Breast is best!

Breast milk was designed by God to meet the needs of babies. For thousands of years, this was the only real food available for little ones. The human race has thrived on this early food.

The milk of a mother of a preemie is different in just the right way from the milk of a mother of a full term baby. Milk from a mother of a newborn is different from the milk of a mother of a six month old. Milk produced in the winter is higher in fat (to keep the baby warm) while milk produce in the summer is higher in water. God made breast milk to be just right at just the right time.

Babies who are nursed have fewer colds, flues, and infections, less dental problems, less obesity, less diabetes, and fewer speech problems.

Mothers who nurse lose their baby weight faster, regain tone of the uterus faster, get more rest (you have to sit down once in a while to nurse), have lower rates of breast cancer, and have a firmer bond with their babies. Also, it encourages the female body to be viewed as something other than a plaything. Breasts are more than a sex toy!

Families with nursing mothers (as opposed to bottle babies) spend far less on baby food. It cost much less to provide mom with the extra peanut butter sandwich she needs per day in order to nurse than formula does. A can of dry formula (the cheapest form) costs upwards of $10.00 each and will last from a week (for a newborn) to a day for an older child.

Nursing is far simpler than bottle feeding. Due to some physical problems, I was not able to nurse my first child for more than a week. I would boil a week's worth of bottles at a time, fill them with sterilized water, seal them, and just add the dry formula when she was hungry. She never liked warm milk, so I just served it at room temperature. Going somewhere? I would just put enough bottles for the time we would be gone, a can of formula, and two changes of clothes (she vomited often) into my bag and away we would go. This is so easy! How could breast feeding be easier?

Just before my second child was born I took a breastfeeding class. When he was born I did not have the same problems that I had had with my first (Knew what I was doing!) Nursing was very successful. You know what? Breast was SO much easier! No bottles to wash or sterilize; No formula to buy, measure and mix. When he needed to eat in the middle of the night, I just picked him up, plugged him in and dozed back off to sleep. Going somewhere? Grab a few diapers and go (he didn't have the same vomiting problems his sister had. Hmmm, allergies to formula?).

The end result of my experience with my first two children? None of my younger six children have ever even tasted formula. I don't have bottles in my house except for sentimental reasons. They are never used by babies.

How do you breastfeed?

Breastfeeding is very natural skill. But it is still a skill you and your baby must learn. Some babies learn faster than others.

Some scientists studied two groups of women; one that had no problems nursing their babies and one that had problems (sore nipples, engorgement, low supply, etc.) They discovered that those that were successful did certain things that those who were not didn't do. They taught the second group to do these things and they quit having problems.

First, cradle your baby in your arm. Turn his tummy to your tummy. With your free hand, tickle his mouth with your nipple. When his mouth opens as wide as it can, shove the whole dark part in (not just the nipple). Then continue to hold your breast like it was a bottle. When he is done, stick your pinky into the side of his mouth to break the suction. Don't pull him off.


Don't supplement with bottles of water, formula, or pacifiers. Remember, bottles were only invented in the last hundred years or so. Mothers have successfully fed their babies without them for thousands of years. Giving your baby any other type of nipple may cause what is called nipple confusion.

Your baby will probably want to eat every two hours at first. His tummy is small and breast milk digests faster than formula. Be patient. This time will pass all too quick and he will not want it as often. You know he is getting enough if he is pooping at least one diaper and peeing around six per day. If it is coming out, it must be going in.

Check out Dr Jack Newman’s site. It is full of advise and VIDEOS of women breastfeeding so you can see how it is supposed to look.

If you smoked, took drugs or drank you would seriously consider quitting for the sake of your baby. Breastfeeding can have as much impact on your child's future. Your baby deserves the best. The best is you.

Breast is Best

Though I disagree with their child rearing advise, La Leche League has very good information on breastfeeding. Contact them if you have trouble nursing, but http://www.nogreaterjoy.org/ http://www.raisinggodlytomatoes.com/ for advise on child rearing.

Or just ask me :-)