Yay for breastfeeding!

According to an article I read yesterday in the Salt Lake Tribune (http://sltrib.com/nationworld/ci_2557771), the American Academy of Pediatrics now admits that breastmilk is "uniquely superior" to infant formula. Duh. They also now recommend:

• mothers are urged to sleep in close proximity to their babies to facilitate feeding
• breastfeed exclusively for six months
• continue breastfeeding until the baby is at least 1 year old, and that there is nothing wrong with a child continuing to breastfeed into the third year of life or longer. (This is actually pretty common in other societies. In fact, the World Health Organization actually advises mothers to breastfeed for at least two years!).

They also challenge society to be more accepting of breastfeeding in general, even going so far as to encourage legislation protecting it, setting expectations in the workplace, and making it a consideration in child custody cases! Among other things, breastfeeding:

• helps fight infectious diseases in infants
• provides optimal growth and neurological development
• increases a child's immunity
• lowers the rate of pneumonia, neonatal sepsis and giardia
• decreases the incidence of SIDS
• breastfed babies get sick less often and when they do get sick, their illnesses tend to be less severe
• lowers the rate of allergies
• decreases hospitilizations and lowers the rate of mortality
• decreases the likelihood of ear infections (except in Gabby's case! LOL), diarrhea, urinary tract problems and asthma.
• raises IQ
• helps prevent diabetes, obesity, leukemia and other diseases.
• helps bond mother and child
• reduces the risk of ovarian, uterine, endometrial and breast cancers in the mother
• protects against osteoporosis in the mother
• reduces the incidence of lymphoma
• fosters confidence and self-esteem
• provides protection against measles, meningitis and hypothermia
• helps mom lose weight faster and easier then if they chose to formula feed.
• enhances visual development and leads to better teeth and jaw development
• is cheap, convenient and results in less environmental waste and pollution

Suddenly after writing about this, I am reminded that I have now managed to meet most of these expections: 1. Aside from being supplemented directly after birth to help with jaundice, Gabby was otherwise breastfed the first 6 1/2 months of her life. 2. We co-sleep so Gabby sleeps in close proximity to me. This wasn't always the case. She started out in a bassinet next to me, then moved to the crib when she began sleeping through the night. Then she started teething and woke up too frequently for any of us to function - unless she was with us in bed. It works for us. 3. Gabby will be breastfed for at least the first year of her life and possibly beyond. We will wean when she shows me signs she is ready. The only thing that may factor into this is our desire to have another child. If we have to use clomid again, Gabby must be weaned first.

I am most proud of the fact that I gave up soy, milk, eggs and nuts for nearly 5 months so that I could continue breastfeeding Gabby. We still don't know which of those items was causing her problems, but we do know that the problems stopped once I cut them out of my diet and she will likely outgrow them by me doing so. So, I guess I am not as insufficient of a mother as I had previously posted to be after all!