Breastfeeding Your Baby
I am a strong advocate of feeding babies what nature intended them to have in their early years - their own mother's milk. Man-made synthetic imitators of breastmilk ("formula") are grossly inferior to woman-made breastmilk. Breastmilk is the original *REAL THING* (my apologies to CocaCola's marketing department). Studies have consistently shown that babies who are not breastfed have long term and short term health consequences and reduced acuity in their reflexes and IQ, and both Mom and Baby miss out on the normal bonding process that occurs when mothers experience the hormone production associated with breastfeeding (If you find this language unusually strong, read "Watch Your Language!" by Diane Wiessinger, MS, IBCLC). In addition, I believe strongly in child-led weaning, and both of my children breastfed until they were ready to stop. Here are some links to good breastfeeding information:
- La Leche League International
- The American Academy of Pediatrics February 2005 Policy Statement: Breastfeeding and the Use of Human Milk
- kellymom.com: Breastfeeding and Parenting is an amazingly comprehensive website. I can't even tell you how often I refer to it or recommend it to someone who asks me for help!
- Excellent guidelines on how much a breastfed baby needs, how often to feed, how many wet and soiled diapers the baby should have each day, etc. From Best Start: Ontario's Maternal Newborn and Early Child Development Resource Centre
- I'm Made of Mama's Milk by Mary Olsen - a very sweet book about breastfeeding and what it means to the lucky baby
- "Breastfeeding: Good For Babies, Mothers, And The Planet" by Alicia Dermer, M.D., I.B.C.L.C. and Anne Montgomery, M.D.
- "Thoughts on Breastfeeding" by Dr. Katherine A. Dettwyler, Associate Professor of Anthropology and Nutrition at Texas A&M University
- "What Every Parent Should Know About Commercial Infant Formula" by Katie Allison Granju
- Breastfeeding Online - Articles, Advice and Encouragement by Cindy Curtis, RN, IBCLC
- "Breastfeeding: A Feminist Issue" by Penny Van Esterik, Coordinator, Women and Work Taskforce, World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action (WABA)
- Nursing Your Baby by Karen and Gale Pryor
- The Complete Book of Breastfeeding by Sally Wendkos Olds and Marvin Eiger
- The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding from La Leche League International
- I've heard women give a hundred reasons why they just "couldn't" breastfeed. Here's my response to those women
- A little levity about nursing in public
If you're are planning on returning to the workforce, you may be wondering how you will combine breastfeeding with your return to employment. See my section on working and breastfeeding to learn how you can!
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