Family Breastfeeding: Alpha-Mom's Strategy to Empower the Next Generation

No doubt about it. Even with all the innovations today's health care has to offer, breastfeeding is an alive and well phenomena of contemporary womanhood. If breastfeeding was thought to have some benefits before, it has become even more desirable in light of more recent news touting the economic and health benefits for participants. But to take full advantage moms have to be savvy to the up-to-date changes in breastfeeding methods.

What Does Recent Research Tell Us?
For some time now the relationship between breastfeeding and a decrease of ovarian and breast cancer rates has been well established. Then May 2008 saw two research studies confirm other benefits of breastfeeding:

MAY 6, 2008-A McGill University research team performed the most comprehensive study on the link between intelligence and breastfeeding. The Belarus study involved some 14,000 children in 31 hospitals making it the largest group randomized controlled trials. Results: 6 points higher IQ found in children of breastfeeding moms. (Science Daily; London)

MAY 14, 2008- Lund University (Sweden) reported that moms that breastfed for 13 months or longer had half the rate of Rheumatoid Arthritis than those that did not breastfeed. (Reuters, London)

Other Benefits? Look at Who Breast feeds?
Breastfeeding may yield economic benefits as well. While CDC demographic data shows higher rates of breastfeeding in racial groups (Hispanics 86% and Whites 78% versus a lower rate of 64% in Black Americans), moms of higher socioeconomic groups are more likely to breastfeed than their lower socioeconomic counterparts. This might suggest economic benefit to breastfeeding. More research is needed but there is good reason to suppose that more programs for breastfeeding in selected population groups would lead to decisive advantages they now lack.. Important point noted by the International Baby Food Action Network for Africa (IBFNA) is that breastfeeding develops prosperity for both the family and the community,

Getting Benefits of Breastfeeding.
Looking at the data one can conclude there is an advantage in exclusive breastfeeding for longer periods. The Lund University study noted that the longer the child is breastfed, the greater the advantage to the mother. The American Academy of Pediatrics now recommends breastfeeding of infants for one year. In some programs the recommendation is two to four years of breastfeeding. This raises important points. First does this mean the mother should avoid pregnancy? And if so, how should she do this?

Many woman believe that nursing itself will provide a natural means of avoiding pregnancy. There are good reasons to believe this. When a child begins suckling a reflex occurs that suppresses the stimulus for ovulation as well as setting in motion the availability of milk from the breast glands. A number of studies have looked at the effect of breastfeeding on maintaining infertility. The rates of infertility varied. This was very likely due to a number of maternal factors both physical and psychological. And there was no consistent breastfeeding regimen.

The World Health Organization's Lactation Amenorrhea Method study (LAM) did look at woman on a more regimented full breast feeding program and found a pregnancy rate of only 2%. The study's criteria unfortunately excluded woman unable to fully breastfeed. The reality is that woman intending to do prolonged breastfeeding will require some means of postponing fertility to achieve this. The simple truth is that it is possible and natural to become pregnant while breastfeeding.

Maintaining Infertility; Lactation plus... ?
To avoid pregnancy while nursing, some mothers may ask about "the pill." But all indications are that this should be avoided in nursing. Hormones in birth control pills are excreted into breast milk and are taken up by the suckling infant. The combination pill (containing both estrogen and progesterone) can affect the quantity and duration of breastfeeding. The WHO and other groups have warned about the dangers of breastfeeding infants while on birth control pills for the first six months. The development of the progesterone only Mini Pill has reduced this risk somewhat. But the effect of synthetic progesterone on the infant brain is still in question. It is reasonable then to look for an alternative.

Fortunately there is a marvelous method woman may use. The Billings Ovulation Method is a remarkable addition to lactation induced amenorrhea. Breastfeeding women wishing to achieve the benefits of exclusive, prolonged breastfeeding can start identifying fertility three weeks after delivery and enjoy sexual intercourse without the anxiety of steroid use and its impact on nursing infants. Programs allow women to learn and apply the Billings Method at this time even if they never had any instruction in the method prior to childbirth. The method is all natural, steroid free and has been found to have an effectiveness rate now approaching 100%. In addition it has a high continuation rate indicating that those who start using the method find it highly desirable to continue its use.

Using this method women learn to recognize when they are fertile or infertile. They accomplish this by observing the type of discharge they can see or feel at the vaginal entrance. There has been extensive research devoted to the relation between vaginal mucus discharge and fertility. Once trained, the couple can understand and consistently chart the changing mucus on a daily basis. The change in mucus reflects changing hormone activity and the presence or absence of fertility.

Mothers wishing to take advantage of the Billings Ovulation Method should contact the Billings Ovulation Method organization. Their worldwide organization can be accessed through their website www.billings-ovulation-method.org. In the United States the Billings Method website is www.boma-usa.org.. The De Porres Clinic in Chicago (www.deporresfertility.com) offers instruction in Billings Ovulation Method to all regardless of their marital status or ability to pay.

Steps for Nursing Alpha Moms:
As the title of this article suggests, it contains a strategy for moms wishing to empower the new generation. So what are the steps of this strategy?

First Step: Remember breastfeeding is a family activity; the motto: everyone participates; everyone benefits. The joke some like to tell about this is the one about the older brother borrowing money from the younger and reminding the more prosperous brother that he has a higher IQ and better job because the older one cleaned the house while mom lied in bed and breastfed.

Second step: Beginning breastfeeding. Realize that this is something moms may need considerable help with, particularly first time moms and mothers coming from a family culture without breastfeeding. Moreover, certain neonatal conditions can add to the problem of breastfeeding. Lactation Consultants are available and can be contacted locally through the International Board of Lactation Consultants(www.ilca.org) It is important that moms be able to have access to newborns for breastfeeding.

Third Step: Continuing breast feeding: There may be a number of challenges to a breastfeeding plan. Some may be surmountable, but not all. It is important to realize that, while we are describing some realistic programs, everyone is different. There may be periods when the infant becomes fidgety and the temptation to begin on other foods arises. The milk production may appear to drop off. All these situations may be handled with some degree of persistence. Family participation becomes crucial. The mother should have sufficient rest and care to support breastfeeding. The spouse must be able to undertake the preparation necessary for lovemaking when the vagina becomes dry for prolonged periods.

Finally it is important to note that in spite of everything said here, breastfeeding is not the ultimate consideration in care for the newborn. Woman that are unable to breastfeed may have other advantages to offer: a good genetic disposition, an excellent pre-pregnancy and preterm care and of course the loving unconditional acceptance of a child. All of this can go a long way towards compensating for the unavailability of the excellent advantages of breastfeeding.

Reference: Billings, Evelyn L. & O'Donovan, Anne; The Billings Method. 2003, Anne O'Donovan Publishing, Victoria (Australia.)