Once a mother gives birth, one of the first choices she makes is how to feed her baby. A few well known facts, but always worth reviewing are that breastfeeding is cost effective, healthy for mom and baby, as well as provides a special opportunity for closeness and bonding. What else do we know about breastfeeding?
We know that breast milk has disease combating cells called antibodies that aid in protecting baby against germs and sickness. When baby does get sick, breastfeeding helps baby recover faster. We know that breast milk is easily digestible and packed with nutrients tailor made for your baby. Babies don’t need cereal or water for the first 6 months of life when they are fed with an ample supply of breast milk. We know that breastfeeding for at least 12 months or longer is not only recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics, but perfectly normal in countries all over the world (picture #14 is one of my favorites!) We know that while breastfeeding provides amazing protection against disease, vaccinations are still recommended for your baby.
Jennifer Tenorio, a Women Infant Child (WIC) breastfeeding peer counselor from San Felipe Pueblo wrote these words about the wonderful world of breastfeeding.
”World Breastfeeding Week 2016 theme was about how breastfeeding is a key element in getting us to think about how to value our wellbeing from the start of life, how to respect each other and care for the world we share.
Our main focus in World Breastfeeding is also to help and encourage our new/ current breastfeeding mothers and families to keep our tradition of natural love alive within our native community. The purpose of hosting this event is the important practice of breastfeeding that it respects our heritage and culture and strengthens in our children, our communities, and our future for our families. Many of our families and communities struggle with serious health problems such as obesity and diabetes. Breastfeeding lowers the risk of an infant becoming overweight and possibly developing diabetes in later life. Villages, communities, and entire nations have thrived and grown strong from mother’s milk. With breastfeeding we are here today because our ancestors breastfed. All of our great leaders were breastfed. Our ability to breastfeed has not changed. Talking to our Elders and sharing their experience and their stories about breastfeeding as they would pass and give good wisdom of education of the importance in mother’s milk to our new/current breastfeeding mothers, families, communities and the future that benefits and holds our children be stronger and healthier.”
Please join us in thanking our moms who breastfeed. Support them if they need to breastfeed in public. Provide a private place to pump breast milk in your home or business if a mom needs that assistance. Take time to appreciate the wonderful world of breastfeeding and the simple beauty of baby to breast.
This blog post was written by Labor of Love Contributor Catherine Roth CCHW and Jennifer Tenorio WIC Breastfeeding Peer Counselor at San Felipe Pueblo, NM. To learn more about our Labor of Love program, click here.