Guest Author - Jan Zeiger

What could be more natural than breastfeeding?? Other mammals do it. Why is it something that so many new moms just “try” or skip over completely? I speak from experience. I was one of those moms who chose formula over breastmilk.

I didn’t even offer my first child the breast. Looking back, this is something that’s really hard for me to accept. I was a “career woman” who underestimated the importance of nursing and ended up with a child who not only missed out on those wonderful moments, but whose health was compromised during that first year. David had ear infections and a persistent cough that were the result of dairy-based formula. Of course, we didn’t know that at the time. I brought it up to the doctor and was basically laughed at for my silly notion that dairy might be affecting my baby. He went on to have ear tubes inserted at the tender age of 10 months after more than 16 weeks on antibiotics. Needless to say, I switched to a more holistic pediatrician after that.

When I became pregnant with my daughter, I vowed to not make the same mistake twice. I hired a lactation consultant early in my pregnancy. She would also serve as my doula at the birth which would occur at a local birthing center. I read every book on breastfeeding I could get my hands on and made sure I was really prepared. I ordered nursing pads, nursing bras, and even nipple cream. I had all the tools and support I needed to nurse my daughter successfully. Immediately after the birth I offered her the breast and she nursed even before she was weighed or measured.

Breastmilk is baby’s perfect food. It’s all your baby needs that first year and no can of formula can even come close to the benefits of breastmilk. Even the formula companies admit that. In addition to being better for baby and all natural, breastfeeding requires less work than bottle-feeding. The nighttime feedings with my first were so much more involved than nursing my newborn daughter at night. We coslept so she was able to nurse most of the time without me fully waking. With my first child, I was up mixing or heating a bottle at 3am for my son. By the time I got to him, he was crying so much that it was hard to get him settled and back to sleep. In contrast, my daughter never fully woke but just rooted since the milk was available and didn’t need to be mixed or warmed. Finally, breastfeeding is less costly than formula feeding--better for the environment (less waste) and better for your pocketbook.

I always find it interesting when people comment on how sweet it is to see an animal nursing her babies such as a dog or a tiger at the local zoo. Or even the way people react to cows who are being milked at the local petting farm. When other mammals lactate, people react in a way that’s positive and approving. This is not always the case when *human* mommies nurse their babies. Obviously, this is how our babies were meant to be fed and how they were nourished for thousands of years. Infant formula is a great substitute for adoptive mothers or in the rare case that nursing isn’t possible, but it’s certainly not the natural choice for baby.

I’ve found that many women know that breastfeeding is best and obviously natural, but aren’t truly aware of the multitude of long-term benefits for both mommy and baby. Therefore, I’ve included a couple of my favorite breastfeeding links in the hopes that someone reading this article will consider breastfeeding their child if they aren’t already planning to do so.