Lessons From Nursing

Mum of four, Anita Daubaras shares her breastfeeding journey with us... 

            Before I became pregnant with my first baby, I was a very different person; I only had a very vague idea of myself as a mother, and I was clueless about mothering! In the hours immediately after the birth, I very unexpectedly fell madly in love with my baby; it all felt surreal and primal.

            During the pregnancy, I had decided that I would try to breastfeed my son but inwardly, I believed that there was a fair chance I’d end up formula-feeding or doing a mix of breastfeeding and supplementing. Well, who knew? Despite a few early hiccups, breastfeeding began beautifully. The weeks rolled into months and nursing became a part of our days; I learnt how to meet my son’s needs and to be what he needed me to be. Simply put, I learnt how to be a mother.

            Now, four babies and almost 10 years later, nursing still holds a special place in my heart. It defines how I parent. Even with my weaned children, the relationship we have now grew out of our nursing relationship; it is an extension of the close bond that was formed through breastfeeding.

            Nursing my children has humbled me, and shown me that many precious lessons about mothering cannot be learnt from any book!

I Define How My Story Goes!

            Breastfeeding & parenting books give the impression that there is a formula for a certain outcome; a set of steps that a mother can follow for success. The first and most difficult lesson I learnt was that there is no success or failure in breastfeeding. Breastfeeding a baby is more art than science, and no description or how-to guide really nails it for anyone. It is about finding what works for me and my family, going with the rhythm, and defining how I want things to go for us. The ideas from books, hands-on helpers and other mothers are the starting-point for this journey of discovering and learning.  

I learnt this the painful way when I became pregnant with my second baby while breastfeeding the first. When I found out I was pregnant, I decided that I wanted to nurse through the pregnancy and tandem nurse both my toddler and newborn. However, with the hormonal changes that come with pregnancy, shifts in milk supply and breastfeeding agitation, I found it difficult to keep nursing whenever and for however long my son wanted. So, I began initiating changes in our nursing pattern, and soon, my son was nursing less. I felt a sense of loss then, but I knew that this was what worked for us.

My Breastfeeding Cocoon – Time & Space With My Baby

            With each subsequent birth, the demands on my time and attention increased manyfold. During the times that I sat still to nurse, I could focus on and truly be present with my baby. I now see how these moments were precious, especially with my children who have weaned from breastfeeding. Mothers often feel like they have no time to sit and breastfeed a baby with an older sibling needing so much hands-on care or with many other demands on their time; breastfeeding affords a busy mother opportunities to connect with her baby, even in the midst of the daily whirl.  

Mothering Through Nursing

            Nursing helped me get in touch with my mothering instincts, and listen to what my gut was saying about being a mum. I realised that my relationship with each of my children was tremendously important to me, and that became my guiding star as I faced different parenting decisions down the road. Looking back now, continuing to breastfeed past the 1^st year and through subsequent pregnancies influenced the choices I went on to make about sleep, introducing solids, gentle discipline and preschool.  

Each of my kids have different temperaments and needs, and nursing them gave me a way to fit each of those temperaments, empathise and set limits.            

The Supermum – A Mythical Creature

Like unicorns and griffins, the Supermum does not exist. Being a mother is challenging and emotionally rigorous; it involves multitasking, large amounts of caregiving and juggling many different responsibilities. Society surrounds us with messages about what a parent should be doing to raise a child ‘right’, leaving mothers feeling confused or inadequate. These feelings of self-doubt add to the daily challenges.  

I started out as a mother having unrealistic expectations of myself and holding myself to impossible standards. The gap between what I thought was ‘a good mother’ and my reality was pretty big! Through times of feeling lost and burnt-out, I became aware of my own thoughts and expectations. I began to question my thinking. I met other real-life mothers, and listened to their experiences about raising their children and family life. Not surprisingly, I left the supermum myth far behind!

I have come to see that every mother is human and simply does as much as she can. There is no standard measure for what makes a good mother. I am exactly who and where I am supposed to be; this mother for this child, in this family.

