BREASTFEED

Click to read my story of breastfeeding.

It is a well known fact that babies who are breastfed are healthier than those who are not breastfed.  The benefits carry over well into adult life as well - breastfeeding a baby lowers their risks of developing many diseases and medical conditions including obesity, diabetes, and breast cancer.  New research shows formula fed babies are more likely to die in the first year of life than breastfed babies.  

Those are facts.  Those are not my opinions.  If you have a baby, you should make every effort to breastfeed.  The longer, the better.  If you have problems breastfeeding, there is help available.  Only a very small percent of women or babies have medical conditions that inhibit breastfeeding.  

La Leche League is a good place to start.  The have local meetings across the world led by moms who have helped many women overcome fears, difficulties, and other issues. 

Kelly's Attachment Parenting is a great reference for many issues related to parenting.  Kelly is a local LLL leader and helped me many times in person and through her web site.  If you have questions, she probably has the answers!

Dr. William Sears also has a ton of helpful information.  Dr. Sears is a  Pediatric Physician, the father of eight children, author of 27 books on childcare including The Baby Book.  His wife, Martha, is a registered nurse, a childbirth educator, a La Leche League leader, and a board certified breastfeeding consultant.

Just out of curiosity, since so many people quote the Bible on a regular basis, I looked up breastfeeding in the Bible.  Our breasts were made to feed and comfort our children.   It even says so in the Bible.  

More Breastfeeding Info:

Prolonged exclusive breast-feeding uncommon in US
NEW YORK, Friday July 5, 2002

Parents get mixed messages on sleeping with infants,  Friday July 5, 2002 

Breast-Feeding Mothers Less Likely to Abuse Kids