The Advantages of Natural Breastfeeding and Why it Makes Sense

Updated: 3 days ago

During pregnancy, as baby grows, the mother's body prepares for lactation.

A mother's body gets ready to nourish the baby that is growing in her womb.

Whether or not the mother plans to breastfeed, her body prepares to do so.

As baby grows during pregnancy, mother's body prepares for lactation.

Breast tenderness happens, it is a sign of pregnancy and is due to hormonal changes.

Breast tissue grows, and if there are twins, the breasts prepare for both their needs.

Colostrum is produced during pregnancy and is ready when baby arrives.

The Tonic Labyrinthine Reflex, in the forward (flexed) position emerges in utero. (Think fetal position). When the baby's head and neck flex forward, the limbs bend.

It's counterpart, the Tonic Labyrinthine Reflex in the backward position (extension) emerges at birth. When baby's head straightens and the neck extends, the limbs also straighten.

This reflex may assist baby to get ready for birth.

Head extension may play a part in entry into the birth canal.

This reflex gives information to the baby about where their head and body are in space and is designed to develop their sense of balance.

This reflex continues for a few months after birth.

Ref: 1, 2

2. At birth, breastfeeding helps to gentle the transition from

womb to world.

Mothers naturally want to hold their babies close, and babies are comforted by being held.

Contact with Mother lowers both their cortisol levels, the stress hormone.

With an unmedicated, vaginal birth, babies are more awake and usually ready to latch on and nurse.

If medical issues do not allow for immediate nursing at birth, you can make it up when you are able to be together and can breastfeed.

Baby roots for the breast and latches when held close.

Baby's sucking helps contract the uterus and expel the placenta.

Babies are born with reflexes that instinctively guide them to search for the breast and suck, known as the Rooting and Sucking Reflexes.

The mother's body has a Let Down Reflex, which lets down colostrum and later, breast milk, in response to the baby's sucking or when the mother senses that baby needs to eat.

There is nothing 'new' that a mother needs to learn about breastfeeding.

These reflexes have existed and been effective since the beginning of humankind. They cannot be improved.

Note how these critical, primitive reflexes help baby to build the milk supply.

Hunger causes baby to start rooting around for the breast.

When held on the shoulder, he / she will bob his head back and forth or try to move his head down towards the breast. Sometimes he will suck on a thumb or fingers.

Mom offers to nurse.

When Mom's nipple touches baby's lips, he roots towards the nipple, opens his mouth and moves his head to aid in latching. His sucking is rewarded with colostrum.

When baby is held in the Cradle Hold Position (or Lap Nursing Hold), baby learns how to latch effectively and nurse after a few nursing sessions.

As baby nurses in the days after birth, his sucking continues to help Mom’s uterus to contract.

This helps the uterus to get back to pre-pregnancy size.

Early and frequent breastfeeding after birth reduces both the chance of hemorrhage for the mother and the amount of blood loss.

Ref: 3, 4

Keeping mother and baby together helps them to get to know each other,

to get breastfeeding started and is a great comfort to them both. This is also known as Bonding.

Held close, Mother's heartbeat and breathing reassuringly connects baby with what she / he knew before birth.

Breastfeeding gives regular opportunities for snuggling, eye contact, and talking, in addition to the feeding, diapering and comforting.

Since only mom can nurse baby, breastfeeding guarantees ongoing bonding opportunities.

Sometimes a mothers' birth does not go as planned, and they question their body’s abilities.

Moms who breastfeed after a difficult birth, say that being able to watch their baby thrive with just breastfeeding, built up their confidence again.

Breastfeeding is what the mothers' body is designed to do after giving birth. Her body is 'primed' to produce the milk needed.

The milk supply gradually increases according to baby's needs and his sucking. And through the weaning process, the milk supply gradually decreases.

When breastfeeding does not work out and baby is weaned quickly, the mothers' body thinks that the baby did not survive.

Beware, a rapid drop in hormones can contribute to post-partum depression.

3. After being continually fed through the umbilical cord during pregnancy,

baby now feels hunger.

Mom satisfies that hunger with the first milk, colostrum.

Moms' breast is softer for the first 3-5 days when it has colostrum, so it is easier for baby to learn how to latch on and nurse.

