience and practice," said Rose Massey, nursery coordinator at Mee Memorial Hospital. "Babies are born to breast-feed. It's the natural way to give your baby;s immune and digestive systems the support thier little bodies need to become healthy". In addition, breast-feeding hormones help build a connection with mother and baby and increase the level of bonding. For mothers, breast-feeding increases thier metabolism which may help with quicker weight loss as well as lowering the risk of breast, ovarian and thyroid cancer. By breast-feeding, moms are able to comfort thier baby's crying sooner which, in turn, calms the mother and comforts the newborn, added Massey.
The National Institutes of Health gives a list of reasons that summarizes why breast-feeding is advantageous to both the mother and baby: For the baby *Breast milk provides the right balance of nutrients to help an infant grow into a strong and healthy toddler. * Breast-fed infants, and those who are fed expressed breast milk, have fewer deaths during the first year and experience fewer illnesses than babies fed formula. *Some of the nutrients in breast milk also help protect an infant against some common childhood illnesses and infections, such as diarrhea, middle ear infections, and certain lung infections. *Some recent research also suggests that breast milk contains important fatty acids (building blocks) that help an infants brain develop. Two specific fatty acids, known as DHA and AA, may help increase infants' cognitive skills. Many types of infant formulas availiable in the Untied States are fortified with DHA and AA, and all formula availiable for preterm infants is fortified with these fatty acids.
* For the mom * in response to the baby's sucking, the mother's body releases a hormone that makes her uterus contract and get smaller. * Many mothers also get emotional benefits from breast-feeding because of the closeness of the interaction with the baby and from the satisfaction of helping to nourish thier babies. *Some research suggest that mothers who breast-feed thier babies have fewer episodes of post-delivery depression. *There is evolving evidence to indicate that certain types of cencer (such as breast, uterus, and ovarian cancer) occur less often in mothers who have breast-fed thier babies.
And , on the practical side, breast-feeding is definitely more economocial than purchasing formula. Talk with the hospital staff and your physician about getting you and your baby off to a good start the natural way.
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