Joined: 27 Jun 2006 Posts: 150 Location: Connecticut
to Breastfeed Or Not to Breastfeed... Posted: 10-18-06 17:45pm
I'm not sure what to do. What are all
the positives and negatives? Anyone
wanna share thier story or share what
they're choosing to do?
|
arcadia
Extremely EHEALTHy
Joined: 06 May 2006 Posts: 4470 Location: Illinois,
Thanks: 1
Thanked:0
Posted: 10-18-06 17:53pm
I found a really really good list of pros
to breastfeeding that convinced me to do
it at least for 2 or 3 months. I'll go
find it &type it out for you, if you
want!
|
Maire2125
Experienced User , Rather EHEALTHy
Joined: 27 Jun 2006 Posts: 150 Location: Connecticut
Posted: 10-18-06 17:55pm
arcadia
wrote:
i found a really really good
list of pros to breastfeeding that
convinced me to do it at least for 2 or 3
months. I'll go find it &type it out
for you, if you want!
kewl beans!! Oh hell no, did I just say
that?
you don't have any negatives for me?
|
Maire2125
Experienced User , Rather EHEALTHy
Joined: 27 Jun 2006 Posts: 150 Location: Connecticut
Posted: 10-18-06 17:55pm
arcadia
wrote:
i found a really really good
list of pros to breastfeeding that
convinced me to do it at least for 2 or 3
months. I'll go find it &type it out
for you, if you want!
kewl beans!! Oh hell no, did I just say
that?
you don't have any negatives for me?
|
AyaMiyaki
Especially EHEALTHy
Joined: 01 Jun 2006 Posts: 8246 Location: Floating on a cloud, United States
Thanks: 168
Thanked:14
Posted: 10-18-06 17:57pm
I breastfeed my daughter exclusively, so I
can give you tips on that.
Even if you decide not to breastfeed, try
to do it at least for the first couple of
days. You will be giving your baby
colostrum, which is packed with antibodies
and protein.
Breastmilk is so healthy for your baby.
It's tailor-made specifically for your
baby, and the nutritional value in the
milk changes constantly to accomodate your
baby's growing needs. Breastmilk is also
easily digested by baby's immature
digestive system, so your baby retains
more of the good properties. This also
helps with diaper changes, because a
breastfed baby passes less waste.
It's .C.H.E.A.P! I won't say free,
because you will eventually need a few
supplies (breast pads for leaking, a pump,
nursing bras/tops). Formula is
ridiculously expensive, and it may take a
while to find a formula that agrees with
your child. Formula-fed babies are more
likely to have problems with constipation
and diarrhea than breastfed babies.
Formula-fed babies also have a higher
chance of gaining more weight.
It's easy! Your baby will want to eat
constantly, and it's so much easier to pop
a boob out late at night than to go make a
bottle. And the bonding experience you'll
share is beyond incredible.
And the best part: if you decide later
down the road that you would like to
switch to formula, you have that option.
It's almost impossible for a mother to
decide later on to breastfeed, because by
then her milk supply is almost certainly
gone.
Maybe someone can post their experience
with formula feeding as well. But these
are the good points of breastfeeding that
I know of! Hope it helps!
This is going to be a huge long list.
And very biased because i'm totally pro
breastfeeding. Besides it being possibly
inconvenient, I really can't imagine there
being many negatives.
Breastfeeding...
Even if you're not a parent (but hope to
be some day) this is good information.
If you nurse your baby for just a few
days, he will have received your
colostrum, or early milk. By providing
antibodies and the food his brand-new body
expects, nursing gives your baby his first
- and easiest "immunization" and helps get
his digestive system going smoothly.
Breastfeeding is how your baby expects to
start, and helps your own body recover
from the birth. Why not use your time in
the hospital to prepare your baby for life
through the gift of nursing?
If you nurse your baby for four to six
weeks, you will have eased him through the
most critical part of his infancy.
Newborns who are not breastfed are much
more likely to get sick or be
hospitalized, and have many more digestive
problems than breastfed babies. After 4
to 6 weeks, you'll probably have worked
through any early nursing concerns, too.