Our breastfeeding stories are shaped by our babies’ and families’ needs. There is no ‘ideal’ breastfeeding standard. However long a mother breastfeeds for, whether she breastfeeds exclusively, whether she expresses milk at work, she does not need to feel like she is somehow not ‘enough’. Nursing mothers come in all shapes and styles!

Seasons Change!                 

            Now that my oldest child is nine, my perspective has changed. With all my breastfeeding and other parenting struggles, I see how any particular struggle will pass, no matter how intense or all-consuming; it will become a vague memory in the whole scheme of things. Knowing and believing that every season does change has helped me to be more patient and gentle with my children, my husband, and myself.

It’s The Getting There, Not The Endpoint, That Matters!

            With all the concern about how long to breastfeed for, exclusive breastfeeding versus supplementing, introducing solids and returning to work, our breastfeeding goals gradually eclipse the day-to-day process of breastfeeding. Our babies become toddlers and then preschoolers all too quickly, and soon, they are no longer nursing. We need to remember that breastfeeding is not just a means of delivering food to a baby, it is a deeply personal and intimate language between a mother and her child. Maybe the numbers and yardsticks don’t matter as much as the connection and interaction that comes with nursing.

Is Breastfeeding Being Undermined By Hospital Freebies?

CHICAGO -- Jessica Ewald brought more than a new baby boy home when she gave birth earlier this year. Like many new moms, she got a hospital goody bag, with supplies including free infant formula and formula coupons.

"We gave it away the moment we came home because I said I'm not having that in our house," Ewald said... 

Borrowing a line from a blogger, Ewald says hospitals sending newborns home with formula "is like giving somebody divorce papers at their wedding." It can really undermine a woman's determination to breast-feed, she said.

Read the rest of this article here

>> Everyone loves a freebie and new mums get whole bag full of these when they leave the hospital after giving birth. Should formula samples be in that goody bag? 

Mothers Who Breastfeed Less Competent Than Other Women?

A study released by Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin (published by SAGE) found that mothers who breastfeed are viewed as less competent than other women. Some excerpts from the article, which was reprinted (with editorial adaptations) in Science Daily. 


"... results showed the breastfeeding woman was rated significantly less competent in general, in math and work specifically, and was less likely to be hired compared to others."


"... the bias against breastfeeding mothers was equal among men and women."


What do you think? 


See the full article at Science Daily here: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/04/110415104546.htm

Miranda Kerr back at work, and breastfeeding

Picture courtesy Miranda Kerr

Australian model Miranda Kerr posted a photo of herself nursing son Flynn, three months, while on a shoot for Victoria's Secret. "Another day in the office. Back to work for VS. Flynn is with me on set! Lil cutie pie Xxx," wrote Kerr, 28, in her Tweet. The model, who gave birth to Flynn, her son with actor Orlando Bloom on 6 January, is already in picture perfect shape -- thanks to breastfeeding(!) the devoted daddy gushed on The Ellen DeGeneres Show.

The Problems with Medela

"The formula companies are the real opponent of the breastfeeding movement.  Let’s be very clear:  it is the companies and their marketing that we’re up against, not formula itself.  Formula itself is something that is necessary under certain circumstances; in and of itself, formula is not evil.


It’s easy to acknowledge “big pharma” and the formula companies, but it’s less intuitive to see companies that make breastfeeding support products in the same way. It’s strange to think of breastfeeding as an “industry.”  Make no mistake, though:  there are companies in our own “industry” that are putting profit over the health of moms and babies. Medela is one of them. Making money starts with advertising, which is where the WHO Code comes into play..."


Do you know anything about the company that makes your breast pump? Read more of this article here 

'Alarming' levels of arsenic and toxic metals found in baby food

LONDON - Baby foods used to wean infants off milk have been found to contain "alarming" levels of toxic contaminants including arsenic, lead and cadmium, in tests conducted in Sweden.

The products tested by researchers were made by major baby food manufacturers including Organix, Hipp, Nestle and Holle.

Researchers found feeding infants twice a day on the shop-bought baby foods such as rice porridge can increase their exposure to arsenic by up to fifty times when compared to breast feeding alone.

