December 01, 2005

To breastfeed or not to breastfeed, that is the question every new mother must answer. And the answer has a lasting impact on both mother and baby.

Many expectant mothers consider breastfeeding a lifestyle choice. They ask themselves questions like: Would I enjoy and feel comfortable breastfeeding? Or, how will breastfeeding fit into my lifestyle? Many women worry about the challenges of becoming a new parent and learning how to breastfeed at the same time. Sometimes friends or family members have shared stories of painful and unsuccessful breastfeeding, causing a woman to wonder if breastfeeding is possible for her and her baby.

These are good questions, and points worth considering, but not the most important basis for making the critical decision of whether or not to breastfeed your new baby. What mothers-to-be need to know in order to make this important decision is that breastfeeding does make a difference to the health of both mothers and babies, there is help available and active or working women can continue to provide breastmilk to benefit themselves and their babies.

Breastfeeding has both long- and short-term impacts on a baby’s health
We’ve all heard that breast is best, but many women don’t realize how much difference it makes. Formulas are advertised as an easy, comparable substitute. Working women may wonder if the bother of pumping, not to mention the cost of a breast pump, is worth it. In dollars alone, it is substantially more expensive to buy formula. In addition, healthcare costs for formula fed babies are usually higher, as they tend to have more inner ear infections, more diarrhea and more upper respiratory infections. When children are sick more often, mothers miss more work.

More importantly, breastfeeding is just plain better for babies. The American Academy of Pediatrics Policy Statement on Breastfeeding and the Use of Human Milk states that human milk is uniquely superior for infant feeding. A newborn’s immune system is not equipped to fully protect against bacteria and viruses. Human milk is exclusively designed to provide the antibodies that help infants prevent illnesses and, if they do become ill, to recover more quickly.

Mounds of research comparing the health outcomes of breastfed babies to formula-fed babies show that breastfeeding is clearly more beneficial. Research provides strong evidence that breastfeeding gives babies:

• Resistance to infectious diseases
• Less allergies
• Enhanced immune systems
• Nutritional and growth benefits
• Reduced risk for chronic diseases such as colitis, Crohn’s disease, lymphoma, diabetes, asthma and leukemia
• Developmental benefits, including neurological and cognitive outcome
• Decreased rates for SIDS
• Reduced risk of obesity

In addition, mother’s milk contains just the right amount of fat, sugar, water and protein that a baby needs at each stage of development. And it is easy to digest.

All babies and especially premature and pre-term babies benefit from the protective components and growth factors in the breast milk to prevent infection and illness of the digestive tract. Consequently, breastfeeding helps infants grow exactly the way they should. Breastfed infants tend to gain less unnecessary weight and to be leaner, which is believed to contribute to maintaining a healthy weight throughout life.

In addition to the American Academy of Pediatrics, the benefits of breastfeeding have led a number of professional organizations to strongly advocate breastfeeding. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, the American Academy of Family Physicians, the American Dietetic Association, the American College of Nurse Midwives, the National Medical Association, DONA International and the American Public Health Association all advocate breastfeeding. In fact, the American Academy of Pediatrics states that breastfeeding is “the preferred feeding for all infants, including premature and sick newborns, with rare exceptions.”

When direct breastfeeding is not possible, it is recommended that mothers express and provide their milk for their babies. Many experts also consider breastfeeding especially beneficial in helping a baby fight infection when exposed to illnesses in the day care environment.

While babies benefit from mother’s milk, the experience itself offers unsurpassed emotional benefits. Research shows the experience of nursing, that skin-to-skin contact, is important to a baby’s emotional development and contributes to mother-child bonding. Nursing relaxes and comforts babies. It makes them feel secure.

Breastfeeding helps moms remain healthy and look good, too
Not only is breastfeeding best for babies; it’s best for moms. Breastfeeding has been found to have positive physical and psychological effects on mothers:

• increases the levels of oxytocin, a hormone that stimulates uterine contractions, helping expel the placenta and minimizing postpartum blood loss.
• helps a new mom get back into her pre-pregnancy jeans sooner, since nursing uses up the fat the body has stored for this purpose.
• lowers the incidence of osteoporosis.
• decreases the risk of cancers of the breast, uterus and ovaries.
• helps regulate a mother’s hormones as her body adjusts, allowing for a gradual postpartum hormonal shift that can make the transition to motherhood smoother and easier, reducing the likelihood of postpartum depression.

Breastfeeding, particularly exclusive breastfeeding, also delays the resumption of the menstrual cycle and the return of fertility in most women. It’s nature’s way of giving your body a much-needed rest after giving birth. However, ovulation and pregnancy can occur while breastfeeding, so a woman should talk to her doctor about family planning if delaying another pregnancy is desired.

In fact, breastfeeding provides moments of relaxation for new mothers. Nursing an infant requires a mother to relax and sit quietly with her baby. The feelings of closeness that develop through breastfeeding often carries over into comfortable and confident parenting, as the nursing experience helps a new mother get to know her baby intimately. It is a satisfying experience to be able to feed a hungry baby with what you know to be the very best food for him or her.

It’s worth facing the challenges
For many women, the early days and weeks of breastfeeding are anything but easy, relaxing and satisfying. Just as in any new “job” or relationship, the early days and weeks can be awkward and difficult. Many parents want the benefits of breastfeeding for their new babies, but some women may see too many obstacles in the way or may worry:

• Do I have enough milk for baby?
• Is my milk nutritious?
• Will it hurt?
• Will I feel embarrassed?
• How can I breastfeed when I need to return to work?
• Can I continue to take medications I need?

These concerns are common, but most can be overcome. Most women produce plenty of milk, and simply need to learn more about the process to ensure baby will get enough. Many medications can be taken while breastfeeding and this can be addressed with your doctor and lactation consultant.

We know a lot today about how to safely minimize the pain some women feel and about how to manage breastfeeding and work or returning to an active lifestyle.

When there’s a will, there’s a way
Fortunately, today’s mothers have the benefit of easy-to-use, efficient and reasonably priced breast pumps that allow a woman to collect her milk and have it available for her baby when she can’t be there herself. Pumping also provides dads, grandparents and other helpers the opportunity to feed the baby as well.

If a baby is not able to feed at the breast or if a mother chooses not to bring a baby to breast, she can still continue to provide the benefits of her breastmilk by expressing the milk and giving it to her baby in a bottle. Lactation specialists can help new mothers learn how to pump to establish and maintain a milk supply.

A good electric pump allows a woman to return to work and continue to feed her milk to her baby. Most women find they can pump enough milk at work to feed baby the next day. Some mothers cannot pump at work and think they need to quit breastfeeding before returning to work. However, this is not necessary. Once milk production is well established (beyond six weeks), by gradually eliminating the daytime feedings at the breast in the weeks before returning to work, the body will adjust by producing less and less milk during the day while continuing to produce milk during the evening, night and weekends, as long as baby continues to breastfeed frequently when mother and baby are together.

I have spoken with many new mothers over the years who have expressed how glad they were they stuck with it. In spite of a rocky start, they soon learned that breastfeeding their babies is the easiest thing in the world. A family educator, lactation consultant or your doctor can help answer your questions and give you tips that will help you face any of the challenges of breastfeeding.

So go ahead and give it a try. Just pull your baby close, feed and comfort her, and you’ll soon know it’s well worth all your efforts.