Make a serious goal of nursing for a
month, call la leche league or a lactation
consultant if you have any questions, and
you'll be in a better position to decide
whether continued breastfeeding is for
you.
If you nurse your baby for 3 or 4 months,
her digestive system will have matured a
great deal, and she will be much better
able to tolerate the foreign substances in
commercial formulas. If there is a family
history of allergies, though, you will
greatly reduce her risk by waiting a few
more months before adding anything at all
to her diet of breastmilk. And giving
nothing but your milk for the first four
months gives strong protection against ear
infections for a whole year.
If you nurse your baby for 6 months, she
will be much less likely to suffer an
allergic reaction to formula or other
foods; the american academy of pediatrics
recommends waiting until about 6 months to
offer solid foods.Nursing for at least 6
months helps ensure better health
throughout your baby's first year of life,
and reduces your own risk of breast
cancer. Nursing for 6 months or more may
greatly reduce your little one's risk of
ear inf ections and childhood cancers.
And exclusive, frequent breastfeeding
during the first 6 months, if your periods
have not returned, provides 98% effective
contraception.
If you nurse your baby for 9 months, you
will have seen him through the fastest and
most important brain and body development
of his life on the food that was designed
for him - your milk. Nursing for at least
this long will help ensure better
performance all through his school years.
Weaning may be fairly easy at this age...
But then, so is nursing! If you want to
avoid weaning this early, be sure you've
been available to nurse for comfort as
well as just for food.
If you nurse your baby for a year, you can
avoid the expense and bother of formula.
Her one-year-old body can probably handle
most of the table foods your family
enjoys. Many of the health benefits this
year of nursing has given your child will
last her whole life. She will have a
stronger immune system, for instance, and
will be much less likely to need
orthodontia or speech therapy. The
american academy of pediatrics recommends
nursing for at least a year, to help
ensure normal nutrition and health for
your baby.
If you nurse your baby for 18 months, you
will have continued to provide your baby's
normal nutrition and protection against
illness at a time when illness is common
in other babies. Your baby is probably
well started on table foods, too. He has
had time to form a solid bond with you - a
healthy starting point for his growing
independence. And he is old enough that
you and he can work together on the
weaning process, at a pace that he can
handle. A former u.S. Surgeon general
said, "it is the lucky baby... That
nurses to age two."
if your child weans when she is ready, you
can feel confident that you have met your
baby's physical and emotional needs in a
very normal, healthy way. In cultures
where there is no pressure to wean,
children tend to nurse for at least two
years. The world health organization and
unicef strongly encourage breastfeeding
through toddlerhood: "breastmilk is an
important source of energy and protein,
and helps to protect against disease
during the child's second year of life."
our biology seems geared to a weaning age
of between 2 1/2 and 7 years, and it just
makes sense to build our children's bones
from the milk that was designed to build
them. Your milk provides antibodies and
other protective substances as long as you
continue nursing, and families of nursing
toddlers often find that their medical
bills are lower than their neighbors' for
years to come. Mothers who have nursed
longterm have a still lower risk of
developing breast cancer. Children who
were nursed longterm tend to be very
secure, and are less likely to suck their
thumbs or carry a blanket. Nursing can
help ease both of you through the tears,
tantrums, and tumbles that come with early
childhood, and helps ensure that any
illnesses are milder and easier to deal
with. It's an all-purpose mothering tool
you won't want to be without! Don't worry
that your child will nurse forever. All
children stop eventually, no matter what
you do, and there are more nursing
toddlers around than you might guess.
Whether you nurse for a day or for several
years, the decision to nurse your child is
one you need never regret. And whenever
weaning takes place, remember that it is a
big step for both of you. If you choose
to wean before your child is ready, be
sure to do it gradually, and with love.
By diane wiessinger, ms, ibclc, ithaca,
ny
hope it was helpful.
|
Maire2125
Experienced User , Rather EHEALTHy
Joined: 27 Jun 2006 Posts: 150 Location: Connecticut
Posted: 10-18-06 18:00pm
ayamiyaki
wrote:
i breastfeed my daughter
exclusively, so I can give you tips on
that.