Exposure to other toxic metals such as cadmium, which is known to cause neurological and kidney damage, increased by up to 150 times in some of the foods tested, while lead increased by up to eight times.

Although none of the levels of the toxic elements found in the foods exceeded official safety limits, scientists believe they are still of concern if fed to very young children and have demanded new guidelines to restrict their presence in food.

Young infants are thought to be particularly vulnerable to these substances because they are going through rapid development.

Writing in the journal of Food Chemistry, the scientists from the Unit of Metals and Health at Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm said: "Alarmingly, these complementary foods may also introduce high amounts of toxic elements such as arsenic, cadmium, lead and uranium, mainly from their raw materials.

"These elements have to be kept at an absolute minimum in food products intended for infant consumption. In infant foods, the high concentrations of arsenic in the rice-based foods are of particular concern."

Experts now believe there are no safe limits for arsenic and manufacturers should be making more efforts to remove it from their food.

Professor Andrew Meharg, a biogeochemist at Aberdeen University who has studied the presence of arsenic in rice, said the latest research highlighted the urgent need for new restrictions on arsenic and other toxic elements in food. THE DAILY TELEGRAPH

Source: URL

CHINA TO LAUNCH "HUMAN MILK" ON MARKETS SOON

BMSG COMMENTS:

Whatever would they think of next, one wonders... Will this really happen? Will our mothers lose trust over their own ability to nourish their young from their own breasts and not from the udders of a cow?!

Notice the elixir of breast milk to the ancient royalty. Obviously they did know THE good thing called breast milk! That much we can all agree on... the goodness of the milk that springs from the wells of a woman's body!


Beijing (China Daily/ANN) - Genetically modified (GM) dairy products that are similar to human milk will appear on the Chinese market in two years, an expert in biotechnology has predicted.
Li Ning, a scientist from the Chinese Academy of Engineering and director of the State Key Laboratories for AgroBiotechnology at China Agricultural University, said progress in the field is well under way.

Li said Chinese scientists have successfully created a herd of more than 200 cows that is capable of producing milk that contains the characteristics of human milk.
He said the technology is at the cutting edge worldwide and will ensure "healthy protein contained in human milk is affordable for ordinary consumers".
Photos depicting the GM cows were on display at an exhibition, held between March 7 and 14 in Beijing, that showcased China's major technological achievements during the period of the 11th Five-Year Plan (2006-2010).

"In ancient China, only the emperor and the empress could drink human milk throughout their lives, which was believed to be the height of opulence," Li said. "Why not make that kind of milk more available for ordinary people?"

Human milk contains two kinds of nutrition that can help improve the immune systems and the central nervous systems of children. The components are not available in milk produced by goats or cows.

Li said the scientific world had not previously found a way to mass-produce those ingredients. The GM milk will be as safe to drink as that of the ordinary cows, he added.

The Ministry of Agriculture issued bio-safety examination certificates for the GM herd in March 2010, giving the scientific team a 22-month period during which the technology can be tested in laboratories.

The ministry will then evaluate the results of the tests before deciding whether to allow the milk to be sold.

"The milk tastes stronger than normal milk," Li said. "Within 10 years, people will be able to pick up these human-milk-like products at the supermarket."

Xue Dayuan, chief expert with the Ministry of Environmental Protection, said the government will carry out a series of tests on the transferred gene and the method of transplanting it before the genetically modified cows and their milk are declared safe.

There has been a good deal of opposition to GM technology in the United States and Canada, according to Fang Lifeng, a campaigner for Greenpeace China's food and agriculture project.

Source: By Cheng Yingqi in Beijing/China Daily | ANN – Tue, Mar 22, 2011 12:00 PM SGT

BABY SLEEPY? NOT NURSING?

Counsellors with BMSG often encounter mummies who worry because their newborn infants are sleepy and often fall asleep shortly after starting a feeding session. Of course, they wonder if their babies are getting enough milk.

Truth is, it really might be hard to tell. An average newborn might take up to 40 minutes per feeding session. Although there are infants who take 10 minutes at the breast and seem to be gaining weight. Often it has to do with milk supply. Some mummies are just blessed with abundant milk. Most of us have to work hard to get our supply established. So, mummies, you are quite normal.

