Breastfeeding Benefits And Tips For Successful Breastfeeding

Breastfeeding is one of the healthiest and most natural starts to life that a mother can provide for her baby. Yet at one stage, not all that long ago, even the doctors were encouraging mothers to offer formula milk to their babies and prescribing drugs to stop their breast milk production.

Though healthcare professionals these days now fully support the breastfeeding motion, tradition is a little slower to change. Both the convenience of formula and the lack of awareness of the benefits that breastfeeding offers to mother and baby all contribute to the continued propagation of misconstrued beliefs surrounding breastfeeding. This is especially so from individuals who have never breastfed a baby, nor know anything about it.

There are so many benefits that breastfeeding offers to a baby that infant milk formula could never hope to compete against. Here are some of those benefits:

1. Breast milk is nutritional. It is specially formulated by each individual mother for her individual baby. It contains just the right constituents for human development. The nutrients within breast milk will continue to change to suit the needs of the baby as the baby grows. How many milk formulas can make such claims? Additionally, infant formula is usually created from a base of cow's milk. Cow's milk is designed to grow a calf to a full grown cow in three years. A child at three years of age is hardly an adult.

2. Breast milk contains at least a hundred additional ingredients that formula does not. To date, no formula has been able to replicate breast milk exactly.

3. Breastfed babies have fewer illnesses because antibodies from the mother are passed to baby through the milk. Even if mother and baby fall ill, babies recover faster via the passing of mother's antibodies to the baby through breast milk. This is the reason why most common illnesses are not an indication for mothers to stop nursing their babies. In fact, there are only a rare handful of medical conditions where mothers should not breastfeed their babies and these include HIV infection, tuberculosis, and human T-cell lymphotropic virus, certain chemotherapy treatments, and the use of illicit drugs.

4. Breastfed babies have been reported in studies to be less likely to develop allergies later in life. Breastfed babies are protected against allergies in two ways. Firstly, because they are exposed to less allergens in the first few months of life, whereas formula-fed babies come into contact with formulas based on cow's milk and soy products. Secondly, babies' immune systems are very immature and they require antibodies from their mothers. Their digestive systems aren't ready for any other substances apart from their mother's milk. Babies only begin to develop an immature, but functional immune system by about six months - hence the reason why exclusive breastfeeding is recommended for the first six months.

5. Studies have shown positive correlations that breastfed babies are less likely to develop obesity later in life. However, the manner in which breastfeeding protects babies against future obesity is still uncertain.

6. Research also shows that breastfed babies have more optimal brain development compared to their formula-fed counterparts, and that breastfed babies score higher on IQ tests. Whether this is due to the constituents in breast milk or simply the manner in which breastfeeding mothers handle their babies has not been determined.

7. Studies also show a positive correlation that breastfeeding lowers the risk of SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome).

8. Breast milk contains lots of good bacteria which is important for the colonisation of the gastrointestinal tract. The presence of good bacteria helps to prevent the growth of bad bacteria, thus helping to protect baby against illnesses.

9. Breast milk straight from the breast is sterile. There is no need to sterilise bottles and other feeding apparatus which can easily become contaminated.

10. No baby is allergic to their mother's milk (although they may be allergic to some of the foods she eats, but this is easily rectified if the mother eliminates that food).

11. Breastfed babies are more likely to end up with straight teeth. There are two reasons for this. Firstly, the suckling action allows the baby to develop strong jaw muscles that encourage the growth of straight and healthy teeth. Secondly, since all sucking needs are met at the breast, the baby is less likely to suck on other things that can lead to malalignment of the teeth, such as pacifiers or thumbs.

12. Breastfed babies are also less likely to develop tooth decay compared to bottle fed babies. There are two reasons for this. Firstly, for breastfed babies suckling directly from the breast, the milk enters the mouth behind the teeth and is swallowed. There is no pooling of milk in the mouth which can lead to tooth decay. If the baby is not suckling, no milk enters the mouth. Secondly, breast milk contains lactoferrin which kills the bacteria that cause tooth decay.

