Breastfeeding - Benefits of Extended Breastfeeding and Nutrition for the Child and Mother

Whether to breastfeed or bottle feed their baby is one of the very first decisions parents have to make. Studies have proven that breastfeeding can provide the absolute best nutrition a mother can give her infant and nothing can compare with it. It is also one of the best things a mother can do for herself in the first few months after giving birth. Because of all of the benefits to breastfeeding, breastfeeding is slowly becoming the more popular choice over bottle feeding, but only for the first 3-6 months of the baby's life. What parents do not know is that the longer your baby is breastfed, the more potential your baby has to be healthier and happier.

The above chart shows how breastfeeding declines as the child ages. Some believe that the breast milk does not offer any nutritional value after the baby has started on solid food. This is not correct information. Solid food should be complimentary to breast milk and nursing should continue for as long as the mother and child are comfortable.

Studies have proven that the longer a baby breastfeeds, the smarter the baby is, the healthier he is and more socially well adjusted. Isn't that what we all want for our children?

A mother who has been lactating for over 12 months has a greater fat and energy content in her breast milk. The milk also contains protein and vitamins that a baby needs in that second year of life.

About 2 cups of breastmilk will provide baby with these daily requirements:

• Vitamin B12 - 94%
• Vitamin A - 75%
• Vitamin C - 60%
• Protein - 43%
• Calcium - 36%
• Folate - 76%
• Energy - 29%

Studies have shown that babies who are breastfed during the second year are sick much less often than their peers. When these breastfed babies do get sick, the illness has a shorter duration and the sickness may not be as bad.

Extended breastfeeding can also help prevent allergies and asthma in children, increase IQ scores, and help a child be socially well adjusted and independent.

Mothers benefit from extended breastfeeding too!

• Breastfeeding helps in weight loss. You will loose more and lose it faster because your body is having to use up more calories to produce the milk.
• Nursing extensively will help suppress ovulation in some women. This can be a natural type of birth control. Unfortunately, I have not been able to reap this benefit. My cycles always return within 3-4 months after birth. Keep in mind, this is not 100% effective in all women.
• Helps reduce the risk of getting rheumatoid arthritis.
• Protects the body from developing osteoporosis. Bone density, after an initial loss during lactation, is increased after the baby is weaned.
• Some diabetic women reap the benefit of lower insulin requirements during the time she breastfeeds her baby.
• Reduces the risk of getting several different kinds of cancers, including: breast, ovarian, uterine, and endometrial cancers.

When I was pregnant with my first baby, I did a small amount of reading on breastfeeding. At that time there were not a lot of resources. Breastfeeding was not that popular and there was not any Internet to get a wealth of information from. In my mind, I figured breastfeeding was God's way of feeding babies before man made bottles and formula, so I wanted to try it. How hard could it be, since it was something that was natural?

Knowledge and wisdom came the day after my daughter was born! The hospital gave my daughter a bottle and pacifier in the nursery (first mistake) and then sent me home just 24 hours after she was born, expecting me to know how to breastfeed! I ended up with a screaming, colicky baby, cracked and bleeding nipples, and an episiotomy that was worse than all my c-section incisions put together. I was miserable! No one in my family had tried breastfeeding, so I did not have the encouragement that I needed. All I knew is that something had to give and breastfeeding was the easiest thing to give up since I could not return the baby. My breastfeeding attempt lasted only 2 weeks.

With my second pregnancy, I was determined to find out more about breastfeeding, but the pregnancy was cut short. I had to have an emergency c-section at 26 weeks gestation. My husband and I were proud parents of a micro-premie daughter. She only weighed 1lb 6oz. I was given a pump and told to pump often and send any milk I get to the nursery. I tried hard, but was so discouraged because I could only get drops of milk. The pump was not fun and I thought I was just torturing myself for nothing because my baby could die at anytime. I gave up not long after that. You know what they say about hindsight, if I only knew then what I know now! I really would have tried to keep on pumping if I had know how much my milk would have helped my baby. Maybe things would have turned out differently and her intestines would have healed better with the breast milk and she would still be with us.

