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Breastfeeding Lifestyle Benefits

5/1/2015

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3 of 3 research/opinion articles I wrote for my Breastfeeding Group (La Leche League International) in 2013. Do you or don't you? Will you or won't you? Your position on breastfeeding doesn't matter to me, but here are some of the things I like about it.
A lot has been written on the health benefits of breastfeeding, but there’s a whole other side to breastfeeding that doesn’t get as much press – the “it just makes Mommies happy” side. Breastfeeding is often portrayed as a difficult, momentous undertaking – which it can be, sure, but so can bottle feeding or any other aspect of parenting. For Moms who have gotten into the swing of it, there’s a whole lot of love for breastfeeding that goes beyond the obvious health benefits.
 
I recently read a very funny take on some of the “shallow” benefits of breastfeeding: http://www.scarymommy.com/reasons-to-breastfeed/
Then I read a super-involved discussion of breastfeeding benefits and debunking of naysayers:
http://www.thealphaparent.com/2012/01/how-to-win-any-breastfeeding-argument.html
 
Here’s my version  – The Top 5 Lifestyle Benefits of Breastfeeding:
1. It’s Convenient – My breasts are with me all the time, for instant-access, anywhere, anytime, fuss-and-mess-free feedings. No supplies, no measuring, no washing, no prepping, no-nonsense.
2. It’s Cheap – Infant formula costs between $700-$1500 per year. Gasp. That’s not counting all the bottles, cleaning products, and other accessories. Don’t know about you, but that’s just plain out of my budget. Some companies are sure getting rich off feeding babies, at the expense of exhausted, often financially-stressed Moms.
3. It’s Calming  – Screaming baby, *glump*, no screaming baby. Before your child can communicate, being at Momma’s breast is the perfect, instant answer to any upset. I truly don’t know how formula feeding Moms do it, but I suspect that lack-of-the-all-pacifying-breast may be the reason people in public places shudder when they see a baby coming – they’re waiting for the infamous scream-that-never-ends, something that doesn’t exist in my house.
4. It’s Carefree – A breastfeeding Mom really doesn’t have to over-think anything. For the first year of my baby’s life I ate what I wanted, when I wanted, fed my baby whenever he needed, napped with him when I could, bathed with him, slept with him, cuddled him, rocked him at night – I was able to go purely on parenting instinct and had the joy of watching my little one’s struggles and smiles without constantly wondering if I was doing the right thing. I didn’t have to wonder – I could feel the right thing.
5. It’s Bliss – Postpartum depression, is that really a thing? Sadly, it is, but breastfeeding Moms are treated to an instant cure-all, being bombarded with Nature’s Best Drugs every time baby nurses. The flood of fantastic happy-making hormones has all kinds of benefits: lower blood pressure, better sleep, and just a nifty good mood. It doesn’t make breastfeeding Moms immune to stress and depression, but it sure helps. And if you take it a step further to that spiritual side, there’s just nothing more right in the world than a happy, sleepy baby at Momma’s breast. Best. Feeling. Ever.
Summary:  If you’re currently breastfeeding or thinking of starting, consider that it doesn’t have to be a huge undertaking . Don’t try to be perfect, just remember that this is what the species has been doing for thousands of years. If it was so hard to accomplish, we wouldn’t have survived! It’s a natural, instinctive, often fun, always rewarding way to parent and bond with your baby.
 
–Elizabeth B. , LLL Mom, 2013
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Breastmilk & Food Allergies: Simplified & Debunked

4/11/2015

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2 of 3 research/opinion articles I wrote for my Breastfeeding Group (La Leche League International) in 2013. Allergies are a hot-button issue. Some may disagree with my laid-back approach. Oh well.

Breastfeeding Moms are bombarded with warnings about what they eat and how it will affect their babies. Is it really as scary and complicated as its made out to be?

Myth: Babies can be allergic to lots of things in their mother’s milk.
Research Shows: True allergies to food traces in the mother’s milk are pretty rare, and sensitivities are generally transient and mild.

Source: Most of this info came from an exhaustive search on the NIH site. I was most surprised by the info I did NOT turn up. I did not turn up tons of studies showing babies having severe allergic reactions due to something their mothers ate. The few cases are scary, of course - but they are few.
 
Definition of an allergy: An allergy causes an exaggerated immune system reaction.
An immune system reaction is not "a little cranky" or "a little gassy" - those are not signs of an actual allergy. The most common symptom of a genuine immune system reaction in children is a skin rash.
It’s important to differentiate between actual medically defined allergies versus intolerances or sensitivities. Allergies can be severe or even life threatening, although it's doubtful such a severe allergen would be found in breastmilk. A simple intolerance or sensitivity is really nothing to worry about. Most kids get past them.

The best thing to remember is that not many actual allergens can make it through into breastmilk. The breasts are an extremely well-designed filtration system. A baby that's not on solids yet shouldn't have much to worry about. Spicy food, chocolate, garlic, the occasional beer - there is no evidence that any of these things in the mom's diet will be bad for the baby.
 
