So, I began thinking about this battle when I got pregnant with my lovely daughter.
Should I breastfeed ?
What age should I breastfeed till?
What if I get no milk?
How long will the milk stay?
All of these questions were crossing my mind DAILY. And to some questions I got answers to while other questions I got no answers until…. I delivered!
Trust me, you will get the answers to all of your “baby” related questions and doubts when you see and hold your little angel in your arms. Let me tell you a little about my experience …
☕️tea time☕️
I delivered my daughter via c-section an unplanned one, so once I got to see her eyes and little nose the nurses took her away into an incubator since she has swallowed lots of fluid. After I was moved to my room at the hospital I began pumping since I wasn’t able to hold my baby and feed her. For around 3 days I kept on pumping until I got to see her hold her and feed her. The first milk that came in was colostrum and it is more than gold. (I’ll get to that later post). So after 3 days I began directly feeding her, but I struggled a lot, my husband had to get my a breast shield so that my daughter could latch on. I literally cried when she used to latch on and began to feed.
Once we got home, the pain continued and I continued to feed using a shield. One day about 3 months later I suddenly decided that I will remove the shield. And so I did and to my surprise she latched On perfectly and it didn’t hurt anymore.
I continued feeding until 8 months old and then I tried using various formulas but, she refused all of them. I even got back to just pumping but I got frustrated and got back to direct feeding.
I didn’t bother trying to make her drink formula until she turned 1 and a half. But then she also refused.. so to this day I continue feeding her in the morning after she wakes up (like a pre-breakfast) and the second feed during her nap and the last feed before sleeping at night.
So that is all my tea.. now let’s get to the battle.
Breast milk or formula?
Let’s see what is in the breast milk;
- Millions of live cells. These include immune-boosting white blood cells, as well as stem cells, which may help organs develop and heal.
- More than 1,000 proteins that help your baby grow and develop, activate her immune system, and develop and protect neurons in her brain.
- All that breast milk protein is made up of amino acids. There are more than 20 of these compounds in your milk. Some of them, called nucleotides, increase at night and scientists think they may induce sleep.
- Over 200 complex sugars called oligosaccharides that act as prebiotics, feeding ‘good bacteria’ in your baby’s gut. They also prevent infections entering her bloodstream and lower her risk of brain inflammation.
- More than 40 enzymes. Enzymes are catalysts that speed up chemical reactions in the body. The ones in your milk have jobs such as aiding your baby’s digestion and immune system, as well as helping her absorb iron.
- Growth factors that support healthy development.1 These affect many parts of your baby’s body, including her intestines, blood vessels, nervous system, and her glands, which secrete hormones.
- Vitamins and minerals – nutrients that support healthy growth and organ function, as well as help build your baby’s teeth and bones.
- Antibodies, also known as immunoglobulins. There are five basic forms of antibodies and all of them can be found in your milk. They protect your baby against illnesses and infections by neutralising bacteria and viruses.
- You may have heard of long-chain fatty acids because they play a pivotal part in building your baby’s nervous system, as well as aid healthy brain and eye development.
- 1,400 microRNAs, which are thought to regulate gene expression, as well as help prevent or halt disease development, support your baby’s immune system, and play a role in remodelling the breast.
Now about colostrum.. it contains the same as the latter milk but it tailored to your baby needs. It is also called a “natural vaccination” because its levels of antibodies and white blood cells are so high. Your first milk needs to contain these so it can protect your baby from infections and diseases after she leaves the safety of your womb.
Now formula milk only contains what is mentioned on the package. It cannot simply cannot be compared or even put close to the breast milk!
It is your choice on how long you plan to breastfeed or if you plan to breast feed at all. But trust me, it is something that you will never NEVER regret in your life. You are giving you baby so much more by just giving them Breast milk! Don’t be insecure, you might even be called a cow! I know I did! But that made me happier and didn’t stop me from providing milk for my baby.
You should always consult with you doctor regarding how you should breastfeed, for easier latching etc. don’t be shy, we are all once mothers and we all go through this. You are not alone !
apart from breastfeed being good for your little one, there are tons of benefits for YOU mama!
- When breast feeding your body releases prolactin which helps you relax and focus on your baby.
- Also oxytocin is released which creates a strong bond between you and your baby. Without even trying!
- also it helps you to recover from child birth more quickly as oxytocin aids in putting your uterus to its pre-pregnancy stage.
- Breastfeeding will help you even years and years after you stop breastfeeding. It will protect you from getting breast or ovarian cancer.
- It also prevents you from getting types 2 diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, cardiovascular disease, as well as high blood pressure and high cholesterol levels.
- Exclusive day and night breastfeeding delays your menstruation which protects you from unwanted pregnancies.
All in all, breastfeeding should be your only option. Forget those nasty formulas, they are unreasonably pricey, useless and have very less health benefits.
Good luck mama’s and breastfeed away !
The Mama Talk 