I sure couldn't let the week go by without saying, Happy World Breastfeeding Week! We're big fans of leche a la Mama around here, Sam's still going strong at nearly 16 months. I was reading a great book today that had all kinds of glowing things to stay about breastfeeding:
- It's custom made for each baby with the exact balance of antibodies, carbohydrates, fats and proteins that the baby needs.
- Breastfed children have less ear infections, diarrhea and respiratory infections.
- Adults who were breastfed have lower cholesterol and fewer occasions of heart disease.
- Women who breastfeed have lower rates of breast and cervical cancer.
- Breastfed children have higher IQs.
As if that weren't convincing enough, consider the financial value of that "liquid gold;" it would cost between $1,200 and $2,700 a year to feed a baby formula. If you wanted to purchase breast milk from a milk bank, a year's supply would cost $36,000! Hold your heads high mamas! That is one valuable commodity!
Sam and I had a bit of a rocky start to breastfeeding. He was in the hospital for about two months and I had to pump and could only occasionally feed him breast milk from a bottle. I never really entertained the thought of giving it up though, as much as I absolutely loathed pumping. (I have so much admiration for working moms who are so dedicated to giving their babies the very best food. That is serious commitment!) I just couldn't stomach the idea of putting him on formula. And it ended up being so worth it. After about a month of relearning how to nurse (and consequently unlearning how to take a bottle!) he became a champion nurser, and has remained a loyal fan ever since. I try to soak up those quiet moments together and engrain them somewhere in my memory. There is nothing so peaceful, so loving, so tender as nursing your sweet baby. It fixes every boo-boo, calms every fear and conveys so much love. Is there anything better than seeing those big, bright eyes stare up at you, full of pure love and adoration?
