The World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action is celebrating World Breastfeeding Week from August 1 - 7. The effort aims to educate women and families on the topic of breastfeeding while engaging various spheres of society in dialogue as well.
For this week's Moms Talk discussion, we're asking moms for tips on how to facilitate breastfeeding. For many new mothers, nursing a baby can be difficult and frustrating, and for that reason many moms decide against it in the long run.
But the benefits of nursing one's child are immense, and this might be contributing to the increase in world-wide breastfeeding rates.
According to the US Department of Health and Human Services, breastfeeding is beneficial to both mothers and babies because breastmilk contains higher nutrient levels than formula, as well as small amounts of the mother's antibodies. Formula-fed babies are also more likely to have ear and respiratory infections, as well as higher rates of obesity, diabetes, and asthma in childhood.
So moms, what made nursing your baby easier for you? Did you have a comfortable "glider" rocking chair, or did you find a good pump to use after it was time to return to work? Did you attend a LeLeche group, or did you have a veteran mom as a friend or family member to help you out?
