By Heather Clower
The Parsons Advocate
There are many decisions parents have to make prior to their child being born. One of them is how you will feed your baby. While there are no right or wrong ways, science has proven there are benefits to mother and child who choose to breastfeed. Some of the benefits may be obvious, such as you don’t have to purchase formula, but others may be more of a surprise.
The consumption of human milk by infants improves health, immunity, and child development. It aids in the recovery of labor and delivery quicker for the nursing mother, and also provides a bond that is indescribable. Breast milk provides the perfect nutritional make up for infants and helps prevent against the two leading causes of infant mortality; pneumonia and diarrhea. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), it also reduces risks for the mothers for breast and ovarian cancer, type II diabetes, and post-partum depression. Statistics have also shown children and adolescents who were breastfed tend to have less chance of being obese, having type II diabetes, and perform better in intelligence tests.
However, for something so natural, it is definitely a task that can be difficult and stressful. Luckily there are a few programs that are equipped to be of assistance. First there is the Women, Infants, and Children program (WIC). They are very supportive of breastfeeding mothers and have a lactation consultant on staff to help at any time. They help monitor the babies growth to make sure they are getting enough nutrition, answer any questions nursing parents may have, offer advice and suggestions, and are available just to listen when needed. They also assist in providing pumping equipment for mothers who may have to pump whether medical reasons or they are returning to work. This is a huge asset as quality breast pumps can be very expensive.
Another local entity providing aid to our nursing mothers is the Allegheny Highlands Parents as Teachers Network. They have five certified lactation consultants on staff and can easily be reached by phone or online. The program also provides breastfeeding classes for expecting parents. Angie Davis, Allegheny Highlands PAT program director and lactation consultant, recalled one mom who came to their class for social interaction with no intention to breastfeed. Unfortunately she had not been successful with her oldest child so had decided against it. Unexpectedly, she decided to try again and thanks to the education gained at these courses, she is currently two months in and still exclusively breastfeeding her infant. “I in no way want to ever make a mother feel guilty for not breastfeeding, but I know how precious and powerful it is for both the mother and baby, so I want to give every mother the information she needs to be successful at breastfeeding”, stated Davis. “I like to call breastfeeding the fourth trimester! If a woman can make a baby inside of her, she can surely make milk to feed that baby. She just may need more information and support.”
Fortunately that support and information is readily available in our local community. As you can see, there are many benefits of breastfeeding for both mother and baby. Anyone who is expecting and considering breastfeeding should reach out to one of these entities who are more than happy to help.
