It’s the end of World Breastfeeding week and thinking that your baby’s health is the most important concern, I believe that every mom who can breastfeed should do so. I was stunned to hear that some women choose not to breastfeed or to do so just for few weeks.. some hospitals need breastmilk donation to give to premature babies as breast milk is the only hope they have to survive. So If breastmilk is so precious, why would you not naturally choose to give the best to your own baby?
I have to say this time around I found the social taboo of breastfeeding hitting me harder than the first time. With Bee I didn’t even know breastfeeding was an issue in this country, with Leonardo I notice the “awkward/embarassed face” more often when I breastfeed in public.
“Who cares” is always my attitude although deep inside I get really sad that breastfeeding mothers get confined to feed their babies to a corner, in a different room or in a toilet.. it makes me really angry actually! Funny enough nobody is bothered by the look of certain women on a saturday night who show more “skin” than a mom breastfeeding!
Aaanyway… these are my ten reasons (I would probably have more) why breastfeeding is the best option not only for my little one but for me too:
– breastmilk is free, always available, always at the right temperature, no need of bottles or sterilizing
– breastfeeding allows me to bond with my son and the thought that he lives out of my own milk makes me feel like a super woman!
– breastfeeding helped me to lose all the maternity weight very quickly and go back to my pre-baby jeans!
– breastmilk is so precious can be used to healing conjunctivitis, insect bites and stings, burns or abrasions (pretty powerful eh?)
– I can easily sooth my crying baby by offering him some milk, whenever and wherever
– breastfeeding raises my child’s IQ’s (not that he really needs it if he takes it from mommy lol!)
– breastmilk tastes amazing! Obviously I tried it! Don’t you taste your child’s food before giving it to him!??!
– breastfeeding provides a measure of protection against breast cancer, ovarian cancer and weak bones later in life
– breastmilk reduces the risk of developing allergies
– breastfeeding burns around 500-800 calories a day so you can have chocolate every day!
Some women are probably insecure and need a role model to understand that breastfeeding is essential for their baby’s first months of life. That’s why I was thrilled to hear that Kate Middleton ordered some breastfeeding clothes and the news spread around the world! She’ll have such a power and will probably make the difference in some moms’ choice.
I like this quote: “Women should not feel guilty if they are unable to breastfeed, but they *should* feel guilty if they are unwilling to do so, and they should be intellectually honest enough to know the difference”.
Remember… happy babies happy moms!