The optimal amount of colostrum is present for baby, whose tiny newborn stomach only needs 1-3 teaspoons per feeding.

The antibody 'immunoglobulin A' (IgA) in the colostrum helps form a protective layer in the baby's nose, throat, and throughout the digestive system.

This helps to prevent microorganisms from penetrating body tissues.

Colostrum is natures' perfect first food for babies.

-Colostrum contains antibodies

-is easy to digest

-contains illness fighting white blood cells

-it coats baby’s stomach and intestines, and helps prevent microorganisms from penetrating body tissues

-it helps invigorate the infant's own immune response

-it protects the mucus membranes in the throat and lungs

-it has a laxative effect and helps baby to more easily pass the meconium

-it boosts the growth of 'good' bacteria - probiotics - in baby’s digestive tract

-it feeds all of baby, including the brain, eyes, and heart for optimal growth

-it helps prevent low blood sugar in full-term babies

for pre-term babies, colostrum can literally be a life saver. It helps get a

pre-term baby's immature digestive tract ready to handle food and is

much better tolerated than formula.

Ref: 5, 6, 7

Colostrum and mother's mature milk set up the optimal gut environment to nourish baby and protect her / him from diseases.

4. Babys' gut microbiome is seeded with important microbes from the

colostrum, areola skin cells and breast milk.

'As is well known, the gastrointestinal tract is sterile in the normal fetus up

to the time of birth.

During normal birth, the baby picks up microbes from the vagina and external genitalia of the mother and any other environmental source to which it is exposed.

The initial microbiome of the offspring originates from the parents, and it has to include the microorganisms that are essential for its development.

The bacteria in mother's breast milk seed the infant gut, underscoring the importance of breastfeeding in the development of the infant gut microbiome.'

Ref: 8

Researchers have 'found that beneficial bacteria are shared through breastmilk and that feeding directly from the breast is the best way to support this process.'

'Long-term health implications of a healthy microbiome:

A healthy microbiome is developed within the first three years of life and plays a number of critical roles throughout the lifespan, including how well people are able to fight disease and prevent infections.

Breastmilk seeds and nourishes the microbiome with beneficial bacteria, until it is fully mature.

Beneficial gut bacteria play a role in lowering risk for chronic diseases like asthma, obesity, allergies, dermatitis, inflammatory bowel disease and neurodevelopmental disorders.

They also play a role in regulating anxiety, mood, cognition and pain via the brain / gut axis.'

Ref: 9

Breastfeeding optimally seeds and nourishes the baby's microbiome with beneficial bacteria.

5. The mature milk arrives around day 3-5 after birth.

It is higher in proteins and fats and will pack on the weight for baby.

Baby's sucking directs the mothers' body to produce the amount of milk he needs for his current size.

This is the amazing Supply and Demand Mechanism of Breastfeeding.

The more that baby nurses, or demands milk, the more milk the mother's body will produce or supply.

The less the baby nurses, the less milk will be produced.

Mom and baby are partners, are a team, producing the perfect amount of milk that baby needs for his growing body.

With the introduction of solid foods and as baby grows less interested in nursing, the hormonal transition in mom is gradual, from lactating

to non-lactating.

6. 'When a mother is exposed to viruses and bacteria, she will produce additional antibodies in her own body that are transferred through the

breast milk.'

'Breast milk is the gift that keeps on giving. The antibodies in your milk will continue to adapt to fight off whatever germs you or your body are exposed to, even after your baby is eating solid foods and cruising around the house.'

'Researchers agree there is a huge benefit to continued breastfeeding....

exclusively for the first six months and then continuing with solids and breastfeeding for the first two years of your child's life or beyond.'

'Breastfeeding can reduce the severity of many illnesses and infections should baby become sick. When a mother and baby are exposed to an illness, mom's breast milk will change to give the specific antibodies needed to fight it off.'

REF 10

7. More Breastfeeding Benefits for Baby Include reduced risks of:

-middle ear infections

-respiratory tract infections

-colds and flu

-gut infections

-inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), Crohn's disease, Ulcerative Colitis

-type 2 diabetes

-childhood leukemia

-obesity

-SIDS - sudden infant death syndrome

-allergic diseases such as asthma, atopic dermatitis, eczema

Breastfed babies have more Leptin in their systems than formula-fed infants.