Babies are sleepy for several reasons, not least also because many moms are going through labour and delivery with various drugs in their systems. This does affect the baby. Remember that baby being so small, the effect of the drug in their systems takes longer to clear.

Whilst it would be best for moms to go through natural deliveries and births, that is a decision only a mom can make. Then there are moms who have to go through C-section operations to deliver. If there is no medical need to do so, it is best to leave it to nature. C-section operations are major operations and requires layers of stitching thereafter. Natural deliveries without drugs allow mom and baby to be alert and better able to breastfeed.

So, you do have a sleepy baby.... what can you do?

Often, we find that the usual tickling methods do not seem to work. If baby wants to sleep, it doesn't stop them! Undressing them might.... After all, who wants to be left out cold and naked?!

There is a method which you may wish to try...

BREAST COMPRESSION

Essentially, you hold your breast with a C-cup hold with your thumb on one side of your breast and the rest of your fingers on the opposite side. Squeeze your breast, as close to the chest wall as possible. This causes your milk to squirt out and forces it into your baby's mouth. Babies have to swallow. Release your hold on your breast gently. Do not release it suddenly or your milk might gush forcefully into your baby's mouth, causing your baby to choke.

As for pumping mothers, try this technique whilst pumping. It works!

DITCH THAT JUNK FOOD!

Of course we take everything with a pinch of salt. Studies are studies and often not entirely conclusive. However, the point of this is:

Ditch the junk food!

Not just for our IQ, but also for health. Obesity is also on the rise because people are leading more and more sedentary lifestyles. Walking a flight of stairs is a chore. Think about the people you know who have to absolutely park where the nearest exit is, even if it's a tight squeeze. Just so they don't have to walk the length of the carpark. I laugh at myself.... 

Processed foods have so much of what we don't need in our overworked bodies. Preservatives, additives, colourings. They sure taste yummy but think of the bulge and the brain.

Food for thought.....

*****************************

PARIS - Toddlers who have a diet high in processed foods may have a slightly lower IQ in later life, according to a British study described as the biggest research of its kind.

The conclusion, published on Monday, comes from a long-term investigation into 14,000 people born in western England in 1991 and 1992 whose health and well-being were monitored at the ages of three, four, seven and eight and a half.

Parents of the children were asked to fill out questionnaires that, among other things, detailed the kind of food and drink their children consumed.

Three dietary patterns emerged: one was high in processed fats and sugar; then there was a "traditional" diet high in meat and vegetables; and finally a "health-conscious" diet with lots of salad, fruit and vegetables, pasta and
rice.

When the children were eight and a half, their IQ was measured using a standard tool called the Wechsler Intelligence Scale.

Of the 4,000 children for which there were complete data, there was a significant difference in IQ among those who had had the "processed" as opposed to the "health-conscious" diets in early childhood.

The 20 per cent of children who ate the most processed food had an average IQ of 101 points, compared with 106 for the 20 per cent of children who ate the most "health-conscious" food.

"It's a very small difference, it's not a vast difference," said one of the authors, Pauline Emmett of the School of Social and Community Medicine at the University of Bristol.

"But it does make them less able to cope with education, less able to cope with some of the things in life."

The association between IQ and nutrition is a strongly debated issue because it can be skewed by many factors, including economic and social background.

A middle-class family, for instance, may arguably be more keen (or more financially able) to put a healthier meal on the table, or be pushier about stimulating their child, compared to a poorer household.

Emmett said the team took special care to filter out such confounders.

"We have controlled for maternal education, for maternal social class, age, whether they live in council housing, life events, anything going wrong, the home environment, with books and use of television and things like that," she said.

The size of the study, too, was unprecedented.

"It's a huge sample, it's much much bigger than anything anyone else has done," she said in an interview with AFP.

Emmett said further work was needed to see whether this apparent impact on IQ persisted as the children got older.

Asked why junk food had such an effect, she suggested a diet that was preponderantly processed could lack vital vitamins and elements for cerebral development at a key stage in early childhood.

