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Breastfeeding
Getting
breastfeeding initiated positively starts with active participation in the
act of childbirth. Allowing the baby
to come to the breast for his/her first feeding immediately after birth is
ideal. Doulas can help with
positioning and proper latch techniques during the immediate postpartum
period.
Breastfeeding is
the ideal way to bond with your baby.
It requires closeness often which enhances a mother’s
recognition of her child’s needs.
It allows for a baby’s intense need to be with his/her mother to
be met and foster a feeling of security.
Breastfeeding is
the ideal way to nourish your baby.
Breast milk is the perfect food for a growing baby. It is full of exactly what your baby needs
and its content changes as your baby grows and changes. The colostrum (the clear liquid that comes
from your breast before your milk “comes in”) is full of
antibodies to help give your baby’s immune system a “jump
start” in a new world full of germs.
According to the American
Academy of Pediatrics,
a baby only needs breast milk for the first 6 months of life, after that
solids can begin to be introduced.
Breastfeeding is
much more cost-effective than formula.
The only absolute increase in cost is due to the increased calorie
intake by the mother. A nursing mother
needs approximately 3000 calories per day.
Breast milk is always readily available and at exactly the right
temperature. And, believe it or not,
breastfed baby stool does not have a foul odor!
La Leche League is a worldwide
organization of mothers helping mothers learn to breastfeed and encouraging
continuation of breastfeeding. Below
is the basic philosophy of LLL. To
contact a local chapter, visit LLL International at www.llli.org.
The basic philosophy of La Leche League is summarized in the
following statements:
- Mothering
through breastfeeding is the most natural and effective way of
understanding and satisfying the needs of the baby.
- Mother and
baby need to be together early and often to establish a satisfying
relationship and an adequate milk supply.
- In the
early years the baby has an intense need to be with his mother which is
as basic as his need for food.
- Breast
milk is the superior infant food.
- For the
healthy, full-term baby, breast milk is the only food necessary until
the baby shows signs of needing solids, about the middle of the first
year after birth.
- Ideally
the breastfeeding relationship will continue until the baby outgrows the
need.
- Alert and
active participation by the mother in childbirth is a help in getting
breastfeeding off to a good start.
- Breastfeeding
is enhanced and the nursing couple sustained by the loving support,
help, and companionship of the baby's father. A father's unique
relationship with his baby is an important element in the child's
development from early infancy.
- Good
nutrition means eating a well-balanced and varied diet of foods in as
close to their natural state as possible.
- From
infancy on, children need loving guidance which reflects acceptance of
their capabilities and sensitivity to their feelings.
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