Breast Milk is Best

After planning on breastfeeding throughout most of my pregnancy it ended up not happening. Inside the hospital room my daughter whimpered and was hungry. I tried offering her my breast but it was difficult for her and I felt bad because she wanted to be fed and I knew I could make her full quicker if I stopped offering my breast and just gave her a bottle. So that is what I did. I gave her a bottle. Later, i did try again to offer my breast to her but again she wailed in hunger so i gave her a bottle. I was tired and sore and was not up to the struggle at the moment although now I wish I would have tried alittle harder. Although i did not feed her breast milk directly from my breast, once I returned home I was determined to give her the special nutrients that are only found in breast milk although often imitated by formula companies. Breast milk and formula do not have the same nutrients. Breast milk is the best nutrition you can give your child and if I ever happen to become pregnant a second time in my life I will try much harder to breastfeed. Luckily, a breast pump was given to me and i decided to pump my breast milk so that my daughter could begin with the right start, a healthy start.

Breast milk, whether it be given directly from the breast or pumped into a bottle, is best. Babies who are fed breast milk have less health problems and do not become ill as often. They normally do not develop as many allergies also. Breastfeeding seems to protect mothers too. It allows you to return to your pre-pregnancy size sooner and gives much more time before your menstrual cycle begins for the first time after childbirth. it is an all around positive choice to make. Some researcher even say breastfed babies are smarter! It is much less costly too if you really think about it. There is no cost to breastfeed. There are no bottles or nipples to clean, unless of course you pump your breast milk into a bottle for your baby.

You will know when your baby needs to be fed because she will most likely "root" or suck on her fingers or lips. This will be every two to three hours. Do not limit the time you breastfeed because the more you do the more milk you will make. You will also feel proud for doing what is best for your baby and probably find yourself telling others about breastfeeding.

I just want to tell people that even if breastfeeding did not work for you in the hospital or even at home you can still give this great gift to your baby. Most WIC centers will loan or give you a pump or you can buy one. Then, even if you can not breastfeed directly, you can still feed your baby your breast milk. Using a pump is easy. It is really no trouble and it is worth it. you feel good each time you give your baby a bottle of your own milk instead of a powder made somewhere. It is really something to consider because breast milk is best.