Benefits of breastfeeding

For the first three days after the birth of the baby a woman secretes Colostrum, a high calorie fluid (Berger 2009). In comparison to cow’s milk, a mother’s breast milk is at body temperature, sterile, and contains vitamins, irons and other nutrients for the body and brain. Recommendation from the American Academy of Pediatrics states that babies should be fed breast milk exclusively for six months, but can continue for twelve months if the mother desires.

Research has shown breast milk has many advantages. Breast fed babies have a decreased chance of developing respiratory and ear infections, asthma, bacterial meningitis, SIDS, and juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. Research is also showing the advantage of being breast fed last well into adulthood. There is a decreased risk of developing breast cancer, diabetes and heart disease.

I looked at several cultures and their values on breastfeeding. The !Kung San (or African bushmen)  live in isolation on the plains of the Kalahari Desert. Over the past forty years, the! Kung has allowed scientists to observe their lives, including how they care for babies.

The ancient wisdom of the !Kung San focuses on three actors:

1. Constant holding

2. Immediate responding

3. Very frequent breastfeeding                  

!Kung San mothers breastfeed their baby three to four times an hour. This equals to fifty to one hundred times a day.

Reference

Berger, K. S. (2009). The developing person through childhood (5th ed.). New York, NY: Worth Publishers.

http://www.happiestbaby.com/cultures/breastfeeding-other-baby-lessons-from-the-kung-san/

http://www.breastfeedingonline.com/importanceofhumanmilk.htm