I remember meeting up with an old friend who had just become a mother. Baby in tow, we entered a restaurant. She immediately insisted on sitting at a private booth, and after five minutes, I discovered why. Mom knew that her baby would soon be hungry. When he was, she discreetly unbuttoned her blouse, adjusted her bra, and began breast-feeding. The baby latched on for dear life.
Mom had to go through all kinds of contortions to hide this activity. "I've been thrown out of other places because I did this," she explained. Though shrouded in an oversize sweater, she was visibly nervous as the waiter took her order.
If America knew what breast milk can do for the brains of it youngest citizens, lactating mothers across the nation would be enshrined, not embarrassed. Though the topic is much debated, there's little controversy about it in the scientific community.
Breast milk is the nutritional equivalent of a magic bullet for a developing baby. It has important salts and even more important vitamins. Its immune-friendly properties prevent ear, respiratory and gastrointestinal infections.
And in a result that surprised just about everybody, studies around the world confirmed that breast-feeding, in short, makes babies smarter. Breast-fed babies in America score on average eight points higher than bottle-fed kids when given cognitive tests, an effect still observable nearly a decade after the breast-feeding has stopped. They get better grades, too, especially in reading and writing.
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that all mothers breast-feed exclusively for the first six months of their babies' lives, continue breast-feeding as their kids start taking on solids, and wean them after a year.
If we as a country wanted a smarter population, we would insist on lactation rooms in every public establishment. A sign would hang from the door of these rooms: "Quiet, please. Brain development in progress."
Watch more parenting videos or learn more about your baby's brain at brainrules.net.
John Medina is a developmental molecular biologist and author of the New York Times bestseller "Brain Rules." His latest book is "Brain Rules for Baby: How to Raise a Smart and Happy Child from Zero to Five." He is an affiliate Professor of Bioengineering at the University of Washington School of Medicine. He is also the director of the Brain Center for Applied Learning Research at Seattle Pacific University.
Follow John Medina, Ph.D. on Twitter: www.twitter.com/babybrainrules
John Robbins: Female Infants Growing Breasts: Another Disaster From Hormones in Milk Production
Surgeon General Urges Support for Breastfeeding
Surgeon General Pushes Breastfeeding - ABC News
How Breastfeeding Benefits Mothers' Health: Scientific American
Breastfeeding makes children smarter - Telegraph
About author John Medina | Brain Rules |
QUOTE studies around the world confirmed that breast-feeding, in short, makes babies smarter. Breast-fed babies in America score on average eight points higher than bottle-fed kids when given cognitive tests, an effect still observable nearly a decade after the breast-feeding has stopped. They get better grades, too, especially in reading and writing. END QUOTE
However if we hold breastmilk (the milk of our own species!) as the norm we get:
studies around the world confirmed that not breastfeeding in short, makes babies less smart. Non breast-fed babies in America score on average eight points less than breastfed kids when given cognitive tests, an effect still observable nearly a decade after the formula feeding has stopped. They get worse grades, too, especially in reading and writing.
We don't talk about the benefits of other things that can have such a significant health impact, we talk about risk of undertaking...
Breast isn't best, it's normal!
www.analyticalarmadillo.co.uk/2010/07/breast-isnt-best.html
Thank you for posting about this important topic!
http://whqlibdoc.who.int/publications/2003/9241562218.pdf
http://www.aap.org/advocacy/releases/feb05breastfeeding.htm
http://www.legislation.gov.uk/asp/2005/1/contents
In Scotland, if a mother nurses her baby in public, It is illegal to give her a hard time on the pain of a fine of £2300. More a boost to change attitudes, than a crackdown; it has worked.
Do NOT feel guilty for not breastfeeding. In the "mommy wars", so many people argue for their side because they're justifying their own choices.
If only I could have taken a break from breastfeeding, I would have done it longer. If something happens to throw pumping/feeding off, it's a downhill slide. I blame nature.
It was simple, and everyone was happy. If a restaurant had ever asked me to leave I would have smiled, politely chatted with the complainer (while refusing) and if it had ever escalated past that, I am sure the baby would be done long before the police were called. End of discussion.
I am surprised that this discussion is still being held after 25-30 years. The formula industry must be putting fear out there still. It is all about the profits, isn't it?
I would suggest an automatic breast pump (powered), not hand held.
She was able to pump more than enough when she was at school to keep our sons supplied at home - I did not have to use formula once.
Breast milk freezes perfectly well (a small college dorm freezer worked great for us). I used to bag and freeze the milk, and if I knew I would need some I'd load the frozen bags right into the baby bottles, put them in the fridge the night before, and they'd be melted by morning. Of course the baby gives you a weird look when the breast milk is cold (kind of a "WTF?" look) but they get used to it.
Side note - you might hear breast feeding prevents pregnancy, and from personal experience I can tell you that it does not prevent pregnancy.
Maybe look at a favorite picture of your little one while you pump - it can't hurt. And listening to my iPod would have made a huge difference using the machine way back then, for me.
A little is better than nothing, in my opinion. Good for you. Relax, do what you can and enjoy every minute ... and take care of yourself.
Best wishes!
PS - Put it in a special container or bag at work to ensure no one throws out that precious few ounces while cleaning out the workplace refrigerator! Someone once thought it was spoiled milk, because the fat separates from the liquid. Thankfully, I was able to immediately retrieve it when it happened, lol, but it was close ... too much effort to have it tossed away.