Breast Milk: The Ultimate Organic Food
As a parent, you have the privilege of feeding your child. There are many choices that a parent has in feeding their family and at times it can be overwhelming. Breastfeeding is one choice that parents may make to help their child get started on the organic eating path. Overall, the number of mothers choosing to breastfeed is on the rise.
Although breastfeeding is wonderful and natural, breastfeeding successfully can be hard. Many people struggle with achieving a solid breastfeeding schedule. Gather people around you who support breastfeeding and expect to need their help in order to be successful. Contact the local chapter of La Leche League early in your pregnancy to begin to develop your support system for breastfeeding.
The Gold Standard
The benefits of breastfeeding are thoroughly researched and well known in the medical community. There are emotional, physical, and cognitive benefits to breastfeeding. Breastfeeding promotes infant-maternal bonding through close contact and changes to a mother's hormone levels during breastfeeding. There is very little that compares to the feeling of nurturing your child through breastfeeding. The convenience and low cost of breastfeeding is also a plus for many mothers.
Breast milk has many fantastic health benefits. The nutritional composition of breast milk is superior to formula. Breast milk is the ultimate “gold standard” for infant feeding. Commercially available infant formulas all strive to be as close to breast milk as possible. However, there are many reasons why breast milk is the best choice for infant nutrition. First, the composition of breast milk is very easy for your infant to digest and absorb. The protein available in breast milk is easily and readily utilized by growing infants. Additionally, the calcium and phosphorous in breast milk is easily used by your infant's rapidly growing bones.
Beyond Nutrition
Beyond nutrition, breast milk has other benefits for your child. Breast milk contains antibodies. Antibodies are molecules in the immune system that help children fight infections. In developed countries, the effects on the immune system from these antibodies might be seen in the following ways: lower rates of diarrhea, lower rates of infections in the lungs and respiratory system, and lower rates of ear and urinary tract infections. There is also some evidence to suggest that breastfeeding improves cognitive development in infants. This information does not mean that your breastfed infant will not have any of these problems; however, the risk of them is less. If they do occur, they might be less severe.
There is some research that indicates that your child may have a lower risk of chronic diseases if they are breastfed as infants. It is possible that breastfeeding can lower your child's risk of certain gastrointestinal diseases, certain lymphomas, and some types of diabetes.
It is recommended that breast milk be the sole source of nutrition until six months of age and be offered in addition to solid food until at least the age of one year. Breast milk provides all the nutrients, vitamins, minerals, and fluids that your young infant needs to grow and develop. However, there are a few exceptions to this rule. Most babies receive a single dose of vitamin K at birth to help with blood clotting. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, most exclusively breastfed infants also need an additional 200–400 international units of vitamin D. Recommendations about iron and fluoride are specific to your individual feeding plan and water source for your family. Please discuss the vitamins that your child may benefit from adding to their diet with your pediatrician or dietitian and decide what is right for your baby.
