Breastfeeding is the best way to nurture an infant.

We are in the middle of World Breastfeeding Week. The major controversy mothers face is that of breast milk versus formula milk.

This debate is essentially nothing but sand in mothers’ eyes to keep them from helping and supporting one other.

Thankfully, a new movement of mothers who understand that we are all doing our best in our current life circumstances is gaining momentum, turning this controversy around and diminishing the so-called ‘mummy wars’.

Studies being carried out show the direct effect breastfeeding has on babies and mothers’ health and that breastfeeding is the best way to nurture an infant.

Breastfeeding brings about reduced rates of asthma, obesity and diabetes in children and of cancer in the mother. Another valuable benefit is that it is the foundation of parenting your child.

Whenever you pick your infant to nurse them, you are sending a message to their brain that they can trust you and rely on you. This will, in turn, make your children less resistant to your parenting when they are older.

However, in light of all this, we somehow question why breastfeeding is so important. The WHO believes breastfeeding is an unequalled way of providing ideal food for the healthy growth and development of infants. It is also an integral part of the reproductive process, with important implications for the health of mothers.

As a global public health recommendation, infants should be exclusively breastfed for the first six months of life to achieve optimal growth, development and health. Thereafter, to meet their evolving nutritional requirements, infants should receive nutritionally adequate and safe complementary foods while breastfeeding continues for up to two years of age or beyond.

Whenever you pick your infant to nurse them, you’re sending a message to their brain that they can trust you and rely on you

Exclusive breastfeeding from birth is possible except for a few medical conditions, and unrestricted breastfeeding results in ample milk production. This is simply an elaboration of why the mother’s body naturally produces milk to nurture her baby.

What we may not realise is how detailed the milk we produce is. Breast milk is species-specific, meaning it is made especially for our children just like elephants and cows produce milk specifically for their calves. And yet, nature did not feel this to be enough. A mother will produce breast milk specifically for her own child.

This means that if a mother has a pre-term infant, her milk will be different to that produced for her full-term infant, and later for her toddler.

Furthermore, breast milk will change composition during the course of a 24-hour day, so that what your suckling infant is feeding in the morning will be different from the milk fed in the evening.

Milk will also vary slightly from mother to mother and from child to child. The beauty of it is that as soon as saliva from the baby touches your breast, your body will identify whether there are any unknown components in it, in which case it will produce antibodies to be transferred to the baby at the next feed, which essentially makes the child less prone to illness.

This is what our body is capable of doing. This is why we are meant to breastfeed our children. This is why we are once more normalising the normal, natural act of nourishing a child at the breast. This is why we should support women who choose to do so.

In Malta, Breastfeeding Week is celebrated in November, during which time one can look forward to activities organised by the Maltese public health authorities.

www.breastfeedingmatters.net

The author is a certified breastfeeding counsellor. She breastfed her two children into early childhood and helps mothers through breastfeeding by organising courses, workshops, support groups and home visits.