Leptin is a key hormone for regulating appetite and fat storage.

Breastfed babies self-regulate their milk intake. They are better at eating only until they've satisfied their hunger, which helps them develop healthy patterns.

Ref: 11

Watch for more research on how breast milk is affecting different types of cancer cells, and how breast milk was found to kill malignant cells in a petri dish at the Lund University in Sweden.

Ref: 12

8. Benefits for Breastfeeding Mothers Include:

-it helps to contract the uterus after birth, reducing blood loss and getting her body back to pre-pregnancy shape

-may help mom to lose weight

-ease of travel with baby, no need for bottles and formula

-comforts baby during airplane travel, nursing helps baby's

ears adjust during takeoff and landing

-it ensures food security, it guarantees optimal food for baby at all times, including times of crisis like an extreme weather event that knocks out power and access to food (formula) supplies

Moms Have a Lower Risk of:

-depression (PPD - postpartum depression)

-high blood pressure

-arthritis

-high blood fats

-heart disease

-type 2 diabetes

-breast and ovarian cancer

Ref: 11

Lactation Amenorrhea - is the pausing of menstruation and ovulation in a breastfeeding mother.

When a mother is totally breastfeeding, day and night, her body helps to 'space out' her babies by not ovulating.

Even when baby has started solids, many breastfeeding women do not ovulate and menstruate for 1-2 years or more.

When baby starts solids around the middle of his first year, continued breastfeeding ensures he is still getting everything he needs.

As baby transitions to more solid foods, he will nurse less.

This is the beginning of Child-Led Weaning.

This is a gradual process, sometimes with a couple steps forward and then a step back.

But it happens according to each child’s unique developmental

schedule.

Mom can customize her milk to baby's needs.

If baby is allergic to a food, such as cow’s milk or wheat, mom can keep it out of her diet and continue breastfeeding.

Then mom can wait a few months or more, to slowly reintroduce the food into her diet, to see if baby can tolerate it yet.

Breastfeeding saves Mom and Dad time and money:

-no expenses for formula, bottles, or sterilizer

-no time needed to wash bottles and nipples, or to shop for formula

-no time needed to prepare and heat formula

When mom breastfeeds, hormones are released that help her to let-down her milk, which also help to calm her.

This is very helpful when there are older children in the home, the calming effect helps moms to lovingly juggle the needs of all her little ones.

Older children learn what a woman's breasts are for, when they see mom nursing the baby.

They learn that mom's body can nourish and comfort the baby.

They learn that breastfeeding is natural and that it works.

When a baby is born and the older child is still nursing, tandem nursing meets the needs of both.

This helps reduce sibling rivalry and acknowledges the importance of

child-led weaning, where the child decides when he is ready to stop nursing. He is not weaned because another baby has joined the family.

Breastmilk is always the correct temperature and ready to drink.

Breastfeeding moms don't have to worry about supply chain delays

in getting food (formula) for baby.

Breastmilk is always 'locally available' from mom,

with 'free, instant delivery', 24 hours a day, every day of the year!

9. Mother's mature milk continues to seed baby's gut, building the optimal microbiome for baby.

The microbiome is assembled at birth, develops with its host, and is greatly influenced by environmental factors such as diet and other exposures.

Research shows that gut microbiomes can affect the future health of the baby throughout his life and that this is passed on to future children.

Research is also showing a link between a person's microbiome and his genome.

Mechanisms for selecting, retaining, and transferring key elements of the microbiome are likely to be genetically encoded by the host.

I encourage you to look at some of this fascinating research.

Ref: 8, 13

Hence, it makes sense to set up the optimal gut environment for baby, using natural breastfeeding techniques.

For an inter-generational opportunity to positively affect the health of your future family, Natural Breastfeeding Makes Sense!

Research is showing how breastfeeding optimally seeds the gut microbiome which in turn links to the person's genome.

10. Financial pressures are reduced on families and communities.

Healthier babies mean reduced health care costs.

Community resources used to feed those in need can be stretched further when low-income mothers breastfeed.

When babies are breastfed both baby and mother are healthier throughout their lives.

Breastfeeding improves public health and reduces the financial burden on hospitals, government assistance programs and insurance companies.

