The Columnist: Post #200
Human Milk for Human Babies
If you’re one of those folks, you might want to skip this entry and come back at a later date {and hopefully you will come back}.
There were always a few certainties in my life…
- I would never purchase a domestic car
- High-cut bikini bottoms don’t look good on anyone
- I would breastfeed my babies
You’ve probably heard the story about the pack of wild nursing mums who rained hellfire down upon Target recently. Maybe you’re about to become a mother, yourself, and are interested in the benefits of breastmilk. Perhaps you’re a dad who needs a little 411 to help support your baby mama. Or could be you’re just curious about all the scientific stuff behind boobies. You’re all welcome here!
Sure, formula-fed wee-ones can turn out perfectly healthy, be smart little cookies and still have a good bond with mummy…but the proof is in the pudding {great, now I’m hungry}, natural milk is just….better. Here are a few proven benefits:
- Boosts Immune System It’s been long known that mums pass all sorts of antibodies and immunities to their babies through nursing. This is important to itty bitties, who have been locked inside a germ-free bubble for nine months. But fancypants science has recently spotted a special protein found in breastmilk {Soluble CD14} that develops B Cells…which are the Karate Kids of antibody production.
- Reduces Risk for Diseases This is purrdddyyy cool. Research is showing that babies who have been breastfed have a much lower chance of developing Diabetes, heart disease, Leukemia and other cancers, Multiple Sclerosis…and even Asthma, Obesity and ear infections. They’re also discovering that these healthy little honeys have far fewer food allergies.
- Higher IQs Want some facts that’ll really knock your socks off? Studies have determined that there is a direct correlation between a child’s cognitive ability and the length of time that child was breastfed. Each additional month of mum’s milk proved an increase in intelligence.
Nursing your little bobbin has great benefits for mum too! It releases hormones that cause the uterus to contract, which reduces bleeding after labour. These hormones also create a chemical bond with your babe, boosting relaxation and the desire to nurture. And making milk is hard work…calorie burning kinda hard work. Women who breastfeed shed the pregnancy weight more easily. And each sip your tyke takes means lower risk of diseases for you too.
Human milk is still a mystery. There are properties that we just can’t begin to understand, let alone recreate in formula. Breastmilk has just the right amount of fat, sugar, water and protein needed for the growth and development of a baby. Did you know that the composition of the milk actually changes, molding to the specific needs of your kiddo? Let me explain…when your nipper latches on, the first milk {foremilk} is thin and watery. It’s quenching their thirst! Whilst the stuff that comes later {hindmilk} is thicker and creamier, substantial and filling. Your milk supply even increases and dwindles depending on how much your chick needs, responding specifically to your infant.
Alright, I’ve gotten carried away haven’t I. Truth is, I am forever blown-away by this miracle food. And those intimate moments I have with my punkin’ are wonderful and mine alone. No bottle, no store-bought concoction- no matter how fancy- could ever compete with what my son and I have given eachother…which just so happens to be exactly how nature intended it.
