Disclaimer :: Baylor Scott & White All Saints Medical Center — Fort Worth sponsored and crafted this post about why mothers ought to consider breastfeeding.
Breastfeeding is a passion of mine from both a professional standpoint as an OB/GYN and a personal standpoint as a mom.
If there is one thing you take away from this article, it would be to meet with a lactation consultant to support you in your breastfeeding journey. But if you stick around, here are my top reasons to breastfeed, myths busted, and advice for building a tribe of support.
Why Breastfeed?
1. Breastfeeding is best. Human milk is the best thing for a baby, and the benefits of breastfeeding to mom, baby, and society at large are huge. This advantage is even more apparent in preterm infants who are fed either their mother’s milk or donor breast milk.
>> RELATED READ :: Donor Milk :: How to Get It, How to Give <<
2. Term infants who are breastfed experience beneficial nutrition, gastrointestinal function, immune defense, and psychological well-being.
3. Breastfed babies have reduced rates of infections compared to formula fed infants. These infections include urinary tract infections, sepsis, necrotizing enterocolitis, and others.
4. Also, breastfed babies have less frequent illnesses, and the severity of illness is less than formula fed infants. I noted this to be true in my own little one who was a late, preterm infant. Even though she was exposed to germs in daycare, she had very few illnesses — none requiring antibiotics — and all were mild in nature while she was breastfed.
5. Moms benefit from breastfeeding as well. They have accelerated recovery from childbirth, reduced response to stress, enhanced weight loss, and frequently will not have periods while breastfeeding (however, this is not a form of birth control).
6. There is an incredibly beautiful bond between mother and child during breastfeeding. It can be intensely satisfying to know that your body is sustaining your child, and that his or her adorable pudgy rolls came from you!
7. Breastfeeding offers mom long-term health benefits including a reduced risk of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, breast cancer, and ovarian cancer.
8. There are also financial benefits to breastfeeding. Parents experience savings from not purchasing formula and in reduced visits to the pediatrician, hospitalizations, medications, and parental work absences.
9. Society benefits from a healthier mother and baby.
>> RELATED READ :: Pregnant and Postpartum Mental Health Challenges and Risk Factors <<
10. Being able to soothe and comfort your child at any time with nourishment from your own body is a game changer, and can restore calm to most meltdown situations.
Common Misconceptions
1. The most common misconception is when a mother thinks “I’m not making enough milk.” Every single first-time mom feels this way. Every single one! The only way to truly know how much milk a baby is receiving is to weigh the baby before and after a feed. However, this is unnecessary. We have a pretty good idea of how baby is doing by monitoring just infant weight and wet and dirty diapers.
2. Similarly, moms might think they are not making enough milk just because their babies feed often. There are many reasons for this. First, your baby is born with a marble-sized stomach, which increases slowly with time. A small stomach ensures the baby digests milk quickly, making baby ready for more milk more often. Frequent feedings are also a baby’s way of letting your body know when milk production needs to ramp up like when your milk is initially coming in or when baby goes through a growth spurt. If you supplement with formula, your body has no way of knowing that production needs to increase.
3. Another common myth is that baby will instinctually know how to latch. The truth is, your baby needs help achieving a good latch. Breastfeeding is a very hands-on process.
4. Breastfeeding hurts. With a good latch, breastfeeding should not hurt. The pain comes with tolerating poor latches, which can tear up your nipples.
5. Lastly, one of the most common things requested in my office is a prescription for a breast pump. Do not get me wrong, breast pumps are super helpful when you have to be separated from your little one, but it is not the answer to struggles with breastfeeding. Your little one is more efficient than any pump on the market. My hat is off to women who end up exclusively pumping because it is a long, hard, regimented road.
>> RELATED READ :: The Reality of Exclusively Pumping <<
It’s Not for Everyone
There are moms who will not be able to breastfeed. They include women who are undergoing chemotherapy or certain types of radiation, women who have HIV, women who have had breast reduction surgery, or are on powerful mental health medications like lithium. (Moms on other depression medications are generally able to breastfeed.) There are those who are presented with particular challenges, such as premature infants or infants with jaundice that will require supplementation. This can be difficult to overcome.
Access to Support
The most important thing I stress to my first-time moms, or for moms who struggled previously, is to take a breastfeeding class. This provides a wealth of information to prepare you before your little one arrives. Most hospitals, including Andrews Women’s Hospital at Baylor Scott & White All Saints Medical Center — Fort Worth, offer breastfeeding classes. You can also visit the IBLCE website to find certified lactation consultants in your area, some who are now taking insurance.
From my own personal experience with support from lactation consultants, I was able to successfully breastfeed my first for 27 months despite being preterm and having jaundice that required supplementation with donor breast milk.
More than anything, I want you to know there are people you can turn to who are eager to help you succeed in breastfeeding. None of this is about shaming any mother. Instead, it is about informing and supporting you in your decisions. Your OB, your pediatrician, your L&D and postpartum nurses, and, most of all, your lactation consultant are here to help you. With commitment, perseverance, and support, most mothers are able to successfully breastfeed, and we want to help you find your tribe that makes you as successful as possible.
Dr. Rachel Lusby is an OB/GYN who has been in private practice in Fort Worth for the past 10 years. She loves to travel, lives with her husband and daughter, and is expecting her second child this fall.