Even if you decide not to breastfeed, try
to do it at least for the first couple of
days. You will be giving your baby
colostrum, which is packed with antibodies
and protein.
Breastmilk is so healthy for your baby.
It's tailor-made specifically for your
baby, and the nutritional value in the
milk changes constantly to accomodate your
baby's growing needs. Breastmilk is also
easily digested by baby's immature
digestive system, so your baby retains
more of the good properties. This also
helps with diaper changes, because a
breastfed baby passes less waste.
It's .C.H.E.A.P! I won't say free,
because you will eventually need a few
supplies (breast pads for leaking, a pump,
nursing bras/tops). Formula is
ridiculously expensive, and it may take a
while to find a formula that agrees with
your child. Formula-fed babies are more
likely to have problems with constipation
and diarrhea than breastfed babies.
Formula-fed babies also have a higher
chance of gaining more weight.
It's easy! Your baby will want to eat
constantly, and it's so much easier to pop
a boob out late at night than to go make a
bottle. And the bonding experience
you'll share is beyond incredible.
And the best part: if you decide later
down the road that you would like to
switch to formula, you have that option.
It's almost impossible for a mother to
decide later on to breastfeed, because by
then her milk supply is almost certainly
gone.
Maybe someone can post their experience
with formula feeding as well. But these
are the good points of breastfeeding that
I know of! Hope it
helps!
wow!! You sound like an article, thanx!!
|
Maire2125
Experienced User , Rather EHEALTHy
Joined: 27 Jun 2006 Posts: 150 Location: Connecticut
Posted: 10-18-06 18:02pm
I've heard of how much pain it is and what
it does to your nipples. Is it true?
How does it not hurt?
|
eire
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 22 Jan 2006 Posts: 5 Location: new zealand
Posted: 10-18-06 18:05pm
maire2125
wrote:
arcadia
wrote:
i found a really really good
list of pros to breastfeeding that
convinced me to do it at least for 2 or 3
months. I'll go find it &type it
out for you, if you want!
kewl beans!! Oh hell no, did I just say
that?
you don't have any negatives for
me?
yes there are plenty of negatives, u get
really tried, u need to stick to ur plan,
u cant each some foods, etc, what u need
to do is sit down with a health care
worker, or ur midwife and chat about the
best answer for u.
If it dosent work for u then it will not
work for ur baby.
E
|
AyaMiyaki
Especially EHEALTHy
Joined: 01 Jun 2006 Posts: 8246 Location: Floating on a cloud, United States
Thanks: 168
Thanked:14
Posted: 10-18-06 18:07pm
I'll also tell you a few of the problems I
had in the beginning, to keep this fair!
It might hurt at first. A lot. Your
nipples (i would assume ) are not used to
vigorous sucking by a hungry mouth. Your
newborn also does not know how to properly
suck to get milk out, and will be so eager
to suck that they'll grab ahold of
anything. Which translates to: your baby
will be sucking on the very tip of your
nipple, instead of the areola, and your
nipples will feel like someone's lighting
a match to them. Even your bra will hurt
against them.
The good news? This feeling does pass! A
lactation consultant will visit you at the
hospital and teach you how to get your
baby latched on correctly. Your baby will
learn how to properly suck, and your
nipples will become accustomed to being
used. During those first days, be sure to
keep a nipple cream like .Lansinoh handy.
Use nipple guards to keep your bras from
rubbing. And change your nursing
positions!
Whether you decide to breastfeed or not,
you'll become engorged a few days after
your baby is born. It will feel like
someone inflated a huge balloon inside
your boobs, and they will hurt like crazy!
But this only lasts 24-48 hours or so,
and the pressure will be relieved somewhat
when you nurse your baby.
Don't give up! If it gets hard (and it
probably will), you'll probably consider
switching to formula. I know I did. But
keep at it! The pain .D.O.E.S eventually
fade, and you'll feel so good knowing
you're giving your baby such a good start!
And if you ever need advice, just ask!
