By Kathleen Huggins, R.N., M.S.
Since the beginning of humankind, women have put their infants to breast. Extending the physical bond that begins at conception, they have nourished and protected their young with their bodies. These tender moments, in return, have brought pleasure and fulfillment to the task of mothering. If you are now pregnant, you are probably looking forward to the time in which you will nourish, comfort, and protect your child in the same way as others before you — at the breast. Perhaps you already feel committed to the idea of nursing. For you, there is no question that you’ll breastfeed your baby. Or perhaps, like many women, you have some uncertainties, but still feel it’s worth a try. Your outlook depends on many things — the value you place on breastfeeding, how your partner feels about it, how your friends have fed their babies, your lifestyle, your feelings about yourself and your body.
You probably also have some notions about what nursing will be like. Perhaps you think it will be easy and convenient. Maybe you worry that it might not fit in with your activities and plans. You may have concerns about your ability to nurse. Probably you know of other women who tried to nurse but soon gave up. Whatever your attitudes, expectations and concerns about breastfeeding, these may become powerful determinants in your ultimate success or failure to nurse your baby happily.
Is Breastfeeding Really Better?
You may be under the impression that the decision to breastfeed or bottle-feed is simply a matter of personal preference. Don’t let anyone fool you into believing that breast milk and formula are equally good — they are not. Without a doubt, mother’s milk alone promotes optimum health and development for babies. It is uniquely designed to meet the complete nutritional needs of the growing human infant. It also protects the infant against illness throughout the entire first year and beyond, as long as nursing continues.
Although babies do grow on processed infant formulas, formula manufacturers are continually challenged to include all of the nutrients in breast milk that scientists are gradually identifying as important to infant growth and development. But artificial infant milks, whether based on cow’s milk or soybeans, will never be able to duplicate nature’s formula. Human milk contains proteins that promote brain development and specific immunities against human illness. In contrast, cow milk contains proteins that favor muscular growth and specific immunities to bovine disease. Babies, like all young mammals, do best with milk from their own species. Babies on a formula diet are at greater risk for illness and hospitalization. Diarrheal infections, respiratory illnesses and ear infections are more frequent and serious among these babies. Formula-fed infants also have higher incidences of colic, constipation and allergic disorders. In fact, a significant number of babies are allergic to formulas, both those based on cow milk and those based on soy. There is also new evidence that artificially fed infants more often experience learning disorders and lower levels of intellectual functioning.
Bottle feeding with formula more commonly leads to overfeeding and obesity, which may well persist into childhood, adolescence and adulthood. Tooth decay, malocclusion (improper meeting of the upper and lower teeth), and distortion of the facial muscles may also directly result from sucking on bottles.
Some studies suggest the benefits of breastfeeding also extend into adulthood. Breastfed babies have lower cholesterol levels, on average, when they become adults. Although asthma rates are not significantly different between breastfed and non-breastfed babies, there is a lower rate of asthma in adults who were breastfed. Babies have a smaller chance of developing diabetes and cancer of the lymph glands if they are breastfed. For all of these reasons, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that infants be offered only breast milk for the first four to six months after birth, and that breastfeeding continue throughout the entire first year.
Establishing a close bond and meeting the emotional needs of a child are certainly an essential part of mothering. The nursing woman is thought to produce hormones that promote a physiologic bonding between mother and child. And in what better way can a baby be nurtured, comforted and made to feel secure than snuggled within his mother’s loving arms, against the warmth of her breast? Although some rationalize that bottle-feeding mothers can capture a similar warm feeding relationship, in reality they do not. This is partly because bottle feeding doesn’t require much human contact. The bottle-fed baby generally receives less stroking, caressing, and rocking than the breastfed baby. He is talked to less often and he spends more time in his crib away from his parents. Although it is unknown how prevalent the practice of propping bottles for the young infant is, probably the overwhelming majority of babies who are able to hold their own bottles become almost entirely responsible for feeding themselves.
In the Beginning
Throughout the first two hours after birth, the infant is usually alert and eager to suck. At this time he is most ready for his first nursing.
Colostrum
It is not unusual to hear a first-time mother tell a nurse, “I don’t think I have anything yet to feed the baby.” Although small in amount, colostrum is available in the breast in quantities close to the stomach capacity of the newborn. This “liquid gold,” which is often yellow but may be clear, resembles blood more than milk in that it contains protective white blood cells capable of attacking harmful bacteria. Colostrum also acts to “seal” the inside of the baby’s intestines, preventing the invasion of bacteria, and provides the baby with high levels of antibodies from the mother. Not only does colostrum thus offer protection from sickness, but it is the ideal food for the newborn’s first few days of life. It is high in protein and low in sugar and fat, making it easy to digest. Colostrum is also beneficial in stimulating the baby’s first bowel movement. The black, tarry stool, called meconium, contains bilirubin, the substance that causes newborn jaundice. Colostrum in frequent doses helps eliminate bilirubin from the body and may lessen the incidence and severity of jaundice.
In the hospital this first nursing may take place in the delivery room, the birthing room or the recovery area. With minimal assistance from your nurse or partner, the baby will probably latch on eagerly to the breast and suck. He will be more willing if he is unbundled; snuggled within your arm and next to your body, he is unlikely to get too cold (unless perhaps the room is air-conditioned). The purple color of his hands and feet is normal; it is caused by changes in blood circulation that take place at delivery. If you or the nurse is concerned about the cold, place a blanket over the baby after he has begun to nurse.
Many specialists believe that when the first nursing is delayed much beyond the first two hours, the infant may be somewhat reluctant to take the breast thereafter. Nursing without delay also boosts the confidence of the mother, and stimulates the action of hormones that cause the uterus to contract and remain firm after delivery. These contractions may help speed delivery of the placenta and minimize blood loss afterward (breastfeeding alone is insufficient, however, in the case of postpartum hemorrhage, when prompt intervention by the medical staff is essential). During the first few days after birth, some mothers feel these contractions, or “afterpains,” while nursing. Mothers who have had other children may be especially uncomfortable with afterpains. Should you not have the opportunity to nurse right after delivery, or if you can’t persuade your baby to take the breast, don’t get discouraged. Many mothers have established successful nursing hours or days after giving birth.
Just the Breast
When you have finished your first nursing in the hospital, let the nurses know (if you have not done so previously) that you prefer your baby be given no supplementary bottles of water or formula and no pacifiers. Water or formula is unnecessary and may confuse your baby while he is learning to breastfeed.