13. Babies who are premature or born with medical problems have also been shown to benefit from breastfeeding. In the instance of a premature baby, breast milk helps to supply important nutrients required by the baby not only for survival but for immunity against possible infections.

14. Babies who are breastfed have a stronger bond with their mothers. Some studies have shown that breastfed babies grow up to be socially more independent than their formula fed counterparts. It is important to meet a child's dependency needs as this is the key to helping a child achieve independence. Children who achieve independence when they are ready are generally more secure in that independence than children who have been forced prematurely into it.

15. Babies who are breastfed tend are generally held more closely than bottle fed babies. The skin to skin contact between mother and baby provides comfort for the baby that has just been removed from the protective environment of the womb. This is especially important during the early days as the baby is adjusting to the drastic change in environment. The birth experience can be especially traumatic for babies and having close, physical contact with their mothers can help to lessen the trauma.

The benefits that breastfeeding affords a baby are far too many to simply discount and ignore. If you want to give your baby the best start possible in life and build a strong foundation for the later years, then breastfeeding really is the way the go.

Despite the fact that breastfeeding is one of the most natural ways to feed your baby, it doesn't necessarily follow that the process is easy. While some mothers do fall naturally into the whole cycle, for others, learning how to breastfeed can be a real nightmare. If you are one of these mothers, you may find your enthusiasm to breastfeed your baby flagging when the going gets rough - and it can get very rough. Here are some tips which can be helpful for surviving those early days.

1. During your pregnancy, read as much as you can on the subject. A good book to read is one by La Leche League called "The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding", but basically anything that you can find that offers tips and tricks for breastfeeding will be helpful.

2. Attend those prenatal sessions that talk about breastfeeding and demonstrate how it is done. Although this isn't the same as getting one on one advice on how to breastfeed, it prepares you for the process.

3. Let your doctor know that you intend to breastfeed your baby so that you will be given an opportunity to nurse your baby before he is taken for all those checks they perform right after birth.

4. Make sure your partner is in full agreement with your desire to breastfeed before the baby is born. It is difficult enough learning how to breastfeed and to develop a nursing relationship with your baby without having arguments with your partner on how the baby should be fed.

5. Make sure you breastfeed your baby once before leaving the delivery room. A baby's root reflex is strongest at birth and you want to capture this moment before it begins to diminish.

6. During the early days after your delivery, you will often have lots of visitors with even more well-meaning advice. Some of this advice may be critical of breastfeeding and they may even challenge your choices. Make sure your partner deals with such negative individuals because you don't need the added stress of having someone peering over your shoulder and telling you your baby is frustrated by the fact that he (or she) is hungry and cannot get enough milk.

7. Get support from the lactation consultant, the nurses, friends and family members who have breastfed before and can advise you on how to go about it. What you need to learn is how to position the baby, how to help baby get a proper latch onto the breast and what is a proper latch. Although this is described quite well in books, it is not the same as having someone experienced in the art of breastfeeding show you how it is done.

A lot of resources all tell you that if the baby is latched on correctly, breastfeeding will not hurt and that if it hurts, then the baby is not latched on properly. What they fail to tell you is that breastfeeding during the early days does hurt even if you have a proper latch. This is because your nipples aren't used to having a baby's tongue rubbing against it every two hours, twenty-four hours a day. All that friction is bound to hurt! However, once your nipples adjust, breastfeeding with a baby latched on properly does NOT hurt. Any pain that you might feel then is usually an indication that something is wrong - e.g. cracked nipple, blocked ducts, mastitis, etc.

8. Sensitive nipples usually last for a couple of weeks, maybe more. Applying a breastfeeding ointment like Bepanthen after every feed can help to soothe your sore nipples. The benefit of using an ointment specially for breastfeeding mothers is that there is no need to wash it off before feeding your baby.