Quite a few women on this board are either
breastfeeding or are planning to!
|
AyaMiyaki
Especially EHEALTHy
Joined: 01 Jun 2006 Posts: 8246 Location: Floating on a cloud, United States
Thanks: 168
Thanked:14
Posted: 10-18-06 18:09pm
maire2125
wrote:
wow!! You sound like an
article, thanx!!
haha, I did a lot of research while I was
pregnant. The rest I found out
first-hand!
|
Maire2125
Experienced User , Rather EHEALTHy
Joined: 27 Jun 2006 Posts: 150 Location: Connecticut
Posted: 10-18-06 18:12pm
This is great that i'm getting such
feedback because it's a major concern that
I can't come to terms with yet..
|
oh_mommy
Supporter
Joined: 04 Sep 2005 Posts: 3709 Location: vancouver island, bc canada
Thanks: 3
Thanked:0
online
Posted: 10-18-06 18:21pm
You can always do what im planning on
doing.... Buy some formula (just incase
for some reason you cant breast feed or
really dont like it) breast feed for the
first month or so and figure out from
there if you really want to continue doing
it or if its just not for you...
|
Pooh-Bear-2000
Active User, Really EHEALTHy
Joined: 19 Jul 2005 Posts: 522 Location: , Pa USA
Posted: 10-18-06 19:13pm
It was a little difficult at first, .I
won't lie but it's totally worth it. The
problem wasn't with the baby not taking,
he was just getting frustrated until my
milk came in. It it a little painful for
the first few days and weeks but your body
does adjust. Good luck to you.
|
Guest
Pros+cons Posted: 10-18-06 19:14pm
Right, short as I can make it!!
These are pros and cons for mother only.
Baby is happy as long as mummy is happy
and tummy is full!!
Breastfeeding
pros
good for baby
good for getting your figure back (but you
are hungrier, so sometimes not as
effective as it's made out)
no warming up bottles in the middle of the
night while baby cries herself completely
awake
no carrying loads of stuff everywhere
available on demand.
Once you've both got the hang of it, easy
peasy.
Natural, and perfectly formulated for your
baby.
No need to provide other drinks/foods,
complete by itself.
Easier for baby to digest
nappies not as eye-wateringly smelly!
Increased demand results in increased
supply
no extra "jobs" (bottle washing,
sterilising, formula buying)
cons
baby is hungry more often
unless you are expressing milk etc .Y.O.U.
Need to do all the waking up during the
night.
And, can't leave the baby with somebody
else for long
gotta get the boob out in public.
Is awkward to do at first, and confidence
to do it in front of others can take some
time, so you do a fair bit of ducking into
other rooms etc.
You will probably be slightly more tired
you may find your imunity is slightly
compromised, and baby will catch your
colds too.
You are never sure how much the baby is
taking (but signs that they are not are
pretty easy to spot)- mothers always seem
to worry though-nature of mothers I
guess!
On baby "grow days" you feel like you have
had that baby attached to you all day!
Bottles+ formula
pros
boobs are your own.
Baby yuks it up on you you can make
more!
Baby will feel full longer.
Other people can feed your baby.
You may be better rested. (full
longer=sleeps longer)
you may be able to be out-and-about in
public earlier, which is good for you and
your mental state!
No impact of your diet/medications on
feed.
Cons
extra jobs.
Extra baggage
extra cost
sometimes feeling of guilt (once again,
nature of mothers!)
some babies react differently to different
formulas and it may take time to find one
that suits
waiting for bottles to heat up/cool down
when baby is demanding food immediately
increased chance of baby being exposed to
bacteria if good hygine practices not
being observed
baby will need to be offered extra water,
as formula contains more sodium than
breastmilk.
|
Pooh-Bear-2000
Active User, Really EHEALTHy
Joined: 19 Jul 2005 Posts: 522 Location: , Pa USA
Re: Pros+cons Posted: 10-18-06 19:18pm
anonymous
wrote:
cons
you may find your imunity is slightly
compromised, and baby will catch your
colds too.
not sure but I was told that the baby
won't get your cold because of the
breastmilk. They can still get sick from
others but I was told not from .Mommy
you don't have any negatives for me?
