Breastfeeding Support

Nearly every woman has the ability to breastfeed her children if she chooses. While it may not always be easy, support, education, and a loving community of other moms can make all the difference. Lactation specialists are especially helpful, particularly in the early stages of your baby’s nursing journey. It can be frustrating to receive conflicting advice from friends, relatives, and healthcare providers, but just like with birthing and labor, breastfeeding is easier with education, encouragement, and support.

Top Ten Reasons to Breastfeed

As presented by La Leche League

Human milk for human babies. Nature intended for human babies to consume human milk, not cow’s milk. Breast milk is uniquely perfect for your infant.
Bonding. Breastfeeding naturally requires the skin-to-skin contact that babies need, making it a uniquely bonding experience.
Immunities. Your baby will receive protection against diseases, intestinal disorders, colds, and infections right from birth with colostrum—the clear, sometimes yellowish fluid that precedes mature breast milk in the first few days. The immunities passed through your breast milk benefit your baby for a long time, and research shows that breastfed babies are generally healthier.
Cost savings. Breastfeeding mothers save about $100 a month compared to bottle feeding, as they do not need to purchase formula, feeding equipment, or hot water for cleaning bottles.
Convenience. You can breastfeed anytime, anywhere, with milk always at the right temperature. No need to worry about how many bottles to bring or if you have enough to feed your baby.
Easier night feedings. No need to prepare formula, open cans, or heat bottles—breastfeeding simplifies nighttime feedings.
No equipment required. No bottles, nipples, bottle liners, dishwashing, or sterilizing are necessary with breastfeeding.
Less odor. Breastfed infants have sweeter-smelling stools, and diaper leaks and spit-ups are easier to clean.
Enhanced mothering. Breastfeeding fosters a deeper connection with your baby (see #2), helping you anticipate their needs and respond more intuitively.
Better digestibility. Breast milk is easier for babies to digest than formula, and it constantly changes to meet your baby’s needs, unlike formula, which remains the same.

Breastfeeding Topics We Can Discuss

As your doula, I can support you with various breastfeeding topics, such as:

How to know if your baby is getting enough milk
Deciding whether to supplement
Achieving a good latch
Duration of breastfeeding
Recognizing feeding cues
Pumping guidance
Kangaroo mother care

Remember, Human Milk is GREEN!

Ecologically speaking:

It’s a natural, renewable resource that meets all your baby’s needs for the first six months of life.
Breastfeeding requires no resources for packaging, shipping, or disposal.
It saves energy that would otherwise be spent on producing artificial baby milk and related products.
No land needs to be deforested for pasture or crop production.
It avoids pollution from the manufacturing of human milk substitutes, bottles, nipples, and cans.
It helps space pregnancies by suppressing fertility in the mother.

This message is brought to you by La Leche League International

About La Leche League

La Leche League (LLL) is an international, nonprofit, nonsectarian organization dedicated to providing education, information, support, and encouragement to women who want to breastfeed. Visit the La Leche League Website for more information. It’s a great resource!

Other Resources for Breastfeeding

Mama’s Latte: A Tucson-based service that provides in-home breastfeeding support.
Breastfeeding Reference Table: An excellent resource that outlines the progression of breastfeeding in the first three weeks of life.
The Natural Child Project: This website offers several articles on breastfeeding that many have found useful.