Updated September, 2021
When I say that I am passionate about breastfeeding, that is probably an understatement. Maybe I even get a little pushy when I talk about it, as it is the feeding method I believe in.. I know some women struggle to breastfeed or simply can’t (I’m a mama of a premie, I know life throws difficulties everyone’s way). While I know there is a big push to support women no matter what, I really think we need to be sure we fully educate everyone. Breastfeeding is a miracle, and while some women may have to use formula for various reasons, I hope by talking more about the wonders of breastfeeding more women will renew their determination and give breastfeeding a try, especially in baby’s first year.
Perfect Nutrition
Breast milk contains exactly the nutritional balance that your infant needs. Everything passed to your little one can be absorbed completely. It’s a full, perfect meal. In fact, breastfed babies tend to be leaner, both because they receive the exact nutrition they need, as well as because they aren’t overfed as often. Your body only makes as much milk as your baby needs (this is why an empty breast is the one that makes milk). But because we cannot see how much they are eating, there is no push from an adult to keep eating or to finish the bottle. By 6 months, most formula fed babies are eating 6-8 ounces per bottle where primarily breastfed babies rarely need more than 4 ounces in a bottle, even when they are close to a year! Point, breastfed babies are skinnier and have better eating regulation. The food they do receive is the exact balance of what they need (their saliva communicates with your body!)
Healthier Babies
Speaking of producing exactly what you need, breastfed babies tend to have stronger immune systems because they get antibodies from their mommies. That’s right, every time you start to get sick, the antibodies you are making will transfer to your breast milk. This helps your little one recover faster or stave off sickness altogether sometimes. But! It works both ways. When your baby nurses directly at the breast, their saliva enters through the areola and communicates with your body. So then your body can start producing antibodies for any sickness they have, both to help baby fight their illness and to keep you healthy too. Point, breastfed babies tend to be healthier babies.
More Sleep
You know what makes everyone healthy and happy, regardless of their status as a parent? Sleep! Believe it or not, your breast milk can help you and your little one get more sleep. I know it seems contradictory because you can stuff your baby with 8 ounces of formula in a bottle before bed, but there is no evidence that an overly full tummy helps babies sleep longer through the night. However, breastfed babies need less prep time (when they inevitably wake up in the night, you don’t have to prepare a bottle). Even better though, there are some indicators that your body’s breast milk at night is different from what you make during the day. That’s right, your body helps your baby regulate their sleep cycle by producing breast milk in the wee hours of the night that make your baby sleepy. Is that great or what? Point, breastfed babies typically sleep better.
Easy (No Prep Necessary!)
Finally, the lazy parent in me feels that I would be remiss if I didn’t point out ease. I think a lot of people talk about how hard breastfeeding can be when a parent is first starting out. I can promise though, with a little bit of time and practice (seriously, I’m talking a few days, maybe weeks), you might be pleasantly surprised at how much easier breastfeeding your baby can become. You know what never gets either easier or harder? Formula feeding.
Now I know everyone thinks formula feeding is the easy way to go, but let’s analyze that for a moment. You have to purchase formula, so a trip to the store. You have to make the formula, so a bottle and potable water. You have to warm the formula up, usually at least at first. Then you finally feed baby (breastfeeding moms have been doing this for the last ten minutes already). Then you still aren’t done because you have to clean and sanitize the bottle! You know what a breastfeeding mom has to do? Unsnap her bra. That’s it, done. So for all that breastfeeding is “hard” and formula feeding is “easy” it feels to me that we might have been duped into this “easy” concept with some very clever marketing. Point, breastfeeding is way easier, it just takes a little practice at first.
Now I don’t want to give the impression that I’m not empathetic to the struggles women go through when trying to breastfeed. We certainly have to balance a lot of things, including taking care of ourselves (oh yes, even I have sat up at 2 am sobbing while pumping and swearing I’m never going to nurse my premie). We have to have a lot of support and determination. We need a work environment (for those who return to work) that is supportive of our nursing and pumping needs. We need social acceptance (not every woman wants to pull out her breast on the go). All of these things stack up against women and make it very hard to be successful in breastfeeding. But it is such a beautiful and important process. It is my sincerest hope that I can help every woman succeed in breastfeeding, and maybe even convince a few others to at least give it a try.
