Black To Life… For A Healthier You

With August set aside as Breastfeeding Awareness Month, it is a good time for an honest dialogue on this very important topic.

First, I want to emphasize that the earth won’t open up and swallow you whole just because you won’t or can’t breastfeed your newborn. For legitimate medical reasons, some women are unable to produce enough breast milk to adequately nourish an infant or ensure that he or she receives the designated number of calories each day. There are good baby formulas on the market that can assure the health of your baby.

However, if you are able to breastfeed your child, there are

significant benefits for women and their families. As many new moms try to lose the excess weight that clings after pregnancy, studies have shown that breastfeeding helps those pounds fall off more quickly and naturally. Speaking of weight, let’s look down the road: as breastfeeding moms eat healthy foods and drink lots of water, it is also widely believed that breastfed babies are less likely to be obese later in life.

Along with all the nutritional benefits, Obamacare has mandated, for the very first time, that employers with more than 50 workers are responsible for providing a private place for breastfeeding moms to pump their milk at work. The IRS also recently announced that breast pumps are now a tax deductible expense.

There are economic benefits that could be achieved if more women embraced the concept of breastfeeding. In 2001, the USDA concluded that if breastfeeding rates were increased to 75 percent at birth and 50 percent at six months, it would lead to a savings of at least $3.6 billion. This amount was easily an underestimation, since it represents savings in the treatment of only three of the dozens of illnesses proven to be decreased by breastfeeding: ear infections, gastroenteritis, and necrotizing enterocolitis.

So while breast feeding is not for everyone, I encourage those that are able to give it a try. It’s a wonderful bonding time for mom and baby while offering nutritional benefits for both.

The Las Vegas All Women’s Care is here to educate and prepare you and your newborn for healthy

prenatal care.