30 Awesome Reasons to be a Breastfeeding Babe – Pre/Postnatal Nutrition

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Breastfeeding Babes! Sounds fun right? In a perfect world, we would all breastfeed our little babes and love it from the very beginning. But the truth is, many of us struggle. Especially in the beginning. Becoming a parent for the first time is a bit of an emotional roller coaster. The love, joy and excitement of a new baby often comes with sleepless nights, fear of making mistakes, and many new challenges. Once I became pregnant for the first time and started to do some research, I totally freaked out! Umm you want me to feed her every 2-3 hours for how many months? I couldn’t comprehend the amount of hours I was expected to just sit there and let this little baby of mine suckle away. My schedule seemed to be overflowing with responsibilities and the to do list of owning my own business just kept piling up. It just didn’t seem like it would be possible. But I was willing to give it a go. And that’s half the battle. 

Once you get the hang of it, nursing and nourishing your baby is actually pretty awesome! You’ll learn to multi-task and catch up on some reading while nursing. You never have to worry about running to the store to get more, no dishes to wash (unless you pump) and it makes travelling with baby so much easier. Once your nipples get accustomed to all the extra attention, they won’t be sore anymore. And although some research indicates that breastfed babies take longer to sleep through the night, your baby will likely have an easier time digesting breast milk rather than formula. This equals happy baby with normal bowel movements. Which equals happy mama. Yeay!

Making the choice to try your best, for you and your baby is the best decision a mom can make. If you make up your mind that you hate it, you will find a reason to give up.

I can tell you from experience, everything went much smoother the second time around. I was armed and ready and my body was prepared to get all the extra attention again!

SO here is some advice for you new mamas and mamas to be:

1. Be prepared What most women struggle with is cracked nipples. When buying a protecting balm look for something that is chemical and fragrance free and contains calendula. I used Mambino Organics, which worked amazingly well. Many women swear by using just coconut oil as well, which as anti-microbial and soothing qualities.
2. Don’t give up! It might seem tough in the beginning and it’s the very best source of nourishment for your baby and it actually has many benefits for you as well! (see below) It only gets easier with time.
3. Nourish yourself Did you know you can actually eat certain foods and herbs that increase your lactation? These are called galactagogues. Some natural ones include fenugreek, fennel, carrots, and dill. Earth Mama has some great pre/post natal teas as well as other goodies for postpartum support. Good nutrition, stress reduction and hydration (about 3L/day) all help to increase your milk if you feel like you are not producing enough.
4. Get help If you’re giving birth at the hospital, you can ask about resources there before you leave for home. If you’re giving birth at home with a help of a midwife, ask her to help you and to make sure the baby is latching on properly and you are comfortable. This will help with sore and cracked nipples and also give you peace of mind so you have one less thing to worry about.
5. Be resourceful There are some amazing sites on the internet that are dedicated to ensuring you get off to a great start and answer any questions you might have. My favourites are Kelly Mom, International Breastfeeding Center, and La Leche League International.

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It’s understandable that some mothers aren’t able to breastfeed for various reasons. You will still be able to nourish your baby with what’s available to you. Choose organic and non-soy based formulas that don’t have any harmful ingredients such as high fructose corn syrup. (yes, they do actually put that into some formulas!) If you simply choose not to breastfeed because of fear, social influence or some other reason, I encourage you to at least give it a try and be rewarded with all the amazing benefits!

30 Awesome Reasons to be a Breastfeeding Babe:

1. Vital to emotional and psychological well-being of new mother – less postpartum anxiety and depression
2. Helps to bond mother and baby
3. Higher IQ for baby due to high cholesterol and healthy fats in human milk that support growth of nerve tissue
4. Fewer ear infections in baby
5. Baby is less likely to require tonsillectomy
6. Less likely to suffer from hypothyroidism later in life
7. Fewer and less severe upper-respiratory infections, wheezing, pneumonia and influenza for baby
8. Higher levels of oxytocin for mother, the hormone that helps to contract the uterus back to normal size and health
9. Promotes postpartum weight-loss – you’re pumping out about 500 calories daily!
10. Breastfed children may have lower cholesterol levels and lower heart rates as adults
11. Less diarrhea and gastrointestinal infections for baby
12. Less likely to suffer from Crohn’s and ulcerative colitis in adulthood
13. Exclusive breastfeeding for 6 months or more reduces risk of food allergies for baby
14. Human milk helps to mature baby’s immune system
15. Breastfeeding decreases the risk of childhood cancers and diabetes
16. Less likely to develop acute appendicitis
17. Breastfed babies have fewer urinary tract infections
18. Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis is less common in breastfed babies
19. Less likely to suffer from allergic eczema
20. Less likely to be obese later in life
21. Less likely to suffer from constipation
22. Helps comfort and soothe baby
23. Appropriate jaw, teeth and speech development in baby
24. Better for the environment – less packaging
25. More convenient – no heating up required!
26. Reduces risk of uterine and ovarian cancers because estrogen levels are lower during lactation
27. Lessens the incidence of osteoporosis to 4 times less than non-breastfeeding women
28. Reduces risk of breast cancer by as much as 25% – the more you feed, the lower the risk!
29. It’s less expensive and therefore lessens stress related to finances
30. Bigger boobs for mama! For a woman who has a less curvy figure (like me!) it’s really nice to have a bit more cleavage, even if it is only for a couple of years!

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Share your experience with breastfeeding in the comment section below!

Looking for some guidance and advice on how to nourish yourself and your baby? Book in for a complimentary session with Annaliisa below!