We’ve all heard that “breast is best.” Yet despite vast amounts of data on the benefits of breastmilk to infants, only 47 percent of babies are still breastfed at age six months, and only 25 percent are breastfed at one year. Why are these numbers so low, especially in light of the fact that the Surgeon General of the United States has recently issued a Call to Action to encourage mothers to exclusively breastfeed their children for six months and continue breastfeeding for a year? The simple truth is that breastfeeding can often be something of an uphill battle to the American mother, and the process isn’t always as easy as one would imagine. As someone who overcame a sharp learning curve and went on to nurse a healthy boy for nine months (and counting), I offer these words of advice and encouragement.
Gather information
To be honest, I was attracted to the idea of breastfeeding because I am both lazy and cheap, and I liked the idea of baby food that I didn’t have to buy, mix, heat up or serve in a bottle that would only have to be washed afterwards. As it turns out, breastfeeding is incredibly beneficial to mother and baby. Breastmilk has the perfect combination of fat, sugar, water and protein for an infant, and it is very easy to digest. Breastmilk also contains antibodies from the mother that protect a young baby before its own immune system matures around age six months. Breastfed babies are less likely to suffer from ear infections, respiratory diseases, allergies, asthma, diabetes, obesity and childhood cancer. They are less likely to die of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. Nursing mothers are less likely to develop type 2 diabetes, breast cancer, ovarian cancer, or postpartum depression. Breastfeeding produces oxytocin and prolactin, hormones that create a sense of well-being and relaxation in mothers. Finally, breastfeeding burns up to 500 calories a day, bringing one step closer the elusive quest to return to pre-pregnancy jeans.
Once a woman has made an informed decision to try breastfeeding, she faces the first hurdle:
Stay strong
Not long after my first prenatal appointment, emails from Enfamil started showing up in my inbox. Shortly after that, cans of Enfamil appeared on my doorstep. After delivering my son, the hospital gave me a bag of swag containing, among other things, another can of formula. This leads many women to think that if the hospital is offering formula, it is endorsing formula, and if it is endorsing formula, it is the best choice for infants. Make no mistake: the free cans of formula have nothing to do with the health of your baby and everything to do with corporate profits. Typically, formula manufacturers provide hospitals with formula for free in exchange for the hospitals giving formula samples to patients. The formula companies’ goal is to get your baby hooked on their brand from the get-go, and the hospitals’ goal is to reduce their bottom line. If you decide to breastfeed, you must make the decision for yourself and not be swayed by free samples and mixed messages.
Expect a learning curve
According to Janet Tolley, Lactation and Doula Program Facilitator at St. John’s Hospital, the number one obstacle to successful breastfeeding is a lack of information that allows a woman to make an informed decision about breastfeeding and then to prepare her for the process. Even mothers who have researched the benefits of breastfeeding are surprised that the process is not as easy as one might expect. Improper latch, establishing milk supply, pain, questions about how much milk the baby consumes or any of a dozen issues can present obstacles to breastfeeding, and it is easy to get discouraged and give up. In my case, I felt like we’d conquer one challenge only to have another one pop up. In his first several weeks, we struggled with my baby’s inability to latch, an underdeveloped suck-swallow-breathe reflex, questions about how much milk he was getting, pain and a plugged duct. Each time an issue arose, I made an appointment with Barbara Schemmer, a lactation consultant at Memorial Medical Center, who patiently listened to my concerns and gave advice that ultimately helped to resolve our issues. Which leads me to my next suggestion:
Seek help for problems
Both Memorial and St. John’s hospitals have lactation specialists serving their maternity wings who are ready and willing to help with any and all nursing issues from the day you deliver to the day you wean. These services are free and available to any woman who wants them. Women can also find free help from the La Leche League of Springfield and the Women, Infants, and Children program at the Department of Human Services. In Tolley’s experience, many women give up and switch to formula too soon, believing that they “can’t” breastfeed, when in reality there are very few obstacles to breastfeeding that cannot be resolved with patience and assistance from a lactation expert.
Keep the milk flowing
The best piece of advice I received was to use a breastpump to stimulate milk production. The day my son was born the lactation consultant on duty wheeled a hospital-grade breastpump into my room and suggested I pump every three hours for 20 minutes to bottle feed expressed milk until the baby learned to nurse. In those early days, despite all my pumping, I didn’t seem to be producing enough milk. This common occurrence is a critical juncture when initiating breastfeeding. The temptation is to supplement breast milk with formula if the supply of milk seems low, but this undermines the way that breastmilk is produced and can ultimately derail the breastfeeding experience. As Tolley put it, “Breastmilk is like love…the more you give away, the more you’ll have.” The more a baby sucks, the more milk is produced. If a baby sucks at a bottle rather than a breast, the breast is not stimulated to produce more milk and the supply dwindles. When I wanted to give up in frustration, the lactation consultant urged me to stick with it, assuring me that every drop of “liquid gold” I pumped helped my baby and that I was “placing the order” for future milk production. Sure enough, as I kept pumping religiously, my supply increased until I had more than enough milk for my baby.
Believe in yourself
A woman’s body is an extraordinary thing, and at no time is that more evident than during pregnancy, childbirth and motherhood. Her magnificent body is able to nurture a growing fetus, providing just what it needs at each stage of development. The same is true after birth, when her body continues to provide the perfect nutrients for her little one. Have confidence in yourself and in your body’s ability to do just what it needs to do.
Hang in there
Breastfeeding has a definite learning curve. In the beginning, neither mother nor baby know what they are doing. Mother is exhausted, and baby is always hungry. Questions arise about proper supply and proper latch. Occasionally it is painful. Yet with persistence, the hard part passes. You figure things out. In the end, the challenges my son and I faced in breastfeeding were worth it in light of the benefits to our physical and emotional well-being. These are benefits that all mothers can enjoy, with a little information, determination and support.
Erika Holst is mom to 10-month-old Anders and curator of collections at the Springfield Art Association.
This article appears in Capital City Parent October 2012.
