{"id":1636,"date":"2005-06-20T18:38:25","date_gmt":"2005-06-21T01:38:25","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.amptoons.com\/blog\/archives\/2005\/06\/20\/1636\/"},"modified":"2005-06-20T18:38:25","modified_gmt":"2005-06-21T01:38:25","slug":"1636","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/amptoons.com\/blog\/?p=1636","title":{"rendered":"Why YOU Should Unconditionally Support Breastfeeding!"},"content":{"rendered":"

Breastfeeding and the need for strong societal support is a topic that was discussed at length in a prior post<\/a> of mine, dealing with comments made by media maven Barbara Walters on her women’s talk show, The View. In the midst of the rather heated discussion, it became evident that many people aren’t aware of the numerous ways that breastfeeding can and does benefit women, children and society in general.<\/p>\n

Knowing this, I’ve decided to compile a list of these benefits, and encourage and welcome others to add to the list. I’d also like to take a moment to encourage people who choose to read and participate in this thread to challenge their own ideas about ‘modesty’ and consider how these ideas might interfere with the larger issue of necessary support. If you get that far, please then take the time to introspect on whether you might need to do some work on incorporating new ways of thinking about this issue into your own mindset to become part of a society that understands, supports and celebrates the value of breastfeeding.<\/p>\n

Also keep in mind that lack of support can and does perpetuate a negative feeling over an issue that new parents, especially mothers are very vulnerable about. It is all too frequent that women stop breastfeeding because they were made to feel embarassed or as if they were doing something so shameful it needed to be hidden from view. This sort of message simply isn’t healthy or productive. We as a society can improve the lives of women and children by such a small act of support which translates to acceptance and approval that helps a woman own her new post-pregnant body and it’s capabilities with pride and joy. In supporting these women, society too can feel a sense of pride and joy in our own embracing of respectful and honorable behavior towards both women and children.<\/p>\n

*Note\/Disclaimer:<\/em> To make it clear in advance, this is not to say that bottle feeding parents should feel any shame for their choice (or need, whichever it was), to nourish their children through formula. As with most specifically female functions, I remain steadfast in my own feelings that it’s a woman’s body and a woman’s choice.<\/p>\n

Why Society Should Support Breastfeeding List<\/strong><\/center><\/p>\n

Benefits to the child:<\/strong><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Breast milk contains all the nutrients babies need each day, plus many substances that help keep them healthy and promote optimal growth and development.\n<\/li>\n
  2. Breastfed babies have a decreased likelihood for allergies and dental caries.\n<\/li>\n
  3. Breastfeeding helps a baby with appropriate jaw, teeth and speech development as well as overall facial development.\n<\/li>\n
  4. Breast milk changes and conforms to the babies needs day to day (according to some studies hour to hour!).\n<\/li>\n
  5. The taste of breast milk changes based on the mothers diet, and help encourage lack of pickiness in particular tastes.\n<\/li>\n
  6. Breast milk is quick and easy to digest which translates into less colic, no constipation and less spitting up.\n<\/li>\n
  7. Due to it’s fast disgestive rate, babies who are breastfed have a smaller chance of SIDS due to a REM cycle of 45 minutes – in one study only 3 of 87 incidents of babies whom died from SIDS were breastfed.\n<\/li>\n
  8. Breastfed babies have a reported and documented lower incidence of illness (10 time less than that of bottlefed babies), hospitalization, ear infections, bladder infections, allergies, diaper rash and exzema, lower incidence of type 1 diabetes, lower incidence in childhood cancers such as Hodgkins and lymphoma.\n<\/li>\n
  9. Due to body proximity is more easily soothed, especially with the skin to skin contact and familiar in-utero sound of the mothers heartbeat and voice.\n<\/li>\n
  10. Female’s that are breastfed have a significantly reduced chance of breast cancer in adulthood.\n<\/li>\n
  11. Breastfeeding confers passive immunity to viruses.\n<\/li>\n
  12. Breastfeeding enhances brain development, neurological development and visual development.\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Benefits to the Mother:<\/strong><\/p>\n

      \n
    1. Breastfeeding releases oxitocin and prolactin in the mothers brain helping bonding occur (studies state similar to obsessive compulsives humorously enough).\n<\/li>\n
    2. Breastfeeding provides the mother with a hormone-induced contentment and reduces the rate of post-pardum emotional effects.\n<\/li>\n
    3. Breastfeeding creates efficient uterine contractions after childbirth which quickly reduces the uterus size to normal which decreases post-partum bleeding.\n<\/li>\n
    4. Breastfeeding is convenient – the milk is pre-warmed, sterilized and always available as long as the mother is nearby!\n<\/li>\n
    5. Breastfeeding is HUGELY cost-effective and saves families money.\n<\/li>\n
    6. Breastfeeding helps foster confidence, body acceptance and promotion of self-esteem in new mothers.\n<\/li>\n
    7. Breastfeeding reduces the incidence of urinary tract infections in mothers.\n<\/li>\n
    8. Breastfeeding significantly decreases the rate of reproductive cancers in women (breast, ovarian, cervical).\n<\/li>\n
    9. Breastfeeding lowers the incidence of chronic hepatitis among women.\n<\/li>\n
    10. Breastfeeding reduces the risk of osteoporosis in women.\n<\/li>\n
    11. Breastfeeding reduces the requirements of insulin for lactating diabetic mothers.\n<\/li>\n
    12. Breastfeeding often acts as a natural form of birthcontrol (don’t count on it though!) for women. *The reliability of this goes down upon introducing other types of food into the diet.\n<\/li>\n
    13. Since nightfeedings are easier, breastfeeding promotes a healthier sleep schedule for new parents.\n<\/li>\n
    14. Breastfeeding is an excellent way to comfort an infant whenever they need it. *My husband and I took advantage of this after shots and during plane rides with great success!\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      Benefits to Society:<\/strong><\/p>\n

