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    The Ultimate Guide to Breastfeeding
    The Ultimate Guide to Breastfeeding
    The Ultimate Guide to Breastfeeding
    Ebook161 pages2 hours

    The Ultimate Guide to Breastfeeding

    By SmartMom

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    About this ebook

    Numerous experts and years of research say that if mothers are able to breastfeed, it has a long list of health, psychological, financial and even environmental benefits. But breastfeeding for first time moms can be overwhelming, frustrating, and exhausting. Whether you have issues with latching or nipple pain and soreness, you may experience multiple setbacks in your baby's first year. That's why we've brought you this thorough guide to all things breastfeeding - written by moms, for moms.

    Whether you're pregnant with your first or you're troubleshooting issues with baby number three, this collection of essays is the perfect resource for all moms. Read it as a complete book or reference individual chapters as needed - we're offering this e-book for free!

    SmartMom is a community of over 100,000 moms where where moms can ask each other questions and get quick advice - straight from their mobile phone. You can find us in the iOS app store and available soon for android! You can find our blog at smartmom.co. This is our first e-book.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherSmartMom
    Release dateMar 30, 2015
    ISBN9781311121585
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      Book preview

      The Ultimate Guide to Breastfeeding - SmartMom

      The Ultimate Guide to Breastfeeding

      A Collection of Essays for Smartmom

      Copyright Smartmom 2015

      Published with SmashWords

      TABLE OF CONTENTS

      About SmartMom

      The Benefits of Breastfeeding

      Getting Educated

      Lactation Consultants

      Breastfeeding Nutrition

      The Importance of the Breastfeeding Latch

      Breastfeeding Positions

      The First Few Days

      Keeping a Schedule and Planning Ahead

      What to Expect

      Breastfeeding Pain

      Breastfeeding In Public

      The Pumping Mom's Survival Guide

      About SmartMom

      Founded in 2014, SmartMom is a community of moms dedicated to helping each other be the best parents they can be. With over 100,000 members, the community is a vibrant and positive place to get advice, share stories, and receive encouragement.

      SmartMom is currently available for iPhone only, but the android version will be available soon. Click here to download SmartMom in the iOS app store.

      SmartMom was created by Social Qnect, a Founder Equity company.

      The Benefits of Breastfeeding

      By Andrea Newell

      To breastfeed or not to breastfeed is one of the most hotly contested issues between mothers and is a very personal choice. However, numerous experts and years of research say that if mothers are able to breastfeed, it has a long list of health, psychological, financial and even environmental benefits.

      Although baby formulas have come a long way, there is no substitute for breast milk as an amazing source of nutrients for your baby that adjusts to every stage of your baby’s life. The World Health Organization (WHO) advocates breastfeeding exclusively for six months and continuing for at least two years while introducing other age-appropriate foods as your baby develops. The American Academy of Pediatrics also recommends six months of nothing but breastfeeding (no water, formula or other food or drink) for the first six months, then breastfeeding along with other foods for another six months, and to keep breastfeeding as long as the mother and baby can afterward. (4)

      Breast Milk Changes As Your Baby Grows

      By the time your baby is born, your body knows to start producing colostrum, a thick, yellowish substance that some call liquid gold due its rich protein content. Colostrum supplies your baby with special nutrients that he or she needs during the first few days of life to build a strong foundation for future good health and guard against infections. The primary immune element responsible for guarding your child against illness is secretory immunoglobulin A (IgA) which is found in large amounts in colostrum. Less of it is found in mature breast milk. It defends your baby against infection by generating a protective coating on the mucous membranes of the intestines, nose and throat. (1)

      If your baby comes early, your body knows it, and your colostrum contains even more protein and needed fats that benefit premature babies. Colostrum is thicker than more mature breast milk because of its increased protein content. It is also lower in sugar and has a lot less fat. (4) Colostrum helps a newborn’s digestive tract develop and prepare itself to digest breast milk. (7)

      After several days (two to five), your milk will begin to change, becoming thinner and lighter in color and will increase in volume as your baby needs more to eat, a period referred to as breast milk coming in. This is the onset of transitional milk, which your body produces after colostrum, up to ten to fourteen days after birth. After about two weeks, transitional milk becomes mature milk, which is thinner and described as watery and sometimes bluish. These changes in breast milk track along with your baby’s development and growth and provide essential proteins and nutrients at each stage. Your breast milk supply will increase and wane as your child’s needs do. (4)

      Breast Milk Defends Your Baby Against Illness

      Scientists and doctors can’t completely explain how breast milk adapts to your infant’s needs, but they do know that breast milk guards your child against illness better than formula. Human milk provides virtually all the protein, sugar and fat your baby needs to be healthy, and it also contains many substances that benefit your baby’s immune system, including antibodies, immune factors, enzymes and white blood cells. (4) The key seems to be exclusive breastfeeding (no water, formula or other food) for six months or more.

      While you are breastfeeding, especially if you breastfeed for six months to a year or longer, chances are you’ll catch a cold or flu during that time. You might be worried that you’ll pass your illness on to your child through breastfeeding, but actually in most cases, your doctor will advocate continuing to breastfeed while you are ill. This is not only because sudden weaning can be upsetting, but because your baby benefits from the antibodies (a tailored form of IgA that wards off the specific illness) you are passing on, and in many instances either won’t get sick, or will only contract a mild form. Your antibodies will also reduce your child’s risk of developing ear infections, stomach viruses, pneumonia, urinary-tract infections, or certain types of spinal meningitis.