"A junk food diet is not conducive to good brain development," she said.Source: www.channelnewsasia.com
The paper appears in the peer-reviewed Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, published by the British Medical Association (BMA).

SO WHEN DO WE INTRODUCE SOLIDS??

In the wake of the article on the benefits of weaning a breastfed baby before six months, La Leche League International's Chair of the Council of Directors (UK), Anna D. Burbridge, noted that "three of the four authors of this research have declared an association with the baby feeding industry".

The full response can be found at http://www.bmj.com/content/342/bmj.c5955.full/reply#bmj_el_248971

We realise that mothers are receiving conflicting advice all the time, regarding many aspects of childcare including breastfeeding, nutrition and child devlopment. A baby's gut is immature in the first months of life. Most believe that introduction of solids at six months allows the digestive tract to "seal" itself against allergens so that these allergens do not pass through the intestinal walls to the bloodstream too early, thereby causing the body to produce antibodies against the allergen which might in turn cause allergies.

Some other studies also suggest introduction of cereals as a first food between 4 to 6 months. Introduce it too early (before 4 months) or too late (after 6 months), and you might increase baby's risk of developing an allergy to gluten (coeliac disease).

What do you do?

BMSG believes that breastmilk is baby's best food in the first six months. It is gentle on baby's digestive system and is sufficient nutrition for a growing baby. When a mother starts solids should be, on balance, be weighed against various factors including genetic risk of allergies in the family. If the family suffers from allergies, it might be prudent to consider slow introduction of cereals and solids.

In the BMJ article, it was suggested that late introduction of cereals may increase risk of coeliac disease. However, the more important consideration is not about when to introduce but how cereals should be introduced. There is evidence that not being breastfed when gluten is introduced may actually raise the risk of gluten sensitivity.

So, breastfeed for at least six months. Introduce cereals and solids one at a time and slowly; there is no real hurry. Continue to breastfeed whilst offering complementary foods.

WEANING BEFORE SIX MONTHS?

Relying purely on breastfeeding for the first six months might not be best for babies, experts in the UK have warned.

 

In the British Medical Journal, the team said breastfed babies may benefit from being given solid food earlier. Current advice suggests weaning should occur at six months, but the UCL team say it could happen as early as four.

Breastfeeding is known to benefit babies

They suggest later weaning may increase food allergies and iron deficiency levels, but other experts backed the existing guidance. Ten years ago, the World Health Organization published global advice advocating babies be exclusively breastfed for six months.
The research team, led by Dr Mary Fewtrell a paediatrician from the University of London Institute of Child Health, said it supported the recommendation for developing countries, where access to clean water and safe weaning foods is limited, and there is a high risk of infant death and illness.

But they added: "Many western countries, including 65% of European member states and the US, elected not to follow this recommendation fully, if at all. But in 2003, a health minister said the UK would comply.

The WHO recommendation "rested largely" on a review of 16 studies, including seven from developing countries.It concluded that babies just given breast milk for six months had fewer infections and experienced no growth problems.

But another review of 33 studies found "no compelling evidence" not to introduce solids at four to six months, the experts said. Some research has also shown that six months of breastfeeding does not give babies all the nutrition they need.

A US 2007 study found there was an increased risk of anaemia compared with those introduced to solids at four to six months. Swedish research also found that the incidence of early onset coeliac disease increased after a recommendation to delay introduction of gluten until age six months, but fell back after the recommendation reverted to four months.
Dr Alan Lucas, director of the Institute of Health, said: "The WHO recommendation is very sensible for developing countries. "But in the UK, it's important we take a balanced look at the evidence." Dr Fewtrell added: "When you look at the figures, there are a lot of babies being weaned before six months anyway - and that's probably the most important thing in terms of hard evidence."

But the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health and the National Childbirth Trust defended current advice. And Janet Fyle, professional policy adviser at the Royal College of Midwives, said: "I really must challenge the suggestion that the UK should reconsider its current advice on exclusive breastfeeding for six months.

"I believe that this is a retrograde step and plays into the hands of the baby-food industry which has failed to support the six-month exclusive breastfeeding policy in the UK.

