Breastfeeding A Personal Journey

Kaila Flemming

(5 mins read)

Women's health

Let’s Talk about Breastfeeding

Breastfeeding is the action of feeding a baby with breastmilk- aside from providing nutrients breastfeeding provides so much more than that in this blog post we will explore challenges and benefits from breastfeeding.

What are the benefits of breastfeeding?

Breastfeeding has primordial benefits, such as passing nutrients and antibodies to the baby. This is critical in the early stages of a baby’s life as they are more susceptible to ailments when they are born and thus this helps babies build their immune system while getting the nutrients they need from a healthy source. In addition to immune support, here are other benefits that we often look past. Here are some examples:

Breast feeding is convenient, affordable and can happen anytime and anywhere
Breast feeding can reduce the mother’s chances of breast and ovarian cancer, type 2 diabetes, and high blood pressure
It releases the hormone oxytocin, which helps your uterus return to its pre-pregnancysize and may reduce uterine bleeding after birth
There is less risk of postpartum depression and more positive mood
Breastfeeding produces the naturally soothing hormones oxytocin and prolactin that promote stress reduction and positive feelings in the nursing mother.
The contact of breast feeding promotes physical and emotional bonding between baby and mother

And the list goes on!

Different Breast feeding positions

There are also various breastfeeding positions that can be used to optimize the comfort of both baby and mom!

Some of the numerous positions are

Alternatives to Breast Feeding

Some women aren't able to breast feed successfully while others choose not to and that’s okay! Here are some alternative options to breastfeeding that you can look into if breastfeeding isn’t a part of your journey:

Milk donors- some women with excessive milk and donate to other mothers who are not able to breastfeed.
Organic baby formula- having organic formula takes away the chemicals that may be harmful for the baby
Cross nursing- this is where a nursing mother feeds the baby of a mother is who not nursing
Bottle feeding breast milk

Ultimately, it is important to remember that while breastfeeding is beautiful, the choice to do so is personal and you should do whatever you think is right for you and the baby. This is a journey for both mom and the baby to experience together- and will be amazing no matter what path you chose to take. Reach out to your doctor to help you decide the best route for you and your baby. Kiira is here to help you in every aspect of your journey, our providers are passionate about guiding and working with you!