Both the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the United States Breastfeeding Committee (USBC) have issued strong guidance on the importance of breastfeeding for protection against the H1N1 swine flu. The CDC states, “Infants who are not breastfeeding are particularly vulnerable to infection and hospitalization for severe respiratory illness.”
Thus, the CDC urges new mothers to initiate breastfeeding early and to feed frequently. Mothers already breastfeeding should continue to do so, even if they become ill. Formula feeding should be avoided or minimized and breastfeeding maximized. In the Health News Digest, USBC Chair Joan Younger Meek, MD, MS, …read more

Researchers have long known that breastfeeding mothers benefit from less incidence of breast and ovarian cancer and type II diabetes than formula-feeding mothers. A new study shows yet more strong correlation between breastfeeding and lower rates of diabetes, heart disease and stroke.
Nearly 140,000 post-menopausal women were studied in the Women’s Health Initiative. According to the Vancouver Sun (via One Small Step for Breastfeeding…), the study revealed breastfeeding’s heart health benefits on three levels:
1. Risk Factors. Women who breastfed their babies had lower incidence of the following three risk factors for heart disease: diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol.
2. …read more

Everyone warns new mothers about the sleep deprivation, yet it still comes as a shocker because you simply can’t fathom what it means to get up every couple of hours with a newborn night after night. Luckily, breastfeeding provides a secret weapon for sleepy mothers: the hormone cholecystokinin (CCK).
When the baby suckles, the mother releases CCK. The hormone infusion relaxes her and readies her to drift off to sleep again. If mother and baby are co-sleeping, the mother might even drift off before the baby finishes the feed! What a peaceful experience compared to getting up to prepare a bottle, …read more

The results of the poll on allergies and breastfeeding were quite telling and the comments were helpful and insightful, especially for all those dealing with allergies in the breastfed baby. Frankly I was surprised at the number of nurslings with known or suspected allergies and the number of mothers coping with an elimination diet. An even 1/3 of respondents said that yes, their nurslings have food allergies. These pyramids (in honor of the USDA food pyramid LOL) illustrate the distribution of the 148 votes.

Let’s be clear though — breastfeeding is wonderful for babies with food allergies. Do not interpret these …read more

Today b5media Health and Wellness bloggers write on a fall theme of Harvest. What better time to discuss reaping the rewards of breastfeeding! There is a lot of debate in the breastfeeding community about whether it’s better to say “breast is best” or “breastfeeding is the norm” (and there is increased risk with formula-feeding). Any way you say it, there are many ways breastfeeding benefits baby, mother, the family, and even society in general!
Benefits for Baby
~ A meta-analysis of several studies found “There is good evidence that breastfeeding reduced infants’ risk of ear infections by up to 50 percent, …read more