Why I Chose to Breastfeed

When I was pregnant, I knew I wanted to breastfeed because it was the natural form of feeding, that was enough for me, it was so obvious that I didn't need to hear all of the benefits. In fact, I was a little annoyed that at our childbirth class on breastfeeding was mostly about the benefits and not really about the techniques. I thought, "hey, I'm already convinced that th is is best, now tell me how to do it". But as she pointed out in the class, sometimes it gets tough, and if you know HOW MUCH better it is for your baby, you are more likely to stick with it. Since then I've found some really fascinating articles and podcasts (don't worry,  I will post links to them later). But I for now, I just want to mention some of the facts/ideas I found the most intriguing:

• There are many anti-infective properties to human milk, not all of which are even fully understood
• There are hormones in human milk that help to create a healthy metabolism
• There is tryptophan in breast milk (the stuff in turkey that makes you sleepy, highest amounts at night)
• Breast milk contains the necessary enzymes to digest it efficiently, so it all goes to baby in a nice little package
• Breastfeeding helps prevent ear infections- it is thought to result from both the immunological properties of the milk, but also the suckling motion of nursing at the breast (this also makes babies jaws stronger and can aid in speech later on)
• There is foremilk and hindmilk, which is like the meat+potatoes(higher in carbs & protein) and then dessert (high in fat) of a meal, although the shift is gradual through the feeding, and milk gets slowly higher in fat as the day goes on
• Human Milk Oligosaccharides (not found in formula-if it wasn't obvious enough) are prebiotics, antimicrobial, immune modulators and HMO-derived sialic acid is thought to be an essential nutrient for brain development
• There are four types of mammals with apes, marsupials and humans being in the "carry" category because their young are typically always carried. We have the milk with the lowest fat and protein and highest carb content which means they need to eat more often (basically round the clock) than the other types of mammals that might leave their young to hunt etc.

So there it is: Breast is Best! But, after all that I just have to say that your experience will be your experience, and if you chose to go with formula, or maybe even a combination of formula and breastmilk, I'm sure you made the right choice. You know your baby the best, you know your situation the best, and you know what will work the best.