Nearly every new mother I see asks the question, “Is it ok for my baby to use a pacifier?” Here is the simple answer: Yes and no!
What these mothers want to know is whether pacifier use will interfere with breastfeeding. I can say with confidence that I have never seen a baby prefer a pacifier over a breast filled with nummy milk! In addition, in over 20 years of helping resolve breastfeeding issues, I have never named the pacifier as the source of the problem. Continue reading
This video illustrates audible swallows by a newborn. The regular, rhythmic “kuh” sound is produced with each swallow. Notice the baby’s jaw drop right before the sound. The position of the baby is perfect. Their head is tipped back, mouth open wide, chin tucked into the breast and nose tipped away from the breast. Enjoy!
Infant breastfeeding well 1:1 Swallow from Renee Beebe on Vimeo.
If you’re expecting twins, you may be wondering…Is it possible to breastfeed twins? Can my body make enough milk for two babies? Can I really nourish my babies without using formula? The answers are yes, yes and yes!
Your Dr., your doula and your childbirth educator may all have told you, “Most women can’t make enough milk for 2 babies.” Don’t believe them! If your body is equipped to breastfeed one baby, it is highly likely that you will have sufficient milk for two.
Jane contacted me because she had returned to work and she was worried about her milk production. Her baby, Ernie, was 3 months old and she’d just started working 3 days/week. We set up a phone consultation and she shared the following:
You probably already know that childhood obesity has become a serious problem in the United States. But did you know that formula feeding increases the risk that a child will develop obesity later in life? Breastfeeding your baby significantly decreases the chances that he will become overweight as an adult. The Centers for Disease control and Prevention have reported: “…for each month of exclusive breastfeeding, up to 9 months, the risk of obesity is decreased by 4%.” In other words, the longer your baby breastfeeds, the less risk of obesity!
Here is a summary of a few other recent studies: This information is from the “Meds and More Newsletter, by Hale Publishing, December 2012.
Early artificial feeding may increase childhood obesity risk by 15-25%
The research suggests that direct breastfeeding (as opposed to bottle feeding with breast milk) may help a child better regulate his food intake later in life.
Infant weight gain is influenced not only by the type of milk consumed, but the delivery method (breast vs bottle).
Human milk is low in protein compared to other milks and formula which appears to lead to decreased risk of obesity.
Every mother has her own personal reasons for choosing to breastfeed. Maybe it’s because she is concerned about allergies. Perhaps she knows that formula feeding increases the risk of ear infections or other illness. Whatever your reasons for breastfeeding, now you have one more.
So keep breastfeeding! Every month brings new benefits!
For the complete press release: http://www.ibreastfeeding.com/newsletter/2012/12/issue-breastfeeding-and-obesity