This is a great time to honor the mothers living life in the trenches, taking care of their babies.
All of these moms are operating on little sleep, recovering and reclaiming their bodies from childbirth. At the same time, they're learning as quickly as possible as much as they can about the care and nurture of the tiny new people who have invaded their lives.
New parents are faced with plenty of new situations, and on many fronts, life will never be the same for any of them again. One of the first decisions they'll need to make is how their babies will be fed.
What shall it be, bottle or breast? This question can make new parents feel like they are entering shark-infested waters. Whichever choice they make is an emotionally charged torpedo, for them and sometimes for the people around them.
Lots of moms choose to bottlefeed. Their reasons are their own, and are inviolable. I bottlefed my first child and under the circumstances at the time, I was glad to have that option.
There are pros and cons to bottlefeeding. It's convenient in many respects — Dad or Grandma or a visiting friend can feed the baby, making Mom's time less restricted. For a mother who must leave her baby to go back to work, being able to bottlefeed can make for one less thing to worry about.
On the negative side, it's also expensive, and brings with it the need to choose which formula out there is best, what type of bottles, what type of nipples. Parents are working out what formula to buy, against the backdrop of knowing that the nutrition from breastfeeding is superior to bottlefeeding.
Some mothers find it to be far more time-consuming, as a batch of bottles must be prepared every day, and it's essential to calculate whether or not you have enough formula in enough bottles when going out. Running out of formula can be disastrous, so you just don't ever let that happen.
Breastfeeding also has its pros and cons. The reasons for moms who nurse their babies are also their own, and these are also inviolable. I went this route with four of my babies and was delighted to be able to do so.
August was declared National Breastfeeding Month by The United States Breastfeeding Committee on August 6, 2011.
August 1 through August 7, 2016, is World Breastfeeding Week, coordinated by the World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action. WABA is a global network endorsing and supporting breastfeeding.
Since August is National Breastfeeding Month, this article will be turning greater attention to the option of breastfeeding.
Convenience comes in the form of nourishment that is always on tap, always warm, and in most cases the perfect food for the baby. The milk changes as the baby gets older, continuing to meet changing nutritional needs.
As long as Mom is drinking enough liquid, and knows how to increase her milk supply from time to time, the fountain will never run dry. There are no bottles to clean, fill and carry.
While Mom is the only one who can deliver this kind of comfort, which can be seen as a drawback, Mom is also pretty much the only thing Baby needs, her warmth, her reassurance, and her milk.
When Mom is on the scene, nourishment is always at hand. And if she pumps her milk, this nourishment can be made available in a bottle, if she needs to be away.
Dad, grandparents, aunts and uncles, friends and neighbors can all be in on the pleasure of feeding an infant, all the while knowing it is the best for the baby.
Some mothers start out breastfeeding, then switch to formula later. Others breastfeed and stay with it till it's time to introduce solid foods, and beyond.
Whether mothers feed their babies by breast, or bottle, or both, there is every reason to expect them to be healthy happy infants who grow up to be healthy happy adults.
So here's to new moms, and to new dads too. Your sacrifices are many, and run deep. But you are doing an essential service for your own babies, and for the world around you.
Where would any of us be without each passing generation of courageous new parents willing to turn their lives inside out for their children?
Reviewed August 2, 2016
by Michele Blacksberg RN