Twinkle in my eye. Warmth in my heart. Smile on my face. All things that don’t happen when I think about having children.
Giving birth is the least of my worries. Growing another human being in your body and being able to feel it kick and move around is probably the most amazing thing a person can do. People talk about running marathons and biking across the country like it’s really impressive. Please. Grow a human being in your abdomen, THAT’S impressive. However, after birth, things seem to go downhill. There’s crying, teething, pooping, screaming, temper tantrums, down syndrome, autism, Aspergers, car accidents, bullies, broken legs and or arms, cancer, arguing, drinking, drugs, their first break-up, their tenth break up, child molesters, drunk drivers, crazy people in general, etc. Having a child sounds an awful lot like having an 18 year long anxiety attack.
For those of you who have chosen to have children or wish to have children someday, I have one piece of advice for you: breastfeed your child.
I’ve heard it several times; breastfeeding is not easy or fun. It’s inconvenient and can be painful. Well maybe you should have thought about that before you decided to have a child.
Breast feeding your child is good for the baby and good for the mother. It helps prevent babies from developing type 1 and type 2 diabetes, asthma, diarrhea, UTIs, food allergies, dermatistis, leukemia, respiratory infections, gastrointestinal diseases, and obesity related illnesses to name a few. It also enhances an infant’s performance on cognitive development tests and mother-child bonding.
Breast feeding decreases the mother’s risk of developing certain cancers and osteoporosis and helps them get back to their normal weight. When mothers breastfeed, oxytocin is released. This helps prevent mothers from developing postpartum depression.
All of those benefits I just listed… do not come from formula. What’s wrong with formula? The biggest problem with formula is that it is missing the antibodies found in breast milk. The protein in formula is usually from cow’s milk and it takes time for babies’ stomachs to adjust to its’ different biochemical makeup. Formula is not natural and it is expensive!
I understand that some women have a difficult time producing milk, but I also know that when you formula feed your child instead of breastfeed, your body doesn’t produce as much milk because your baby isn’t drinking it. We have smart bodies.
Now don’t get anxiety if you weren’t breast fed as a child, I’m sure you’re just fine. I’m sure your IQ is mediocre and that you have the immune system of an AIDS patient. Kidding. Formula doesn’t kill babies, it’s just not optimal—breast feeding is.