"There is evidence that some babies do die in developed countries from inappropriate young child feeding, such as the introduction of solid foods earlier before their swallowing mechanism is mature enough or they have fully developed the capability to cope with solid foods."

And a Department of Health spokeswoman said: "Breast milk provides all the nutrients a baby needs up to six months of age and we recommend exclusive breastfeeding for this time.

"Mothers who wish to introduce solids before six months should always talk to health professionals first."

The Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition is to review infant feeding and is due to report later this year.

Source: BBC © MMXI http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-12180052

SURGEON GENERAL CALLS FOR MORE BREASTFEEDING

20th January, 2011


America's chief doctor called on Americans to support breast-feeding on Thursday and outlined guidelines for mothers and communities to support that most natural nutrition system.

Studies have shown numerous benefits for babies, mothers and overall healthcare when newborns are breast-fed for the recommended inimum of six months.


Surgeon General Regina Benjamin issued a report on Thursday advocating mothers breast-feed their children.


"Many barriers exist for mothers who want to breast-feed," Benjamin said in a statement accompanying the report.


"They shouldn't have to go it alone. Whether you're a clinician, a family member, a friend, or an employer, you can play an important part in helping mothers who want to breast-feed."


Breast-feeding develops immunity in babies and protects them from illnesses like diarrhea, ear infection and pneumonia, according to the report.


Some studies have linked breast-feeding to higher IQs.


Despite the reported benefits of breast-feeding, some women find that with busy schedules, social stigma, and lack of know-how, consistent breast-feeding is difficult to manage.


Although 75 percent of babies start out being breast-fed, just over 1 of 10 are breast-fed exclusively for six months.


The Surgeon General's call seeks to combat those problems by expanding and improving community programs that provide support and peer counseling, and ensuring employers and health care centers to provide similar support.


The American Academy of Pediatrics endorsed the surgeon general's campaign.


"The Call to Action provides a road map for creating a clear path for all mothers to breast-feed as long as they can and wish to do so," the children's healthcare organization said in a statement.


Reporting by Wendell Marsh; Editing by Jerry Norton

Reuters Health

(c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2011

CHILDHOOD CANCER AND BREASTFEEDING

TUESDAY, Jan. 25 (HealthDay News) --

Breast-feeding may help reduce some long-term negative side effects of cancer treatment in women who survived childhood cancer, according to a new study.

The findings suggest that making women aware of the benefits of breast-feeding should be part of routine recommendations for a post-cancer healthy lifestyle, said Susan W. Ogg and colleagues from St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis, Tenn.

The researchers reviewed studies that examined whether women can successfully breast-feed after treatment for childhood cancer, how childhood cancer treatment affects women's health in general over the long term and whether breast-feeding might reduce both the risk and impact of treatment-related toxicity in cancer survivors.

The analysis revealed that breast-feeding can have a positive impact on a mother's bone mineral density, metabolic syndrome risk factors, cardiovascular disease and secondary tumors -- health factors that are all negatively affected by childhood cancer.

"Alongside advice to eat plenty of fruit and vegetables, abstain from smoking, use suitable sun protection, practice safe sex and take part in regular physical activity, women who have survived childhood cancer and are physically able to breast-feed should be actively encouraged to do so to help protect them against the many lasting effects of cancer treatment," the researchers concluded.

The study findings were released online in advance of publication in an upcoming print issue of the Journal of Cancer Survivorship.

About 80 percent of U.S. children and teens diagnosed with childhood cancer now survive, but many face major health challenges stemming from the cancer itself or its treatment. These challenges include impaired growth and development, organ dysfunction, reproductive difficulties and risk of cancer recurrence.


SOURCE: Journal of Cancer Survivorship, news release, Jan. 20, 2011

CALL TO ACTION - EQUALLY APPLICABLE TO SINGAPORE

WASHINGTON, DC, Jan. 20, 2011

Surgeon General Regina M. Benjamin today issued a “Call to Action to Support Breastfeeding,” outlining steps that can be taken to remove some of the obstacles faced by women who want to breastfeed their babies.


