Worldwide Breastfeeding Week

Did you know that it's Worldwide Breastfeeding Week?  Well, it is!

In honor of WBW, I wanted to share some information as to why BFing is so important to me:

• Promotes Mother-Baby Bonding
• The best food you can give your baby, it's what nature intended
• Some research indicates that Formula Feeding can cause obesity in adulthood and a higher risk of allergies than BF babies
• Helps protect children from asthma, SIDS and Diabetes
• It's free (for the most part)
• Important antibodies are passed from mother to baby
• Breastmilk is a complex food and changes with the needs of your baby, which formula manufacturer's have yet to master

While BFing is not for everyone, I am glad that I have chosen this route for my children.  We have had ups and downs along the way, but there are so many resources to help you have a successful BFing relationship.  One of my favorite resources is Kellymom.com. 

From clogged ducts, to bleeding nipples, to bad latch, to supply issues and reflux, I feel like we've gone through every hoop.  Dylan had a terrible latch in the hospital and I was so sore before we even got home.  We were able to have his frenulum clipped before leaving the hospital which helped a ton!  To prevent further confusion, we did not introduce a bottle until 3 weeks old.  We continued to work on his latch until it was perfected.  Danny was such a big help and encouraged me to not give up (he knows how much I loathe pumping, so we knew that we didn't want to exclusively pump and bottle feed). 

Something that I didn't experience a lot of with Marissa was spitting up.  Dylan, however, is a different story.  He is what Kelly Mom refers to as a "Happy Spitter."  At first I was a bit concerned with the amount he was spitting up.  After talking with the pediatrician, we decided that it was completely normal for him to spit up some.  Actually, all babies have some form of reflux due to the immaturity of their esophagus.  Since he was not spitting up entire feedings and was gaining weight well, we decided to label him as a "Happy Spitter."

From Kelly Mom: If your baby is a ‘Happy Spitter’ –gaining weight well, spitting up without discomfort and content most of the time — spitting up is a laundry & social problem rather than a medical issue.

Knowing this information put me at ease, and although Dylan is almost 8 months old, he still spits up.  We're hoping he will outgrow it completely by 12 months! :)  It certainly doesn't look like he misses any meals, though.

Anyway, I'm rambling...check out Kellymom.com for all your BFing questions!  One day I may share pictures of my last nursing session with Marissa. :)  It is very special to have those memories, but I'm not sure I am ready to share them yet. 

Happy Worldwide Breastfeeding Week!