Benefits of Breast Milk

Although breast milk is not something that is a part of our every day diet, it is something that plays a huge role in human development. It is nice to think that all infants are breastfed infants, but this simple is not the case. Many mothers do not realize the benefits that breast milk has on their newborns, and they naively choose to formula feed their infants because of how effortless and easily accessible it is. My mission with this page is to inform all my readers that it simply is your responsibility as a mother to give your infant what they deserve – a healthy diet. Now I know some of my readers may not have children, and do not plan to have children in the near future, but I wanted this knowledge to be spread widely to show mothers what they are truly missing out on when they choose to formula feed.

Lets start with the basics of breastfeeding. Breast milk excels as a source of nutrients for infants. Its unique mix of nutrients and protective factors promote optimal health and development for infants for the first year of their life. Although iron fortified formula tries to mimic the composition of breast milk, it simply is not a better alternative. Take a look at their similarities and differences:

That image alone should make you want to breastfeed your infant. But if it doesn't, here are some other reasons why breast milk is better.

Breastfeeding protects your infant from a long list of illnesses, and in some cases, you may see these illnesses in formula fed babies, and not in breastfed babies. So when you and your friends are sitting in playgroup with your newborns, and the baby next to you has an ear infection and yours does not, you will know why. Studies show that ear infections, respiratory illnesses, meningitis, stomach viruses, certain childhood cancers, diabetes, high cholesterol, and inflammatory bowel disease occur less often in breastfed babies than formula fed babies. I know what you are thinking, my infant can't have high cholesterol! The truth is, probably not. However, breastfeeding your infant reduces the risk that you child will develop these health problems later in life. So not only is breastfeeding good in infancy, it is setting the stage for their entire life! How about that!

Breastfeeding your infant can also protect your baby from developing allergies, and can also boost your child's intelligence. Studies show that there is a link between breastfeeding and cognitive development, and breastfed infants actually show higher IQ scores, as well as higher scores on testing in school around age 5. Breastfeeding can also help prevent obesity in your child. Now, this does not mean you can feed your child ice cream and ho-ho's, breastfeed them, and expect them to be American Next Top Model. But breastfeeding does reduce the risk of become obese later in life for a few reasons. First, breastfed babies are better at eating until their hunger is satisfied, leading to healthier eating patterns as they grow older. Breast milk also contains less insulin than formula. In case you have not heard of insulin outside of a diabetics point of view, insulin stimulates the creation of fat. Also, compared to breastfed babies, formula fed infants seem to gain weight more rapidly in the first few weeks of life, which could lead to later obesity. Another benefit is that breastfeeding your infant can reduce the risk of SIDS, sudden infant death syndrome. One study shows that infants who are still exclusively breastfeeding at one month of age cut their risk for SIDS in half! 50 percent! Now that's impressive.

I do want to add something about formula feeding here. It is something that a lot of mothers do consider, whether they are scared of pain, going back to work, don't feel comfortable, or whatever the reason may be. Personally, I believe formula should be offered when there is a medical complication or there is a specific reason why the mother absolutely cannot breastfeed. When you think about it, breastfeeding is the reason why women have breasts in the first place, so it makes sense that this provides optimal nutrition for your offspring. You may be asking yourself, whats wrong with giving formula? And there are a few answers to that question. Offering formula makes a mother doubt her ability to feed her own child. It changes the baby's stomach, making it more susceptible to infections and diarrhea. The truth is, it can take up to one entire month of breastfeeding to return your infants stomach to its original state after offering just one single bottle of formula. Once the baby sees how easy it is to latch on to a bottle instead of a nipple, it may start to refuse to breastfeed, since bottle feeding requires less effort. If this happens, the mothers milk supply may go down. Another reason why you should not offer formula is because it always make the baby want more food, as he is not completely satisfied. This fact alone, puts him at risk of becoming overweight for the rest of his life.

If you would like further information about the nutritional composition of breast milk, please visit the site below.

http://www.breastfeeding-mom.com/nutritional-composition-of-breast-milk.html

So please, if you or someone you know is considering options for feeding their newborn, take home this message with you:

Rainbow Light Womens Complete Prenatal, 180 tab Complete PreNatal System multivitamin is the #1 selling prenatal formula in the health foods industry.The most comprehensive, intelligently formulated product available to support the vibrant health of your baby and yourself, this formula includes a complete range of the nutrients women and developing babies need, including folic acid, with whole foods and herbs to ease digestion.