Nourishing your baby

Nourishing your baby

BY DR. ANNETTE MAYES

As the world celebrates the future king of England’s birth, some new and expectant parents may be considering how to best give their newborns the “royal” treatment when it comes to nourishment.

August is National Breastfeeding Month, a yearly celebration of one of the most personal choices that a mother can make. It works for some, and not for others — and either choice is OK.

There are many positives for breastfeeding your baby, which include:

• Boosting babies’ immune systems
• Helping get your post-pregnancy body back in shape (it has been said that one day of breastfeeding burns as many calories as a seven-mile walk)
• It is more economical and efficient.
• And it’s nutritious — with perfect portions of protein, fat, carbohydrates and calcium for your baby.

Some of the breastfeeding cons include:

• Difficulty for working moms.
• It can be painful.
• Can’t delegate the task of feeding to someone else.
• Unable to take certain medications because they may harm the baby.

The inability to breastfeed your newborn does not devalue a mother’s worth. As women, we can be made to feel guilty for so many reasons — and many events in the course of motherhood will stack up on your list of self-incrimination. Give yourself a break and leave breastfeeding off that long list. You have already performed the miracle; stand proud for your achievement of bringing your bundle of joy into the world.

The Las Vegas All Women’s Care office or your doctor can help determine whether breastfeeding is a good choice for you, and assist you in settling on a feeding method that will make both you and your baby happy.

For more information, contact the Las Vegas All Women’s Care offices at (702) 522-9640, or visit us at 700 Shadow Lane, No. 165 (1st floor), in Las Vegas.