Why Breastfeeding Is Important

Breastfeeding has been encouraged across the world for centuries and continues to be promoted as the best source of nutrition for the first six months of a baby's life. The following organizations highly recommend exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of life:

- American Academy of Pediatrics

- World Health Organization

- UNICEF

- Health Canada

Breastfeeding has a wealth of benefits for both mother and baby. For the baby it not only provides excellent nutritional value, it also provides protection from infection and prevents health complication such as diabetes and obesity later in life. Breast milk is also very easy to digest and this makes it ideal for newborn babies. For the mother, breastfeeding right after delivery helps the uterus contract much faster and also speeds up recovery by reducing loss of blood. Breastfeeding has also been shown to reduce the risk of developing breast and ovarian cancer. Breastfeeding also promotes the formation of a very important bond between the mother and the baby. It is the beginning of a long nurturing relationship and provides a uniquely satisfying bond for both, once which can continue well beyond the recommended six months. This is especially important because it helps the baby adjust to life outside the womb, a transition which is definitely huge for the baby. Breast feeding continues to benefit the baby even after other foods are introduced at 6 months. A mother can continue to breastfeed way beyond this point as long as she and her child wish to.

Breastfeeding also has other advantages, such as the fact that it costs nothing. Breast milk is readily available at all times and always at the right temperature. There is no time spent in preparation and no associated cost. Infant formula can cost as much as $1/oz, and can be quite a burden to bear especially considering milk is all your baby consumes for the first 6 months of life.

Other benefits of breastfeeding worth mentioning are found in the other constituents of break milk such as antimicrobial factors, hormone and growth modulators, all of which help promote the growth and development of your baby. Digestive enzymes are also part of the make-up of breast milk and make it easy to digest for your baby.

It is important to mention that there are risks associated with breastfeeding. Much of what the mother consumes is passed on to her baby via breast milk. Viruses can also be transmitted to your baby from breastfeeding. Therefore, a mother who consumes drugs, alcohol or other substance which would definitely harm an infant, risks giving them to her baby if she breastfeeds. Some medications which could harm your baby can also be transferred to your baby when you breastfeed. It is therefore very important to mention to your doctor that you are breastfeeding so he can keep this in mind when prescribing any medication to you.

For more information on the nutritional value of breast milk as well as for specific nutritional data on the constituents of breast milk go to http://www.my3trimesters.com/

View the original article here

[Read More...]

Why Motherhood Is Important

As I look back on the early years of raising five children, amidst the nine and a half years of cloth nappies and the four and a half years of non-stop breast feeding; the cooking and cleaning up of thousands of meals and the weeks of quarantine when contagious childhood illnesses infected the family; the walking and pacing thousands of kilometres and the mopping up and disinfecting thousands of urine puddles and wet sheets; the continual excitement and animation shown while reading the same story many, many times; the functioning on broken sleep for 12 years; saying "no" and answering the same questions with interest more times than I can count, I can say that without a doubt it was all worth it!
At times I experienced heartache and struggles, but within the ups and downs of day-to-day life, our children learnt the meaning of trust and faith, how to accept themselves and what they were capable of doing, both physically and emotionally, the unconditional love of others, the greater importance of relationships and experiences rather than material animated things and the awareness of their own conscious state.
I can see that my husband and I did make a difference in their development of self-control, increasing independence and self-assurance. It was the early years of experiences and consequences that opened the neural pathways within their brain. Pathways they will continue to build on throughout life. Pathways that will help shape their future.
"Sow an act and you reap a habit; sow a habit and you reap a character; sow a character and you reap a destiny." Francis E Willard.
When I stood where you are today, raising a young family, I did not see or comprehend what I was embarking on. I was caught up in my own life and my own needs rather than truly realising the impact I had on my developing babies and children. The journey I have experienced and the one you will experience takes you far beyond what you know you are capable of today. You will learn, like I learnt, that disciplining wasn't for my self-gratification, but it was to create a responsible human being who was capable of making dependable choices. It is evident that you cannot earn your child's trust as a teenager unless they have learnt to develop trust from having a loving and secure relationship with you during their early developing years. This relationship begins at birth, is vitally important during the first hour after birth and the first year of life.
Your child continues to develop both emotionally and physically during every experience of their life and you do make a difference.

View the original article here

[Read More...]