9. Make sure you learn how to breastfeed lying down. In the early days, the lack of sleep from a crying baby will make you very tired and you will need all the rest you can get. If you can learn to breastfeed lying down, you can rest at the same time.

10. Learning how to breastfeed can take time for both you and your baby. Be patient and practice, practice, practice. Some mothers and babies are naturals and fall easily into the nursing relationship, while for others, the learning process can be a nightmare. Coping with early nipple pain from breastfeeding and learning to deal with certain difficulties, such as an inverted nipple, are just some of the problems that you may be faced with.

11. Make sure you only allow your baby to feed when you have a proper latch. Sometimes, when you're nursing during the early days, since it hurts anyway, it can be tempting to let the baby suckle on the tip of your nipple - don't! It encourages a bad habit that will be difficult to break later. It also means you'll have to endure the pain of sensitive nipples for longer because it is an inefficient method of nursing.

12. Nurse frequently during the first few days because the more often you nurse, the more quickly your matured milk will come in and the more milk you will produce. A good guideline to follow is to breastfeed for 10-15 minutes per breast at least 8 - 10 times a day. If, for any reason, you are not able to nurse your baby, you can help encourage your breasts to produce more milk by applying a breast pump to it. One recommendation is to use an electric pump on the lowest setting for as long as you would otherwise nurse your baby.

13. Try to breastfeed your baby before he starts to cry for food because a crying baby finds it harder to latch on. Plus, if your baby is really hungry, he (or she) will get frustrated if he (or she) has difficulties latching on.

14. During the early days, your baby may tend to sleep through feeds (especially if your baby is jaundiced because jaundice tends to make baby lethargic) so it is important to wake your baby for a feed if it has been four hours since the last nursing session.

15. It will take time for your body to adjust its milk production to the needs of the baby. In the initial days it will be insufficient and you will find your baby needs to nursing very often to help build up the milk supply. After a while, there will be over-compensation and you may find your breasts producing more milk than your baby requires. If your breasts are engorged, you may have to express a little before nursing your baby because it is difficult for your baby to get a proper latch on an engorged breast. However, avoid expressing milk unnecessarily because this sends the message to your body that you need to continue producing more milk and will only aggravate the problem of engorgement.

16. During the early days while your milk production is still developing, a well-intentioned but misguided relative might suggest offering formula to your baby "until you have sufficient milk". Don't listen! Milk is produced on demand, therefore, to make more, you need to nurse your baby more. The suckling action of your baby tells your body to make more milk. When you offer your baby formula, your baby suckles less and that tells your body that more milk isn't required. Instead of your milk supply building up, it dwindles!

17. Some babies cry a lot during the early days and it is often assumed that it is because they haven't had enough milk. An extremely bossy relative may attempt to override your desire to breastfeed and start offering formula to your baby. To avoid this clash of wills, don't buy any milk bottles and destroy any tins of formula until after you have established your milk production. It's tough enough establishing a nursing relationship without having to fight another battle with ignorant individuals.

18. Join a breastfeeding group. For instance, La Leche League establishes breastfeeding groups where mothers help other mothers. Having the support and advice from experienced mothers who have successfully learned to breastfeed their babies can be a great source of encouragement, especially when the breastfeeding gets tough. If you run into any problems, you can ask for advice from people who have been through the same problems before without being mislead by individuals with no prior experience.

19. Take it one day at a time. Whenever you feel like giving up, just tell yourself, "I'll do it for one more day." Keep working at it and soon you will find breastfeeding to be such a natural part of your life that you can do it in your sleep.

It is important to remember that the breastfeeding experience is different for every mother and child. For some it is easier, for others it might be harder. Regardless, if you are determined to breastfeed your baby, you can. Just make sure to surround yourself with the right support and be sure to get rid of all the negativity around you.

Shen-Li is a stay-at-home-mum dedicated to the pursuit of excellence in parenting. She has a formal educational background and former work experience in healthcare. If you enjoyed this article, visit her blog Babylicious and follow her as she learns how to raise a happy, confident and successful person.