Thursday, February 24, 2011

To boob, or not to boob...

Only in very rare cases would I advise the mother not to breastfeed. Such cases include when the infant is diagnosed with a rare genetic metabolic disorder, galactosemia, or if the mother has a medical condition that can affect the condition of human milk. Several such situations are when the mother has HIV or active tuberculosis, the use illicit drugs or when undergoing chemotherapy and radiation therapies (Lawrence, 2005).  This list is by no means exhaustive, yet most mothers fortunately are not in one of these scenarios here in America.
Other than that, the benefits for both parents and child participating in this blessed occurrence are practically limitless. The bonding experience between mother and baby is a wonderful joy and feelings of warmth, comfort and relaxation have oft been reported by others when near a mother breastfeeding an infant. As worthy of note is the perfect nutrition that only the mother can provide. The mother’s body spent as long as 38 weeks assembling this bundle of awareness before introducing the world to another human being, it seems likely that the same body may know precisely when to provide what continuing for quite some time after birth occurs. As there are no electricity or transportation cost involved, the cost savings of producing your own formula can be reallocated towards the child’s future education. This illuminates a new point, the health benefits for both mother and child. Not only does breast milk contain disease-fighting antibodies, but breastfeeding also lowers the risk of breast cancer and type 2 diabetes.
A woman must be aware that breastfeeding is a learned skill requiring patience and practice, but the special occurrence is unique in that it is perfect for continuing optimum development. It is an amazing usage of time and will help develop the maternal bond that lasts throughout all of life.

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