11. Breastfeeding is 'Earth Friendly'.

Breastfeeding does not require the use of any metal, plastic, paper or energy, that formula and bottles require for preparing, packaging, and transporting.

Each breastfed baby cuts down on pollution and waste disposal problems.

Exclusive breastfeeding (lactation amenorrhea) naturally spaces out pregnancies.

Even though our world is polluted, scientists agree that human milk is still the optimal food, and it may protect babies from some of the effects of pollution.

How can we help protect the Earth for future generations?

By using Natural Breastfeeding Techniques, which are 'Earth Friendly'.

WABA, the World Alliance for Breastfeeding Advocates, says;

'Breastfeeding is key to sustainable development strategies

post pandemic (Covid 19), as it improves nutrition, ensures food security and reduces inequalities between and within countries.'

WABA promotes a 'Warm Chain of Support for Breastfeeding'.

The Warm Chain places the mother-baby dyad at the core and follows the first 1,000 days of a child's life.

(9 months of pregnancy through 2+ years of life including breastfeeding.)

With consistent messages and proper referral systems throughout the

warm chain, the mother-baby dyad will benefit from ongoing support and breastfeeding counselling.

All mothers are then empowered with a more satisfying and effective breastfeeding experience.

A warm chain of support will help to build an enabling environment for breastfeeding and protect against industry influence.'

I invite you to be a part of this Warm Chain of Support for Breastfeeding.

This website, BreastfeedingSense.Com, describes what happens when mothers are given positioning misinformation and are taught to use products before baby is 6 weeks old, how problems develop, and babies are weaned prematurely.

Unfortunately, most of the lactation organizations that were part of the WABA referral network, have changed from natural breastfeeding information, to teaching positioning misinformation and products. They are the 'industry influence', that teaches techniques that cause problems.

Hopefully they will return to teaching effective, time-tested natural techniques, and will be, once again, a link in the warm chain of breastfeeding support.

By sharing natural breastfeeding techniques, mother to mother, for free,

you can become a link in the warm chain of breastfeeding support.

By sharing this website, BreastfeedingSense.Com, you can make a tremendous difference in the health and lives of babies, mothers, and for our planet Earth.

From bonding to nutrition, to protection from disease,

for the protection of the Earth's resources, and for

an inter-generational opportunity to positively affect the health of your future family members,

Natural Breastfeeding makes sense!

REFERENCES

Note: There are many resources available that share the benefits of breastfeeding, I am only citing a small sample of them.

My focus is to help families learn natural breastfeeding techniques, so that they will be able to breastfeed for as long as mom and baby desire.

When I share information from a source, I do not automatically endorse all the information given by that source.

Ref: 1, 2

abcfoundations.org / primitive-reflexes

CompleteHealthChiro.com.au, august 16, 2021, ‘Why does my Baby do that?'

Ref: 3

'Home Birth' by Alice Gilgoff, 1989, see chapter 'After the Birth'.

Ref: 4

National Library of Medicine, National Center for Biotechnology Information

'Does skin-to-skin contact and breast feeding at birth affect the rate of primary postpartum hemorrhage: Results of a cohort study.' 2015

A Saxton, K Fahy, M Rolfe, V Skinner, C Hastie.

'...women who did not have skin to skin and breast feeding were almost twice as likely to have a PPH (postpartum hemorrhage) ...'

'The explanation is that pronurturance promotes endogenous oxytocin release.'

Ref: 5

Happiest Baby - the Blog, by Dr Harvey Karp, MD, FAAP

'Colostrum: Your Baby's Magical First Meal'

Ref: 6

Scientific American, December 1995.

'How Breast Milk Protects Newborns', by Newman

Ref: 7

webmd.com, ‘What is Colostrum?' 2022 by Roma Kunde

Ref: 8

Dept of Molecular Microbiology and Biotechnology, Tel Aviv University,

'Microorganisms', 2022

'Reconstitution and Transmission of Gut Microbiomes and Their Genes Between Generations', by Eugene Rosenberg and Ilana Zilber-Rosenberg

Ref: 9

'Journal: Cell Host & Microbe', 'Breastfeeding and the Microbiome',

July 2020, senior author of this study: Dr Megan Azad