Breastfeeding Quote of the Day: The Ultimate Wonder Drug
December 16, 2007 by Angela White, J.D., breastfeeding counselor
Filed under breast milk, breastfeeding, quotes and literature
If a multinational company developed a product that was a nutritionally balanced and delicious food, a wonder drug that both prevented and treated disease, cost almost nothing to produce and could be delivered in quantities controlled by the consumers’ needs, the very announcement of their find would send their shares rocketing to the top of the stock market. The scientists who developed the product would win prizes and the wealth and influence of everyone involved would increase dramatically. Women have been producing such a miraculous substance, breastmilk, since the beginning of human existence….
– Gabrielle Palmer, The Politics of Breastfeeding (Issues in Women’s Health)
Amen! This is so true. I had the worst cold last week (for 10 days) and thru the miracle of breastmilk, my son barely got the sniffles. We were co-sleeping and wearing him the whole time, but he stayed well
I think that is one of the best (but least understood) reasons to breastfeed — the protection against, or at least reduction of, illness. It has saved my children so many times, especially during cold and flu season.
When I was pregnant the pediatrician we chose did an “orientation” for new parents. A bunch of pregnant couples met up at his office after hours and asked questions, etc.
He was very pro breastfeeding. So much so that he assumed that all the people in the room planned on breastfeeding.
One of the parents asked “What are your thoughts about travel with the baby?”.
His response: “From one to six months your exclusively breastfed baby has adult immunity, so if you can travel so can the baby.”
I knew about the immunological benefits of breastfeeding, but I had never heard it put that way “your baby has adult immunity.” Wow!
I’m not sure it stops at six months, but I guess he was specifically referring to exclusively breastfed babies. After hearing that, how can anyone *choose* not to even try to breastfeed?