What to Expect the First Year (5 page)

• It's a tummy soother. Breast milk is not only easier going down, it's easier staying down … and easier going out. Breastfed babies are less likely to have tummy troubles (including excessive gas or spitting up) and almost never become constipated (formula can sometimes clog up the works). And although their poops are normally quite soft, nursers rarely have diarrhea. In fact, breast milk appears to reduce the risk of digestive upset both by keeping harmful microorganisms in check and by encouraging the growth of beneficial ones. You know the much-touted pre- and probiotics that are added to some formulas? They're naturally occurring in breast milk.

• It's naturally safe. You can be sure that the milk served up from your breasts is always perfectly prepared—and never spoiled, contaminated, expired, or recalled.

• It's virtually allergy-proof. Babies are almost never truly allergic to breast milk (though occasionally an infant may be sensitive to something mom has eaten). The formula flip side? About 2 to 3 percent of babies turn out to have an allergy to cow's milk formula. And there's more good news on the allergy front: evidence that breastfed babies may be less likely to develop asthma and eczema than babies fed formula.

• It doesn't make a stink. Breastfed babies fill their diapers with sweeter-smelling stool—at least until solids are spooned up.

• It's a diaper rash eradicator. That sweeter-smelling poop is also less likely to trigger diaper rash—for a sweeter (and softer) bottom line.

• It's an infection fighter. With each and every feeding, nursers get a healthy dose of antibodies to boost their immunity to bugs of all varieties (some pediatricians like to refer to breastfeeding as a baby's first immunization). In general, breastfed babies will come down with fewer colds, ear infections, lower respiratory tract infections, urinary tract infections, and other illnesses than bottle-fed infants, and when they do get sick, they'll usually recover more quickly and with fewer complications. Breastfeeding may improve the immune response to immunizations for some diseases. Plus, it may offer some protection against Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).

• It's a fat flattener. Breastfed infants are less likely to be too chubby. That is, in part, because breastfeeding lets baby's appetite call the shots—and the ounces. A breastfed baby is likely to stop feeding when full, while a bottle-fed infant may be urged to keep feeding until the bottle's emptied. What's more, breast milk is actually ingeniously calorie controlled. The lower-calorie foremilk (served up at the start of a feed) is designed as a thirst quencher. The higher calorie hindmilk (served up at the end of a feed) is a filler-upper, signaling to a nurser that it's quitting time. And research suggests that the fat-defeating benefits of breastfeeding follow a baby out of the nursery—and into high school. Studies show that former breastfeeders are less likely to battle weight as teens—and the longer they were breastfed, the lower their risk of becoming overweight. Another potential health plus for nursers once they've graduated to adulthood: Breastfeeding is linked to lower cholesterol levels and lower blood pressure later in life.

• It's a brain booster. Breastfeeding appears to slightly increase a child's IQ, at least through age 15, and possibly beyond. This may be related not only to the brain-building fatty acids
(DHA) in breast milk, but also to the closeness and mother–baby interaction that is built into breastfeeding, which is believed to nurture a newborn's intellectual development. (Bottle-feeding parents can tap into this benefit, too, by keeping close during feeds, even doing skin-to-skin feeds).

• It's made for suckers. It takes longer to drain a breast than a bottle, giving newborns more of the comforting sucking satisfaction they crave. Plus, a breastfed baby can continue to comfort-suck on a nearly empty breast—something an empty bottle doesn't allow.

• It builds stronger mouths. Mama's nipples and baby's mouth are made for each other—a naturally perfect pair. Even the most scientifically designed bottle nipple can't match a breast nipple, which gives a baby's jaws, gums, and palate a good work-out—a workout that ensures optimum oral development and some perks for baby's future teeth. Babies who are breastfed may also be less likely to get cavities later on in childhood.

There are also breastfeeding benefits for mom (and dad):

• Convenience. Breast milk is the ultimate convenience food—always in stock, ready to serve, and consistently dispensed at the perfect temperature. It's fast food, too: no formula to run out of, shop for, or lug around, no bottles to clean or refill, no powders to mix, no meals to warm (say, when you're on a conference call and baby's wailing in the background). Wherever you are—in bed, on the road, at the mall, on the beach—all the nourishment your baby needs is always on tap, no muss (or mess), no fuss.

• Free feedings, free delivery. The best things in life are free, and that includes breast milk and breast milk delivery. On the other hand, bottle-feeding (once you factor in formula, bottles, nipples, and cleaning supplies) can be a pretty pricey proposition. There's no waste with breastfeeding, either—what baby doesn't end up drinking at one feed will stay fresh for the next.

• Speedier postpartum recovery. It's only natural that breastfeeding is best for newly delivered moms, too—after all, it's the natural conclusion to pregnancy and childbirth. It'll help your uterus shrink back to prepregnancy size more quickly, which in turn will reduce your flow of lochia (the postpartum discharge), decreasing blood loss. And by burning upward of 500 extra calories a day, breastfeeding your little one can help you shed those leftover pregnancy pounds faster. Some of those pounds were laid down as fat reserves earmarked specifically for milk production—now's your chance to use them.

•
Some
protection against pregnancy. It's not a sure bet, but since ovulation is often suppressed in nursing moms for several months or more, exclusively breastfeeding your baby may offer some family planning perks, as well as a reprieve from periods. Is this a bet you should take without a birth control backup? Definitely not, unless back-to-back pregnancies are your objective. Since ovulation can quietly precede your first postpartum period, you won't necessarily know when the contraceptive protection offered by breastfeeding will stop—leaving you unprotected against pregnancy.

• Health benefits. Plenty of perks here: Women who breastfeed have a slightly lower risk of developing uterine cancer, ovarian cancer, and premenopausal breast cancer. They're also less likely to develop rheumatoid arthritis than women who don't breastfeed. Plus, women who nurse have a lower risk of developing osteoporosis later in life than women who have never breastfed.

• Rest stops. A nursing newborn spends a whole lot of time feeding—which means a nursing mom spends a whole lot of time sitting or lying down. The upshot? You'll have frequent breaks during those exhausting early weeks, when you'll be forced to get off your feet and take a rest, whether you feel you have time to or not.

• Nighttime feeds that are a (relative) breeze. Have a hungry baby at 2 a.m.? You will. And when you do, you'll appreciate how fast you'll be able to fill that baby's tummy if you're breastfeeding. No stumbling to the kitchen to prepare a bottle in the dark. Just pop a warm breast into that warm little mouth.

• Eventually, easy multitasking. Sure, nursing your newborn will take two arms and a lot of focus. But once you and baby become nursing pros, you'll be able to do just about anything else at the same time—from eating dinner to playing with your toddler.

• Built-in bonding. The benefit of breastfeeding you're likely to appreciate most is the bond it nurtures between you and your little one. There's skin-to-skin and eye-to-eye contact, and the opportunity to cuddle, baby-babble, and coo built right into every feed. True, bottle-feeding mamas (and daddies) can get just as close to their babies—but it takes a more conscious effort.

While the facts heavily favor breastfeeding, there are also a few practical perks for those who opt for formula, at least some of the time:

• Less frequent feeds. Infant formula made from cow's milk is digested more slowly than breast milk, and the larger curds it forms stay in the tummy longer, helping a baby feel fuller longer—and extending the time between feeds to three or four hours even early on. Such long feed-free stretches are but a pipe dream for breastfeeding moms, who can count on feeding far more frequently (breast milk is digested faster and more easily,
leaving baby hungry sooner). These frequent feeds serve a practical purpose—they stimulate the production of milk and improve mom's supply—but they can definitely be time-consuming and exhausting, especially when those feeds come at the expense of z's.