The Monthly Doula
A newsletter by Birth a Miracle Services
Volume 1 Issue 7 January 2009
Benefits of Breastfeeding
Mission Statement: My goal is to educate and inform all parents and future parents of their rights and responsibilities of bearing children and of the truth and wonder of birth. My mission is to inspire them to enjoy their pregnancies and to look forward to bringing their children into the world.
Contents:
Letter from the Editor
In the News
Quote of the Month
Benefits of Breastfeeding: A Look at What the Experts Are Saying
Website of the Month
Book of the Month
Online Video of the Month
What is Birth a Miracle Services?
Inspired Birth
Request for Contributions
Subscribing/Unsubscribing
Letter From the Editor
My second child is now almost 5 months old and we are currently enjoying breastfeeding. My first child weaned himself by 18 months, and I hope to make it at least that long this time around. Breastfeeding is certainly not easy to get used to, even when you’ve done it before, but I can’t imagine having it any other way, since it offers so many benefits to both of us. I especially love the cuddle time that it gives us, time that no others can offer her, and although I know that my milk is helping her to grow strong, I’m counting on the time we spend together as a jumpstart to a healthy mother/daughter relationship with her, as it did with me and my son.
Breastfeeding may not be for everyone, but many new mothers are unaware or underestimate the significant benefits that breastfeeding offers both them and their babies. Thankfully, breastmilk is now getting the positive reputation that it deserves, and I hope that our generation will continue the battle that our mothers fought to give babies the best start in life that they can. So if you are a new or expectant mom, I encourage you to take a closer look at what breastfeeding can offer you and your baby, and if you are a breastfeeding pro, I encourage you to share your knowledge with all the young women around you. I hope that the information I have included in this issue of The Monthly Doula will get you off to a good start.
Enjoy!
Naomi Kilbreth, CD
Birth a Miracle Services
36 Greenwood Street
West Paris, ME 04289
(207) 754-8875
www.birthamiracle.wordpress.com
In the News:
Sleep Easy
- Breastfeeding may provide long-term protection against the incidence or severity of a childhood SRBD, or sleep-related breathing disorder. See the full article here: http://www.ifm.net/news_feature.htm?ID=155Saving
Lives – Infants who are not breastfed have a 21% higher postneonatal infant mortality rate in the U.S. See the full report here: http://www.4woman.gov/breastfeeding/index.cfm?page=227Reducing Postpartum
Depression – Mothers who breastfeed their babies have fewer episodes of post-delivery depression. See the full article here: http://www.nichd.nih.gov/health/topics/Breastfeeding.cfm
Quote of the Month:
“There are 4,000 species of mammals, and they all make a different milk. Human milk is made for human infants and it meets all their specific nutrient needs”.~ Ruth Lawrence, M.D., professor of pediatrics and obstetrics at the University of Rochester School of Medicine in Rochester, N.Y., and spokeswoman for the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Benefits of Breastfeeding: A Look at What the Experts Are Saying
By Naomi Kilbreth
As a birth doula, one of my responsibilities is to encourage my clients to make healthy decisions following the birth of their child. As there is overwhelming evidence of breastfeeding being advantageous over formula feeding, it is my responsibility to inform them of the benefits that follow the choice to breastfeed. Here is what a few of the experts on breastfeeding are saying:
“Breastfeeding is one of the best starts a mother can give her baby.”1
“The benefits to the mother of immediate breastfeeding are innumerable.”2
“Even breastfeeding for a few days will give the added insurance for a healthy first year.”3
“Breastfeeding after a cesarean can be a joyful way for mother and baby to learn about each other.”4 Because the benefits of breastfeeding are truly innumerable for both mother and baby, I will only list a few of those benefits here. For the baby, his mother’s milk is specifically tailored to meet his needs. So much so, that the ingredients in the milk can change between feedings in order to meet his needs. Breastfeeding is associated with drastically reduced rates of illnesses, resulting in fewer hospital stays and less medical costs from infancy through adulthood. Breastfeeding has also been found to increase the child’s IQ level by an average of 11 points.5 For the mother, breastfeeding promotes faster recovery from birth, including a return to pre-pregnancy weight, burning an average of 500 calories a day. Breastfeeding also releases mothering hormones that give her increased calmness, self-esteem and confidence. Breastfeeding is also associated with a reduced risk of cancers of the reproductive organs and of osteoporosis in the mother.
Not only does the breastfeeding couple benefit physically and emotionally, but it also benefits their pocketbook. The American Academy of Pediatrics stated that in 1993, the cost of purchasing formula was $885 for the first year alone. Newer estimates average $1,200 for the first year.
Breastfeeding exclusively for the first six months of life is the healthy option for all families. Even women who have serious illnesses and women who have had breast reductions and implants have been successful in breastfeeding their children.
If you do decide to breastfeed, congratulations on your choice! You will be grateful that you did. If you do not breastfeed, remember that the choice of feeding method (although important) is only one way to influence your child’s life. There are many excellent articles available on how to start out right when formula feeding.
Make sure to ask your doctor or midwife for hand outs on positioning, starting a feeding, milk storage, working while breastfeeding, breast engorgement and sore nipple management. You may also wish to be referred to a lactation specialist in your area.
Sources:
1 – “10 Great Reasons to Breastfeed” Minister of Supply and Services Canada, 1990
2 – “Touching” by Ashley Montague
3 – “Postpartum Healing Through Breastfeeding” by Katie Corcoran, LLLI consultant
4 – “Breastfeeding After a Cesarean Birth” La Leche League International, 2004
5 – National Institutes of Health, 2002
2009 © Associated Content
Website of the Month:
http://www.drgreene.com/21_552.html
Book of the Month:
So That’s What They’re For!
by Janet Tamaro
Online Video of the Month
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=soSlg1ia8bw
What is Birth a Miracle Services?
Birth a Miracle Services is the name of the birth doula and childbirth education service that I started in 2002.
A birth doula is a person who offers informational, physical, emotional, spousal, and advocacy support to women through pregnancy, birth, and the early postpartum period. I also offer traditional childbirth preparation classes, birth art classes, and childbirth counseling.
All of this is available to women within an hour of my home in West Paris, Maine for a sliding scale fee. Single, teen, and low-income moms can receive my birth doula support for free.
For more information visit my blog: http://birthamiracle.wordpress.com/
Inspired Birth
I am proud to announce the birth of my first book, Inspired Birth: A Fresh Perspective for Christian Maternity Care Providers. It is an inspirational guide for all Christians who attend women in childbirth, with fresh ideas on how to meet the emotional and physical needs of childbearing women while addressing current challenges to American maternity care. This book is still in the editing process and is not currently available for purchase, but if you know any Christians who are doctors, nurses, midwives, or doulas, please let them know that this book is on the way!
Request for Contributions
Next month’s topic is protecting the perineum during childbirth. If you have anything you would like to contribute, such as a tip on how to avoid tears, please email your thoughts with the subject line “Monthly Doula” to Kilbrethfamily@yahoo.com . Thank you!
Subscribing/Unsubscribing
To subscribe to this newsletter, send a blank email to kilbrethfamily@yahoo.com with “subscribe” in the subject line.
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To view previous issues of The Monthly Doula, click this link:
http://birthamiracle.wordpress.com/category/the-monthly-doula/
