Dr Jack Newman is a pediatrician from Toronto, Canada. He is one of the world’s renowned experts on breastfeeding. I’ve been to a number of conferences where I’ve heard him speak. Incredibly knowledgeable and entertaining – he’s one of my favorites. His site will help you find the answer to probably any question you might have about breastfeeding.
www.drjacknewman.com
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Archive for the 'Breastfeeding Info' Category
Having been in the field of “mother and baby-ing” for almost 19 years, I sometimes forget that things which seem like general knowledge to me may be brand new for many people.
One such thing is the importance of skin-to-skin contact between mother and baby directly after birth. In Sweden, where I practiced and where my children were born, it was natural and expected that the baby was placed directly onto the mother’s belly after birth. The parents themselves were able to explore the baby and find out, on their own, which gender it was, rather than someone announcing it for them. The moment belonged to the mother, to the parents. Emphasis and honor was on the mother and baby.
While parents were getting to know their baby and calling family to announce the arrival, a festive tray of open-faced sandwiches & sparkling cider, served in champagne glasses, was prepared and presented to them to celebrate the birth of their baby. Baby breastfed freely, and only after all of this did the parents join in on the weighing of the baby, and dressing it for the first time.
One important “function” of this initial prolonged skin-to-skin contact, which often is not mentioned, is one that is even less easily seen. When the baby is placed on the mother, the baby’s skin is then colonized with the same bacteria as its mother, a protective barrier. Within her milk circulate all the antibodies she’s developed based on what is in her environment … a second layer of protection for her baby, perfectly matching what her baby may face.
Just think of hospitals whose procedure it is to whisk the baby away, weigh it, bundle it, while the mother is being sutured, thinking they’re being helpful and efficient. Which bacteria have just made a home on your baby’s skin? The hospital’s!
In our haste and belief in technological advances as the only answer to improving birth statistics and babies’ health, we often overlook the intricate systems developed in nature to promote the survival of our species. Simplicity can be grand!
Breast milk… changes over time, and even over the course of a day, to meet the changing needs of the growing child. This is one fact about breastmilk (as noted by the US Breastfeeding Committee in my previous blog article) that many women aren’t aware of.
With infant formula, 2 ounces equals 2 ounces equals 2 ounces (if you mix it properly). With breastmilk, what 2 ounces contains in one feeding is not necessarily equal to what 2 ounces equals during another feeding. The dynamic interplay between mother and child goes well beyond simple actions; it goes as deeply as the content of your breastmilk!
The number of calories in breastmilk is not necessarily defined by the number of milliliters and ounces. Just as one ounce of skim milk contains fewer calories than whole milk… Mix the two types of milk together in any combination and the calorie content will change with each combination. Or, you might try to add a protein shake into the mix. Your body is capable of doing this, and does it all day long, without your knowing it, to perfectly suit your baby’s needs. Not only from day to day, but from month to month. A premature baby’s needs are different than a 6 month old baby’s needs, and your body knows this, on some amazing level, and sorts it all out to produce exactly the milk your baby needs for it’s developmental level. Use that bit of knowledge to boost your self-confidence as a mother!
Another quality of breastmilk that people don’t even think about is taste. What you eat can change the flavor of your breastmilk. So your baby is getting a different meal and taste sensation, just as you eat different types of food at each meal. Breast milk provides your baby with a symphony of flavor – compare that to the bland, unchanging taste of infant formula. Just think what you have to offer your baby in comparison!
How does the saying go? … Variety is the spice of life!
As a lactation consultant, my ultimate goal is to enlighten women about the benefits of breastfeeding and to help them achieve the goal of breastfeeding their baby with ease.
Many people, whether or not they choose to breastfeed, are aware that breastfeeding is beneficial in ways that bottle-feeding with formula simply can’t match. But beyond that, the details can become a bit fuzzy.
Here are some breast milk facts, as outlined by the United States Breastfeeding Committee (www.usbreastfeeding.org) in their publication Benefits of Breastfeeding.
Breastmilk…
- contains an ideal balance of nutrients that the infant can easily digest
- changes over time, and even over the course of a day, to meet the changing needs of the growing child
- contains substances essential for optimal development of the infant’s brain, with effects on both cognitive and visual function
- supplies growth factors that combine to mature the infant gut
- provides the infant with immune factors manufactured to fight allergens and illnesses specific to the mother’s and infant’s environment.
Quite miraculous when you think of it!
It’s general knowledge that breastfeeding is beneficial for both baby and mom … but not everyone knows some of the details.
Did you know? … Breastfed children score higher on cognitive and IQ tests at school age, and also on tests of visual acuity.
For more info see United States Breastfeeding Committee.
