Nursing A Baby

Breastfeeding Can Benefit Your Baby

When you are nursing a baby, breast milk is the most complete form of nutrition for your baby. Breast milk has the perfect balance of sugar, water, fat and protein for baby's growth. Most babies can digest breast milk better than formula. Breastfed infants thrive as they should and continue with their growth and development. Breastfed infants tend to not gain unnecessary weight and tend to be leaner. This results in less overweight later in their lives. Premature infants progress much better with breastfeeding when compared to other premature babies who are fed formula. Breastfeeding babies have slightly higher IQ especially those who are premature.

Researchers have confirmed the importance of nursing a baby. Nursing a baby has been found to provide optimal health for the mothers as well as the babies. It has also been found that the absence of breastfeeding effects short and long-term health outcomes. Many preventable diseases and conditions can occur from not nursing a baby; both for the mother and the baby.

Nursing a baby can bring a special bond between mother and child that is experienced only through breastfeeding. Immunoglobulin has been found in breast milk which comes during the first three to five days of your baby's life. Immoglobulin protects the baby’s ears, nose, and throat and gastrointestinal tract. Immoglobulin works in the baby’s body even before the breast milk is digested. The lining of the nose, mouth, and throat gets the immune globulin and helps to fight infection.

Lactoferrin is an iron protein that is also found in breast milk. This limits a bacterium that is found in iron from entering your baby’s intestines. Lactoferrin is again found in colostrums but also exist the entire first year. It acts as an antibiotic on bacteria such as staphylococci and e coli.
Breast milk has a digestive ingredient that is specifically higher than in formula. This ingredient has been found to inhabit the intestinal tract. Milk protein found in most formulas is a foreign protein. Babies that are fed formula develop antibodies to foreign protein. The results in babies are sensitization to bacteria and infections. There are also fatty acids in breast milk that are not in formula. These fatty acids helps both the baby’s brain and retinas to develop properly.

Ultimately, breast milk provides an abundance of minerals, proteins and vitamins that aid in the healthy development in babies. As mentioned, it also provides benefits for premature babies as well.

When a mother decides to nurse a baby, it is a personal decision that is made by careful and thorough consideration. A mother can provide breast milk either directly or by using a breast pump to feed the baby through a bottle. There are times it is easier for babies to feed from bottled breast milk. If the mother is working or cannot be available all the time, anyone can feed the baby the breast milk bottle. The advantages far outweigh the disadvantages for nursing a baby. For development of your baby's health, mentally, emotionally and physically the choice is to breastfeed over feeding your infant bottled formula.

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