      If you have a family history of food allergies or eczema, breastfeeding can decrease the risk of developing both (IgA comes into play here, as well). Human milk, unlike cow’s milk or soy milk, contains human milk proteins. Cow and soy milk, which doesn’t integrate with your baby’s system as well as human milk, can actually cause an allergic response or be harder to digest.

      There are other illnesses that studies have shown have lower numbers in breastfed children, both during breastfeeding and later in life, including, dental cavities, childhood acute leukemia and other cancers, type 1 and 2 diabetes, high cholesterol, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), obesity later in life, and, in girls, breast cancer. A study by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences reported that breastfed children have a 20 percent lower risk of dying between 28 days and a year than children on formula. The longer children were breastfed, the lower the risk. (1)

      Health Risks for Formula-Fed Vs. Breastfed Babies

      A formula-fed baby has _____________ the chance of contracting _______________ as a breastfed baby does during the time that they are breastfeeding.

      2 to 7 times—allergies, eczema

      3 times—ear infections

      3 times—gastroenteritis

      3.8 times—meningitis

      2.6 to 5.5 times—urinary-tract infections

      2.4 times—diabetes, type 1

      2 times—Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)

      1.7 to 5 times—pneumonia/lower-respiratory-tract infection

      1.5 to 1.9 times—inflammatory bowel disease

      1 to 6.7 times—Hodgkin’s lymphoma

      Adapted from: American Family Physician, April 1, 2000, Vol. 61, No. 7. Reprinted in Meek M.D., Joan Younger; American Academy Of Pediatrics; Sherill Tippins. The American Academy of Pediatrics New Mother's Guide to Breastfeeding. Random House Publishing Group. 2011.

      Breast Milk Aids Brain Development

      Breast milk has also been linked to facilitating higher brain development due to the fatty acids in it. Studies show that scores on IQ tests and other cognitive assessments were higher for children who were breastfed than for children who received formula, outside of socioeconomic factors and the mother’s intelligence measurement.

      "In a study of more than 17,000 infants followed from birth to 6 1/2 years, researchers concluded from IQ scores and other intelligence tests that prolonged and exclusive breastfeeding significantly improves cognitive development.

      Another study of almost 4,000 children showed that babies who were breastfed had significantly higher scores on a vocabulary test at 5 years of age than children who were not breastfed. And the scores were higher the longer they had been nursed." (1)

      Premature babies with very low birth weight who were given breast milk soon after birth showed improved mental development scores at 18 months, versus premature infants that were given formula. Retesting at 30 months showed that the high scores persisted, and the breastfed babies had a lower rate of repeat hospitalization for respiratory issues.

      Breastfeeding is no guarantee that your child will be a genius, but experts agree that breast milk gives children the best chance for healthy growth in infancy and early childhood when the brain is developing rapidly.

      Breastfeeding Can Lessen Obesity Rates

      The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that childhood obesity has more than doubled in children and quadrupled in adolescents in the past 30 years. In 2012, more than one third of children and adolescents were overweight or obese. (2)

      One of the reasons the American Academy of Pediatrics promotes breastfeeding is to decrease your child’s chances of becoming overweight or obese. The American Journal of Epidemiology published 17 studies that reported that breastfeeding reduces this risk. Again, the length of exclusive breastfeeding correlates with the lower rate of obesity, so the longer, the better.

      Experts believe that breastfeeding counters excessive weight gain later in life, because:

      • Breastfed babies learn to eat until they are full, which builds healthier eating habits at an early age.

      • Breast milk has less insulin in it than formula. (Insulin activates the generation of fat.)

      • Breastfeeding gives babies more of a hormone called leptin, which researchers think helps regulate appetite and fat.

      • When measured against breastfed babies, formula-fed infants gain weight faster in the first few weeks. This is linked with later obesity. (1)

      Breastfeeding Comforts Your Baby

      Your baby is happy in your dark, quiet womb for nine months. At birth, he or she emerges into a bright, loud world and needs the comfort of your closeness. By holding your baby and breastfeeding, you are reassuring him or her and developing an important bond. From this, your baby begins to realize that he or she is protected, loved and cared for. Emotional well being is as important as the protein and antibodies your baby is getting through breastfeeding. Experts believe that infants learn better with a close emotional attachment to an adult. Breastfeeding is the first step to building a close relationship between you and your baby. (4)

      Breastfeeding is Good for Moms

      Breastfeeding has lots of benefits for mothers, too. When you breastfeed, your body produces a hormone called prolactin, which makes you feel peaceful, helping you relax and concentrate on your baby, along with oxytocin, which makes you feel more love and affection. These happy feelings help mothers enjoy breastfeeding; perhaps do it longer and breastfeed subsequent children.

      Oxtocin also helps your uterus contract back to its pre-pregnancy size more quickly and helps stem postpartum bleeding. In addition to helping your baby defend against many illnesses, breastfeeding is also linked to reduced rates of illnesses later in life for mothers, too. Mothers who breastfeed are less likely to have ovarian or breast cancer, and some studies report that breastfeeding is linked to an increase in bone density, warding against osteoporosis and fractures later in life (although this proof isn’t conclusive).

      Lose weight

      One huge benefit of breastfeeding is that can help mothers lose pregnancy weight, where formula feeding cannot. Breastfeeding depletes the fat cells stored in your body from pregnancy. When you breastfeed, your body uses the calories that you consume, as well as these fat cells, to produce milk. This occurs even when you increase your diet to include 300-500 more calories a day (the amount recommended during breastfeeding to maintain a good energy level and milk production). Most women lose

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