Breastmilk Ravings.

I found myself ranting in my own head this morning while I was showering. Usually God gives me meditations, but today I was pondering breastfeeding. After breastfeeding my own three infants and counseling numerous women I have come to several conclusions. First, however, let me present some of the contentions of the World Health Organization, regarding infant feeding:

Global Strategy for Infant and Young Child Feeding p. 10 states,
"18. The vast majority of mothers can and should breastfeed, just as the
vast majority of infants can and should be breastfed. Only under
exceptional circumstances can a mother’s milk be considered unsuitable
for her infant. For those few health situations where infants
cannot, or should not, be breastfed, the choice of the best
alternative – expressed breast milk from an infant’s own mother,
breast milk from a healthy wet-nurse or a human-milk bank, or a
breast-milk substitute fed with a cup, which is a safer method than
a feeding bottle and teat – depends on individual circumstances.
19. For infants who do not receive breast milk, feeding with a suitable
breast-milk substitute – for example an infant formula prepared in
accordance with applicable Codex Alimentarius standards, or a
home-prepared formula with micronutrient supplements – should
be demonstrated only by health workers, or other community workers
if necessary, and only to the mothers and other family members
who need to use it; and the information given should include adequate
instructions for appropriate preparation and the health hazards
of inappropriate preparation and use. Infants who are not
breastfed, for whatever reason, should receive special attention from
the health and social welfare system since they constitute a risk
group."

Here are their recommendations, in order:
1. infants should be breastfed by their own mother
2. if #1 is not possible, then expressed milk from the infant's own mother
3. breast milk from a wet-nurse
4. breast milk from a milk bank
5. breast milk substitute fed with a cup

All of these methods are considered preferred to infant formula fed from a bottle with an artificial nipple.

Guess what? The World Health Organization isn't funded by formula makers. Conversely, American women are sent home from the hospital with their newborn babies AND a diaper bag, supplied by a formula manufacturer, a breast pump, also supplied by the formula manufacturer, and a supply of infant formula, from who else, but the manufacturer. Oh, sure, all of their printed materials pay lip service to breastfeeding as best for babies, but give me a break!! Those bottles psych mothers out. They become the great temptation when we need a few more minutes sleep or when we are unsure about our own milk production. Next comes the pump. If it is a manual pump, a woman may only produce an ounce or two - maybe more with an electric pump. This leads to more supplementation and pretty soon you aren't producing an adequate supply of milk and you give up. Those formula manufacturers are pretty tricky, but effective.

Here is the conclusion I have come to. First, assess your desire to breastfeed. Is it very important to you? If not, then don't condemn yourself - lots of infants are raised on formula and turn out just fine. Consider, however, the WHO guidelines and think about trying it for at least a few months. WHO recommends at least 6 months, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends up to 12 months. If you are committed to breastfeeding, you can do it!

My suggestion is to put away the formula that you brought home with you - or better yet, throw it away so it isn't a temptation. Next, pack the breast pump away, for at least the first two - three weeks. Pumping is not a reliable indicator of milk supply, as babies are much more efficient at extracting milk from the breast. Give yourself 2 - 3 solid weeks of exclusive breastfeeding, putting your baby to the breast as often and for as long as the baby demands. Remember, you are both learning a new skill and just need some time to master it, without confusing the issue with bottle or pumps. Later, once your supply has been established and your baby is confidently feeding, you can try introducing a bottle now and then, preferably with expressed milk. Keep in mind that most babies have growth spurts at 2 - 3 weeks, so don't give up nursing, just because your baby wants to nurse more frequently during that time.

Of course, you may have issues with weight gain, plugged ducts, sore nipples, etc, but those issues are much easier to sort out and resolve if your nursing relationship is uncomplicated by bottles or pumps.

Wow - I feel so much better - I just needed to vent I guess. Talking to myself is so therapeutic! Ranting inside my head is so tedious and boring. Thank you Blogspot for allowing me to add a little more wasted space to the WWW and to suck up a little more bandwidth.