        \n
      1. It’s one step closer to helping society have respect for women and sex, instead of sexualizing and trying to control women’s bodies and the perceptions of women’s bodies.\n<\/li>\n
      2. Breastfeeding is better for the environment because it has an absence of waste.\n<\/li>\n
      3. Happy, contented children who are easily comforted.\n<\/li>\n
      4. Frequently healthy children which help working parents need less time away from work (studies indicate parents of breastfed children take less time away due to sickness).\n<\/li>\n
      5. Free’s up health resources for others who need it by naturally seeing to the babies needs.\n<\/li>\n
      6. Promotes a sense of pride and body acceptance in women that can only be seen as a good change!\n<\/li>\n
      7. It works hand in hand with other social programs to save money for other important needs – WIC statistics indicate that if all babies on the program in the U.S. were breastfed, our economical savings would be <\/li>\n
      8. $33,000,000 per month!\n<\/li>\n
      9. Reduced insurance premiums for child and parents.\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

        Benefits on a plane (just for Barbara Walters!):<\/strong><\/p>\n

          \n
        1. Babies ears are kept equalized causing less discomfort, potential for ruptures and inflammation.\n<\/li>\n
        2. Due to it’s ability to soothe a baby, they are less fussy and noisy (see, breastfeeding can still be all about how it affects you, Barbara, if you look at it in the right light!)
          \n
          \n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

          Benefits that I forgot But Others Didn’t!:<\/strong><\/p>\n

            \n
          1. Maynard reminds us that breastmilk bowel movements are extremely mild in scent, making the diaper changing process easier on the nose! (amen to that one, Maynard!)\n<\/li>\n
          2. Krupskaya breastfeeding closeness and contact makes mothers and infants happy because it just feels good darnit!\n<\/li>\n
          3. Maureen adds that breastfeeding reminds the world that breasts are amazing multi-functional tools whose success does not in any way depend on shape or size (other than inverted nipple issues), which in turn might mean less women subjecting themselves to needlessly dangerous breast augmentations.\n<\/li>\n
          4. Barbara Preuninger mentions that breastfeeding can create a wonderful bond between parent and child unlike any other.\n<\/li>\n
          5. CCW mentions she slept better because she could sleep through the feeding!\n<\/li>\n
          6. Lee reminds us that breastfeeding makes mothers the lucky winners of many wonderful baby-hugs!\n<\/li>\n
          7. La Luba relates her own experience with her daughter being born premature and the many ways breastfeeding helped her: “breastfeeding has special benefits for premature infants, including lowered incidence of RSV, respiratory ailments, necrotizing enterocolitis, and sepsis. As adults, both breastfed women and men are less likely to experience infertility.”<\/i>\n<\/li>\n
          8. Ledasmom points out that nobody appreciates a breast in a manner that promotes such healthy esteem as a baby that loves them completely and unconditionally! (to quote my own daughter, Sydney: “Bahboo?” shortly followed by amazingly happy muffled laughing)\n<\/li>\n
          9. Ol Cranky relates that she’s heard (which I’ve read as well) that it lowers the rate of post-partum depression.\n<\/li>\n
          10. Barbara talks about her experience with breastfeeding and it’s benefits with her preemie baby as well, and mentions that despite the odds, her daughter had extremely low incidence of illness, which she attributes to breastfeeding.\n<\/li>\n
          11. Jodie mentions the very real and tangible benefit to the pocketbook – IT’S FREE!\n<\/li>\n
          12. Sarah mentions that as a bystander, it’s much easier to handle a breastfeeding mother and baby than a screaming baby in distress!\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

            *NOTE: I’ve gathered information from so many websites on the Internet, I feel the task of listing them all is extremely daunting. If you have questions or want to find more information, here are the google phrases I used: emotional benefits of breastfeeding, physical benefits of breastfeeding, breastfeeding benefits to the baby, breastfeeding benefits to the mother.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

            Breastfeeding and the need for strong societal support is a topic that was discussed at length in a prior post of mine, dealing with comments made by media maven Barbara Walters on her women’s talk show, The View. In the … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3,110,31,92],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1636","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-abortion-reproductive-rights","category-breastfeeding-lactivism","category-feminism-sexism-etc","category-whatever"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/amptoons.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1636","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/amptoons.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/amptoons.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/amptoons.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/amptoons.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1636"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/amptoons.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1636\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/amptoons.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1636"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/amptoons.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1636"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/amptoons.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1636"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}