Many mothers who attempt to breastfeed say several factors impede their efforts, such as :

• a lack of support at home;
• absence of family members who have experience with breastfeeding;
• a lack of breastfeeding information from health care clinicians; a
• lack of time and privacy to breastfeed or express milk at the workplace; and
• an inability to connect with other breastfeeding mothers in their communities.

Dr. Benjamin’s “Call to Action” identifies ways that families, communities, employers and health care professionals can improve breastfeeding rates and increase support for breastfeeding:

• Communities should expand and improve programs that provide mother-to-mother support and peer counseling. 
• Health care systems should ensure that maternity care practices provide education and counseling on breastfeeding.  Hospitals should become more “baby-friendly,” by taking steps like those recommended by the UNICEF/WHO’s Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative.
• Clinicians should ensure that they are trained to properly care for breastfeeding mothers and babies.  They should promote breastfeeding to their pregnant patients and make sure that mothers receive the best advice on how to breastfeed.
• Employers should work toward establishing paid maternity leave and high-quality lactation support programs.  Employers should expand the use of programs that allow nursing mothers to have their babies close by so they can feed them during the day.  They should also provide women with break time and private space to express breast milk.
• Families should give mothers the support and encouragement they need to breastfeed.

Family members can help mother’s prepare for breastfeeding and support their continued breastfeeding, including after her return to work or school.

According to the “Call to Action,” breastfeeding protects babies from infections and illnesses that include diarrhea, ear infections, and pneumonia. Breastfed babies are also less likely to develop asthma, and those who are breastfed for six months are less likely to become obese. Mothers themselves who breastfeed have a decreased risk of breast and ovarian cancers.

A study published last year in the journal Pediatrics estimated that the nation would save $13 billion per year in health care and other costs if 90 percent of U.S. babies were exclusively breastfed for six months. Dr. Benjamin added that, by providing accommodations for nursing mothers, employers can reduce their company’s health care costs and lower their absenteeism and turnover rates.

“I believe that we as a nation are beginning to see a shift in how we think and talk about breastfeeding,” said Dr. Benjamin.  “With this ‘Call to Action,’ I am urging everyone to help make breastfeeding easier.”

Source: http://www.sixtysecondparent.com/

BOTTLE FEEDING LEADS TO OBESITY??

Whilst BMSG is obviously a strong proponent of breastfeeding as the best form of infant nutrition, we strive to bring you balanced views and let you - the reader - decide.


The article below is but one of many reports that have cited breastfeeding as the best start in the fight against obesity. In Singapore, the obesity rate was 10.8% in 2010.


Taking it into simple perspective, if you throw a stone into a crowd of people at Orchard Road, for instance, you should be able to hit 1 person in a group of 10 who would very likely be considered obese. You would hit quite a few people who are considered obese, kids and adults alike. The results were similar to those conducted by the Ministry of Education on our students.


Frankly, this would really not be so much a clear cut case of formula versus breastfeeding. Although having said that, exclusively breastfed babies who are fed on demand at the breast, stop feeding on their own when they are full. Whereas it is all too common to hear comments that "my baby takes an hour to finish his/her bottle". We need to ask ourselves why. Whether it is expressed breast milk or formula, if your baby takes longer than 15 minutes or so to finish a bottle, it's likely too much milk.


Therefore, if a baby takes an hour to finish a bottle, would it not be a logical conclusion that perhaps we are forcing baby to take in more than (s)he needs? If a baby is overfed from infancy, it is very likely that we as parents can unwittingly create big appetites in our children which need to be filled as they grow.


It is natural for babies to suck - teat, bottle or otherwise. So if you have a bottle of milk, your baby is likely to suck till it's all gone. Yet, it might not be that your baby was actually that hungry but that it was easy to drink it all up! A baby at the breast is less likely to overfeed because it is harder work to suckle at the breast and therefore when the baby is full, (s)he is likely to come off the breast naturally, thereby limiting the quantity taken.


It is natural for us to be concerned with numbers. We are Singaporeans! Yet, it might work to our detriment, and baby's, to be overly watchful over numbers this early.


Let us illustrate simply because we see it in hospitals all the time.