Before my third baby was born, I took the time to do some major research on breastfeeding. The more I learned, the more I wanted to give this wonder food to my child. One of the best things I did was join a homeschool support group that year. I met some wonderful ladies who had several children and had nursed all of them. I told them about my past couple of experiences and they encouraged me to make a commitment to breastfeeding for at least 4 weeks. If, after the 4 weeks, I found that breastfeeding was not working, I could switch to bottle feeding. They also told me to make sure I asked to see a lactation specialist in the hospital before going home.

When Hannah was born, I did ask for a lactation specialist and she helped me by showing me how to get the baby latched on correctly and showed me several different positions to help with the c-section incision. I was so amazed at the different results that I got by being shown how to do things. I am also glad that I made the commitment to 4 weeks, because I did get sore when I got home and could have given up a couple of times. Thankfully, by the end of the 4 weeks, things were going great and I finally had succeeded. Hannah weaned herself at the age of 23 months.

When my first son was born, I thought breastfeeding would be a breeze. I was wrong! I had trouble getting him to wake up and not be so sleepy. He would take a couple of sucks, and fall asleep. He was a very picky baby. He liked being held a certain way to nurse and if he wasn't held that way he would fuss. He was very hard to take anywhere because he refused to nurse outside of our home. Then around 8 months of age, he wanted to nurse only while lying down. Not long after that he started refusing to nurse at all. I could not figure out why. I finally got him a bottle and formula because I was so frustrated with him. Then I found out I was pregnant and that the flavor of the milk changes. Since he was such a picky one anyway, he did not like the change in the milk. I was so disappointed that he did not continue to nurse, but I was pregnant and looking forward to the next one.

My next baby was my best nurser! As soon as we got him to the breast, he knew exactly what to do and has such a strong suck, that it startled me the very first time. Micah nursed for 24 months and with a little help was weaned. He was a little reluctant to give it up, but I was ready to end it.

My next two babies were very easy to get latched on. Part of this is because of experience and because by this time I was more relaxed and knew that each child is different and we will deal with whatever we get.

Keziah weaned herself at 21 months of age. I was a bit disappointed because she quit all of a sudden, but when I ended up in the hospital for 12 days the month afterward, I was very thankful.

I had to wean Noah at 16 months because I was pregnant again and the doctors did not want me going into labor. I was told to wean him before I was 20 weeks along or the nursing could cause contractions.

Isaiah was born 5 weeks premature. This meant he was tube fed and then bottle fed. I told the nurses that I really wanted to breastfeed him and his doctors encouraged me to pump because the best thing we could give him was mother's milk. When he started getting fed by mouth we did put him to the breast a few times, but he would fall asleep and not nurse much. The nurses would give him a bottle for the rest of the feeding because bottle feeding is easier for babies. I knew this and was worried that he would not nurse at all. I remembered my first one getting that bottle and that is all it took for her to not want to nurse.

I also had a hard time pumping milk. My milk supply would not come in, so my doctor put me on a medication to help me produce more. Thankfully, that worked. I spent as much time as possible in the nursery with each feeding. I would first offer the breast and then finish with a bottle. By the time we left to go home, I had him totally on the breast. It took a lot of effort, but it was well worth it.

This past week, Isaiah got sick for the very first time at 16 months of age. He had pneumonia and RSV. Two very serious conditions for a baby. He refused to eat any solids or drink from his sip cup, but I did get him to nurse often. I believe if it wasn't for nursing, he would have ended up in the hospital and the sicknesses would have lasted a lot longer.

 Through my experiences, I hope others will learn that breastfeeding "can" be done.  I have gone through all kinds of ups and downs with breastfeeding, but when you make a commitment to it because it is the best thing for your child, you will be able to work through many things. Also know that each child is different and personality plays a role with each one.  Do the best you can and don't feel guilty for what you can't do.