National Institute of Health Allergy Info: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0001820/
LLL article by MD about lactose intolerance and allergies: http://www.llli.org/ba/nov98.html
 
Cow’s Milk Allergy
There is a difference between a cow’s milk allergy, which is an actual allergy to a protein in cow’s milk, and lactose intolerance. Cow’s milk allergies are more common in children and are usually outgrown, where lactose intolerance is usually of adult onset and can worsen with age and exposure.
 
Good scientific article on lactose & milk issues: http://kellymom.com/health/baby-health/lactose-intolerance/
Very complete article on allergy & sensitivity: http://kellymom.com/health/baby-health/food-sensitivity/
 
A few articles on food allergies from Womb to Toddlerhood:
Doctors do not generally recommend that mothers avoid foods during pregnancy to reduce the risk of allergies:
http://kidshealth.org/parent/question/infants/pregnancy_fd_allergy.html
Babycenter.com’s medical-review-board-approved article emphasizes that for generalized symptoms like fussiness, the breastfeeding mother’s diet is not the most likely culprit:
http://www.babycenter.com/0_breast-milk-interactions-chart_8788.bc
 
The American Academy of Pediatrics has recently (2008) revised its suggestion that parents avoid introducing common food allergens in the first few years of like. The American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology indicates that early minimal exposure may actually help to prevent food allergies later in life:
http://www.kvue.com/news/health/kids-doctor/196327741.html 
 
Summary:
It’s hard to get a real numerical estimate of the occurrence of true food allergies, including cow’s milk protein allergies, in breastfed babies. Estimates of 1-3% have come from some sources, obviously with a higher incidence in families that already have food allergies.  Such a low percentage would suggest food allergies aren’t something most nursing moms need to obsess about. As far as other, milder sensitivities; many mothers will swear their child has them and some mothers never trouble with them at all.  How to deal with milder food sensitivities in breastfed babies can probably safely be left up to each Mom’s discretion – it all depends on her tolerance for detective work and dietary changes and the severity or frequency of the baby’s reactions. Good luck, and don't panic!

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Breastfeeding & Dental Decay - A Modern Problem?

3/18/2015

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1 of 3 research/opinion articles I wrote for my Breastfeeding Group (La Leche League International) in 2013. This is a complicated issue that few seem to agree on. Let's hope for more unbiased research in the future!

Hello, Moms, I want to bring your attention to a serious issue. It’s sad but true: Our beautiful breastfed babies are not immune to dental decay. I have personal experience with this and have done some research that I’d like to share.

Here’s the gist of it: One of the most reputable and commonly-cited studies published in the 2007 American Association of Pediatrics Journal (Iida H,Auinger P, Billings RJ, Weitzman M.) concludes that while there is no increased incidence of tooth decay with breastfed babies over formula (I think we knew that), infant tooth decay is still extremely prevalent: this study found that between 20% - 30% of breastfed children had some kind of dental decay by the time they were toddlers. That's a little daunting. A couple other studies have turned up a similar statistic, but many of them seem to have poor controls and dubious methodology. But still, if studies continue to bear this out, it is huge. 

We know it irks us breastfeeding moms to no end when we are bombarded by media saying that on-demand feeding and night feeding causes dental decay - why should this be the case when this is the natural and normal way to feed our children? Surely all children through history did not have their baby teeth rotting out, right? (Drs Palmer, B and Torney, H). That would be, as Dr. Brian Palmer puts it, “evolutionary suicide.” Studies on frequency of feeding and night feeding have had mixed results. But as near as a historical perspective can show, this seems to be a modern problem. So where is it coming from? Different diets for moms and kids? Different tooth structure? Super-bacteria? Research is not showing any answers yet.

However, we need to try to put aside our annoyance and accept that regardless of the natural and historical perspective, the problem absolutely does exist here and now. My own personal experience reinforces this. My son had to have all his upper teeth capped at 18 months due to severe early dental decay. He didn’t eat sugary foods or juice, he was just a free and frequent round-the-clock nurser. Two other regulars in my breastfeeding group had four children between them (all older, aged 3 - 7 years) with virtually identical nutrition and nursing patterns and no dental decay.

I’m certainly not saying don’t feed on-demand, or night-feed! I'm saying check and clean your child’s teeth as often as possible and get them to a dentist before age one - in case you're one of the unlucky ones, like me. I actually spotted the buildup on my child’s teeth at about 7 months, but our pediatrician said it was nothing to worry about. He was wrong. Monitoring and cleaning teeth is really pretty easy, and doesn’t have to interfere in a natural breastfeeding lifestyle. Maybe we can’t manage the level of perfection that our dentists recommend, but we should do whatever we can. Risk factors to watch for may include early tooth eruption, very frequent nursing, family history of tooth decay, and lack of fluoridated water - although that last one is a matter for much debate, too.
​
The point is, all you have to do is check and clean as much as you can – a good close watch on those first erupting teeth may help to catch a problem before it gets out of control.
If you want more information that is as open and unbiased as possible, please check out the Kelly Mom website or the National Institute of Health (nih.gov).
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