A newborn baby's stomach is the size of a big pea. Yet, we are feeding a newborn a 30ml bottle of infant formula. Just picture that. Whereas a breastfeeding mom only produces about 1 teaspoon of colostrum in the initial few days, per feeding.


And now we leave you the questions :


Which do you think is more appropriate for the newborn? Could Nature be wrong?

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LONDON, Sept. 30 2010 (UPI) --


Bottle feeding infants can put them on the path to a life of heart disease and obesity, a study by British researchers says.


The study by the Institute of Child Health in London says the use of baby formula can cause health problems in later life as children develop unnaturally large appetites, The Guardian reported Thursday.


Overfeeding in infancy causes at least a fifth of adult obesity cases, Professor Atul Singhal from the MRC Childhood Nutrition Research Center says.


Breastfed babies limit their own intake of milk because they have to work hard to get it, Singhal said, whereas bottle-fed babies lie back and take in what they are given.


The danger, Singhal says, is that in being offered more than they need they are building up an appetite for the future.


"When they are exposed to high-protein, high-fat foods, they are more likely to become obese," he says.


"In public-health terms, it supports the case in the general population for breastfeeding -- as it is harder to overfeed a breastfed baby," Singhal says.


© 2010 United Press International, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

THIS IS FOR THE GUYS!

And I don't mean the little kid... I mean the big one!


Yes, YOU, Daddy-O!


Too often, fathers feel sidelined when the baby arrives and mommy breastfeeds exclusively. Then there are those who say, "Yabba-dabba-dooo! Breastfeeding's the wife's department; life goes on for me!" and promptly relinquish all duties to the wife.


Hold your horses, daddies. There's much that you can do, even if you don't breastfeed.


It has been our experience that the more support a wife has from her husband, the higher the likelihood that she would breastfeed longer. How can fathers help?


1. Mother the mother. Bring her a book, food, drinks. Give her a massage. In other words, pamper her. After all, you wouldn't want to have been the one going through the excruciating hours of labour! Or carrying that load around for 9 long months!

2. Father your baby. And fathering your baby does not stop at conception, I might add. Continue to take care of your baby while your wife rests. Change the diapers. Burp your baby. Sling your baby. Play with your baby. All these will help you bond with your baby. No longer do you need to feel ousted.

3. Take charge of the house. Help with household chores if you have no help available. Sweep and mop the floor. Clean the dishes. Cook. Buy the groceries and daily necessities.

4. Support your wife. Be the rock for her especially when well-meaning friends and relatives unwittingly or invariably give disparaging remarks about her breastfeeding attempts. Be the cheerleader for her. Help her look for the necessary support if and when the need arises.

A mother-child breastfeeding bond is strong but you can also build an equally strong bond with your child just by spending time and interacting with your baby.

Remember, not only will breastfeeding build smart brains, but face-to-face time with your baby will enhance the smarts!

So, daddy.... GO FOR IT!!!

Written by : Angeline Wee-Yew , President 2009 -2011

ONE FOR THE BOYS!

Yet another benefit of breast-feeding: improved academic performance later in childhood, at least for some children.

Researchers in Australia recorded the breast-feeding duration of 1,038 babies and then tested their academic performance at age 10 using standardized tests of mathematics, reading, writing and spelling.

When they controlled for the mother’s age, education, marital status, family income and other factors, they found that breast-feeding for six months or more was associated with better performance in all four academic skills, but only in boys.

The lead author, Wendy H. Oddy, an associate professor of nutrition at the University of Western Australia, said the reasons for the sex difference were unclear. “We think boys tend to be more vulnerable to stress,” she said. “Female hormones might have a protective effect.”

The study, published in the January issue of Pediatrics, had a number of strengths. It followed children prospectively, and had a large sample. Data was collected close to the time the women stopped nursing. But the scientists were unable to adjust for length of maternity leave, partner support and other factors.

“The results add to the strong evidence that breast-feeding as long as possible is beneficial for child health,” Dr. Oddy said, “but particularly for brain development.”

Source:: ww.nytimes.com

A version of this article appeared in print on January 11, 2011, on page D6 of the New York edition.