If you breastfeed...

Saw this on Diaperswappers and I had to share it for all my friends who are currently nursing, have nursed, are planning to nurse... or are just entertaining the idea.
Like I always say, the benefits never end. :)

IF YOU NURSE YOUR BABY FOR JUST A FEW DAYS, he will
have received your colostrum, or early milk. By
providing antibodies and the food his brand-new body
expects, nursing gives your baby his first - and
easiest - "immunization" and helps get his digestive
system going smoothly. Breastfeeding is how your baby
expects to start, and helps your own body recover from
the birth. Why not use your time in the hospital to
prepare your baby for life through the gift of nursing?

IF YOU NURSE YOUR BABY FOR FOUR TO SIX WEEKS, you will
have eased him through the most critical part of his
infancy. Newborns who are not breastfed are much more
likely to get sick or be hospitalized, and have many
more digestive problems than breastfed babies. After 4
to 6 weeks, you'll probably have worked through any
early nursing concerns, too. Make a serious goal of
nursing for a month, call La Leche League or a
Lactation Consultant if you have any questions, and
you'll be in a better position to decide whether
continued breastfeeding is for you.

IF YOU NURSE YOUR BABY FOR 3 OR 4 MONTHS, her digestive
system will have matured a great deal, and she will be
much better able to tolerate the foreign substances in
commercial formulas. If there is a family history of
allergies, though, you will greatly reduce her risk by
waiting a few more months before adding anything at all
to her diet of breastmilk. And giving nothing but your
milk for the first four months gives strong protection
against ear infections for a whole year.

IF YOU NURSE YOUR BABY FOR 6 MONTHS, she will be much
less likely to suffer an allergic reaction to formula
or other foods. At this point, her body is probably
ready to tackle some other foods, whether or not you
wean. Nursing for at least 6 months helps ensure better
health throughout your baby's first year of life, and
reduces your own risk of breast cancer. Nursing for 6
months or more may greatly reduce your little one's
risk of ear infections and childhood cancers. And
exclusive, frequent breastfeeding during the first 6
months, if your periods have not returned, provides 98%
effective contraception.

IF YOU NURSE YOUR BABY FOR 9 MONTHS, you will have seen
him through the fastest and most important brain and
body development of his life on the food that was
designed for him - your milk. You may even notice that
he is more alert and more active than babies who did
not have the benefit of their mother's milk. Weaning
may be fairly easy at this age... but then, so is
nursing! If you want to avoid weaning this early, be
sure you've been available to nurse for comfort as well
as just for food.

IF YOU NURSE YOUR BABY FOR A YEAR, you can avoid the
expense and bother of formula. Her one-year-old body
can probably handle most of the table foods your family
enjoys. Many of the health benefits this year of
nursing has given your child will last her whole life.
She will have a stronger immune system, for instance,
and will be much less likely to need orthodontia or
speech therapy. The American Academy of Pediatrics
recommends nursing for at least a year, to help ensure
normal nutrition and health for your baby.

IF YOU NURSE YOUR BABY FOR 18 MONTHS, you will have
continued to provide your baby's normal nutrition and
protection against illness at a time when illness is
common in other babies. Your baby is probably well
started on table foods, too. He has had time to form a
solid bond with you - a healthy starting point for his
growing independence. And he is old enough that you and
he can work together on the weaning process, at a pace
that he can handle. A former U.S. Surgeon General said,
"it is the lucky baby... that nurses to age two."

IF YOUR CHILD WEANS WHEN SHE IS READY, you can feel
confident that you have met your baby's physical and
emotional needs in a very normal, healthy way. In
cultures where there is no pressure to wean, children
tend to nurse for at least two years. The World Health
Organization and UNICEF strongly encourage
breastfeeding through toddlerhood: "Breastmilk is an
important source of energy and protein, and helps to
protect against disease during the child's second year
of life."* Our biology seems geared to a weaning age of
between 2 1/2 and 7 years**, and it just makes sense to
build our children's bones from the milk that was
designed to build them. Your milk provides antibodies
and other protective substances as long as you continue
nursing, and families of nursing toddlers often find
that their medical bills are lower than their
neighbors' for years to come. Mothers who have nursed
longterm have a still lower risk of developing breast
cancer. Children who were nursed longterm tend to be
very secure, and are less likely to suck their thumbs
or carry a blanket. Nursing can help ease both of you
through the tears, tantrums, and tumbles that come with
early childhood, and helps ensure that any illnesses
are milder and easier to deal with. It's an all-purpose
mothering tool you won't want to be without! Don't
worry that your child will nurse forever. All children
stop eventually, no matter what you do, and there are
more nursing toddlers around than you might guess.

WHETHER YOU NURSE FOR A DAY OR FOR SEVERAL YEARS, the
decision to nurse your child is one you need never
regret. And whenever weaning takes place, remember that
it is a big step for both of you. If you choose to wean
before your child is ready, be sure to do it gradually,
and with love.

*Facts for Life: A Communication Challenge, published
by UNICEF, WHO, and UNESCO, 1989
**K Dettwyler. A Time to Wean. Breastfeeding Abstracts
vol 14 no 1 1994


©1997 Diane Wiessinger, MS, IBCLC 136 Ellis Hollow
Creek Road Ithaca, NY 14850