In the last trimester of your pregnancy as your due date nears, you touch your growing belly and daydream about finally meeting your little kick-boxer. During this stage, you and your husband may still be heatedly debating the perfect name for your anxiously-awaited baby or choosing a car seat. Another important decision you will be contemplating is whether to breast-feed or bottle-feed your baby.
First, you need to learn what the experts have to say about breast-feeding. The American Academy of Pediatrics advocates breast-feeding as the optimal source of infant nutrition. Not only does breast milk offer nutrition but also protection. Dr. Muhammad Al-Jasir, supervisor of the Nutrition Administration of the Ministry of Health in Saudi Arabia reported that breast-fed babies have a 15 to 20 times lower risk of sudden infant death syndrome in the first four months than formula-fed babies.
The World Health Organization sponsosrs a breast-feeding awareness week each year worldwide. The week is characterized by activities, workshops, and lectures dedicated to encouraging breast-feeding and educating women on the health benefits of breast-feeding their infants. Is breast milk really superior to powdered milk? There is a long list of health benefits that breast-feeding offers both mother and baby. Let us start with the little one. Breast milk contains protective antibodies that strengthen the infant's immunity and help resist infection, especially in the first weeks of life when babies are most vulnerable. On average, breast-fed babies have fewer illnesses and ear infections in the first year of life than bottle-fed babies. Breast milk also encourages the growth of friendly intestinal bacteria essential for a healthy digestive system and for preventing yeast infections.
Mother's milk is produced to specifically and perfectly meet all the nutritional needs of a human baby. The composition of breast milk continuously changes, even day to day, in order to adapt to the baby's different nutrient demands as it grows and develops; this cannot be duplicated in powdered milk. Only breast milk supplies hormones and the enzymes that aid digestion of carbohydrates, proteins and fats in milk. That makes breast milk easier to digest for the infant's still immature digestive system. As a result, breast-feeding is less likely than bottle feeding to lead to gas, colic, cramping, and constipation. Breast milk virtually never causes allergic reactions in babies. Recent studies reveal that breast-fed babies are less prone to obesity later in life than bottle-fed ones.
In addition, breast-feeding is more convenient in that milk is always available as long as you are there. You need not fret about sterilizing bottles or worrying about the milk spoiling. Your breast milk is always perfectly clean and at the right warm temperature for your baby. So, you can skip the hassle of accidentally overheating the bottle of milk and desperately trying to cool it while your hungry red-faced little one is wailing. Besides, as any mom who breast-fed her baby knows, nursing provides emotional support, bonding, closeness, security, warmth, and a connection between mother and baby that artificial feeding can never give.
Of equal importance are the health advantages that breast-feeding bestows upon the mother. The suckling action of the infant on the mother's breast after delivery triggers uterine contractions that tighten the uterus. This tightening helps the uterus shrink back to its normal size and reduces the amount of blood lost after delivery. Breast-feeding decreases the risk of developing ovarian cancer and pre-menopausal breast cancer.
The psychological and emotional rewards are just as great. Nursing brings you and your baby in direct skin-to-skin contact six to eight times a day. This form of human touch is soothing and reassuring to your baby, and gives you a sense of pleasure and fulfillment and boosts your confidence in your ability to nurture and care for your children. Statistics demonstrate that mothers who breast-feed their babies have a lower incidence of post-partum depression than those who do not. Give your cherished one a healthy head start in life. Neither you nor your baby who has a whole new world to discover should settle for second best. Breast is best.
