I have always encouraged new mommies to breast feed. Believe it or not I breast fed both my children until they were 18months. I would pump milk every 2 ½ hours at work and yes it was a chore. So glad I worked in a family friendly environment. My goal was to breast feed until 24 months but, my son would and did not sleep through the night until I stopped breast feeding, so of course I was exhausted. My little girl was a better eater and 18 months she was ready to stop and so was I. It was however a great bonding experience and it made it easy for me when I went out that I did not have to pack a bottle. Neither one of my little ones would take a bottle; they went from breast to sippy cup. I can say from personal experience the benefits of breast feeding were both children were healthy babies, no ear infections, not many colds, they weren’t colicky, and I can say now at 7yr and 10yrs they have no cavities.
Though breastfeeding is considered to be beneficial, in places such as Zimbabwe statistics say 40% of HIV infections are caused by breastfeeding (Johns Hopkins Public Health 2006). However studies show that exclusive breast feeding for HIV infected mothers in the first 6 months can help fight off other infectious disease as well as reduce the chance of the baby being infected with the HIV virus. Recent studies show that only 6 % of the HIV infected mothers exclusively breast feed for the 1st six months and when infants are fed solids as well as mommy’s milk they are 11 times likely to become infected with HIV (Harare 2010). These studies are also indicating that because HIV infected mothers are not exclusively breast feeding the first 6months that it attributes to malnutrition the high mortality rate in children (Plus News Global 2010).
After reading these articles on how beneficial exclusive breast feeding is, even for mother who are HIV positive, I will continue to stand on my soap box and advocate for moms to breast feed if possible. These articles alone are evidence in the power of breast milk.
Harare (2010, July 30).PlusNews Global. Zimbabwe: Low Breastfeeding rates threaten PMTCT efforts http://www.plusnews.org/Report.aspx?ReportId=90016
Powder, J. (2006, Spring).When Breastfeeding With HIV Timing is everything. Johns Hopkins Public Health. http://magazine.jhsph.edu/2006/Spring/africa/news/hiv/breastfeeding.cfm?subsection_id=15
Hi Gloria,
ReplyDeleteI am an advocate for breasdtfeeding. I breastfed my three girls until the age of two.
The facts you gathered about breastfeeding and HIV are very interesting. Stay on your soap box!
I breastfed all four of my boys, and I agree that it is an irreplacable bonding experience. When my two oldest boys were babies I was running a home daycare, so, due to ease of opportunity, they nursed more often and longer than my younger two boys. My second oldest, Elijah, who is now 13, nursed until he was two years old (and would have kept going if I hadn't decided to be done). To this day, Elijah is the most loving, sensitive and kind of all my boys. He is almost as tall as me now, but he still loves having me read to him at night and cuddling up next to me while watching TV. I attribute this to the closeness of our relationship during the first two years.
ReplyDeleteI do not have any children of my own yet, but when I do have them I want to breastfeed (unless I adopt then I do not think I can). I know my mother breast fed me and my sister breastfed my nephew and then again when she had triplets. She was always pumping and loved that bond she has with her children. I also feel that mothers should be able to breastfeed their children in public as long as she is covered up.
ReplyDeleteGloria,
ReplyDeleteWow, the information on breastfeeding and HIV positive mother's was is very interesting. Aside from the health benefits to botht he baby and mother, the bonding is irreplaceable. I enjoyed reading the information you provided, as my father in law is HIV positive from a tainted needle he was stuck with while he was a nurse.
Sondi
Gloria,
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading your post. I also chose to write on breastfeeding. What I found to be most fascinating as well is that even mother's that are HIV positive, breastfeeding is still recommended.
Gloria,
ReplyDeleteI couldn't breastfeed my children, but I do know how important it is to work in a family friendly environment. In the past three years at my program there has been three to four coworkers who were breastfeeding thier children. So they would pump during the day. Our office is made up of mostly women but we do have two men working in our office. So when they would be pumping we had a sign on their door so the men would know not to come it. It worked very well.
Hi Gloria,
ReplyDeleteI do not have any children yet, but I have been told from mother's that breastfeeding is very important and healthy for children. I plan on or attempting to breastfeed when I have a child. Did any of your children have problmes taking the milk that you pumped from the bottle, if you gave them the breastfed milk in the bottle?