The American government released a document discussing the problem of childhood obesity and recommendations for change. The report does have some info on breastfeeding!

B. Breastfeeding
Children who are breastfed are at reduced risk of obesity.77 Studies have found that the likelihood of obesity is 22% lower among children who were breastfed.78 The strongest effects were observed among adolescents, meaning that the obesity-reducing benefits of breastfeeding extend many years into a child’s life. Another study determined that the risk of becoming overweight was reduced by 4% for each month of breastfeeding.79 This effect plateaued after nine months of breastfeeding.
Despite these health benefits (*1), although most (74%) babies start out breastfeeding, within three months, two-thirds (67%) have already received formula or other supplements. By six months of age, only 43% are still breastfeeding at all, and less than one quarter (23%) are breastfed at least 12 months.80 In addition, there is a disparity between the prevalence of breastfeeding among non-Hispanic black infants and those in other racial or ethnic groups. For instance, a recent CDC study showed a difference of greater than 20 percentage points in 13 states.81

SOLVING THE PROBLEM OF CHILDHOOD OBESITY

The protective effect of breastfeeding likely results from a combination of factors. First, infant formula contains nearly twice as much protein per serving as breast milk. This excess protein may stimulate insulin secretion in an unhealthy way.82 Second, the biological response to breast milk differs from that of formula. When feeding a baby, the mother’s milk prompts the baby’s liver to release a protein that helps regulate metabolism.83 Feeding formula instead of breast milk increases the baby’s concentrations of insulin in his or her blood, prolongs insulin response,84 and, even into childhood, is associated with unfavorable concentrations of leptin, a hormone that inhibits appetite and controls body fatness.85 Despite the well-known health benefits of breastfeeding and the preference of most pregnant women to breastfeed,86 numerous barriers make breastfeeding difficult. For first-time mothers, breastfeeding can be challenging, even for those who intend to breastfeed. For those who have less clear intent to breastfeed, cultural, social, or structural challenges can prevent breastfeeding initiation or continuation. For example, immediately after birth, many babies are unnecessarily given formula and separated from their mothers, making it harder to start and practice breastfeeding. Also, hospital staff are often insufficiently trained in breastfeeding support.
The Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Hospitals, the body that accredits hospitals and health care organizations for most State Medicaid and Medicare reimbursement, now expects hospitals to track and improve their rates of exclusive breastfeeding. Hospitals that meet specific criteria for optimal breastfeeding-related maternity care are designated as “Baby Friendly” by Baby-Friendly U.S.A. This non-governmental organization has been named by the U.S. Committee for UNICEF as the designating authority for UNICEF/WHO standards in the United States. Currently only 3% of births in America occur in Baby-Friendly facilities.87

While breastfeeding could be far more widespread than it is today, it is not a viable alternative for all mothers and babies. Specific guidance and support options should also be made available for those who cannot breastfeed. (*2) Parents and caregivers of babies also may benefit from guidance about when to start feeding them solid foods, since early introduction of solids (prior to six months) increases the risk for childhood obesity.

You can download the entire document as a PDF to read the entire report. It is worth the read.

The Canadian PressTORONTO — New mothers in Ontario are inundated with baby formula by companies, which makes it even more difficult to convince women to continue to breastfeed their babies, advocacy groups said Wednesday.

The Ontario Breastfeeding Committee, the Registered Nurses’ Association, midwives and pediatricians want the Ontario government to develop a breastfeeding strategy for use in all hospitals.

They also want the province to stop companies from direct marketing formula to new moms as soon as they leave the hospital.

The Newman Breastfeeding Clinic, which has sites in Toronto and Aliston, Ont., sees thousands of new moms each year and is amazed at how many end up getting free formula sent to them, even when they haven’t signed up for such products, said Edith Kernerman.

“We really wonder how they get those names,” said Kernerman, who is also president of the Lactation Consultants Association of Ontario.

“They say ‘I didn’t sign up for anything, I don’t know how I got it.”‘

Marketing formula

New Democrat France Gelinas also wants to know how companies that make baby formula manage to get the names and addresses of new moms, and said the direct marketing to them should be stopped.

“Our health care system is not there to support the (mothers), but the formula companies are ready to push their products on new moms,” said Gelinas.

“In the absence of regulations, new moms are being targeted by companies who are inundating them with these products.”

Neither Health Minister Deb Matthews nor Health Promotion Minister Margarett Best could say how the companies manage to get the names of new moms. Matthews promised to look into it, but Best rejected the idea of a ban on direct marketing of formula to new mothers.

“I think people have the right to make decisions on their own, but I think it’s important that they be able to make informed decisions,” said Best.

“Breastfeeding is very important for infants’ health and for mothers to bond with their children.”

Progressive Conservative critic Lisa MacLeod said she finds the direct marketing of formula to new moms to be invasive.

“It’s nice if you fill out a form to receive some products that you might want to try, but if these people are sending these things (unsolicited) … we ought to find a way to prevent that from happening,” said MacLeod.

Moms and breastfeeding

Studies show 97 per cent of new mothers want to breastfeed, but in Ontario only 60 per cent are still doing it a few days after the birth, and that number falls to just 15 per cent within six months, a figure Kernerman called appalling.

“Ontario hospitals are not doing enough to allow this process to happen naturally and easily,” she said. “The learned part of this is not taught, so mothers are left literally scrambling.”

Breastfeeding wasn’t as easy as expected, said Courtney Fairbrother, a new mom who brought her infant daughter, Molly, to a news conference at the Ontario legislature.

“I thought it would be very natural and it wasn’t really,” said Fairbrother. “I definitely could have used more support in the days following Molly’s birth. I can certainly see that you would definitely want to turn to something else.”

The advocates admit formula can look like an easy alternative to moms who are struggling to breastfeed, but said there’s a lot of evidence to show it is clearly not as good for the newborn baby as mother’s milk.

They said new mothers are often given wrong information about breastfeeding by doctors and nurses, and complain many Ontario hospitals have closed their breastfeeding clinics.

Read the original article online at CTV.

Well, I have managed to get my application in on the due date, but I have applied to become a Breastfeeding Buddy. The training they offer is stellar and based on the 20 Hr-WHO Lacation Management course.

For those who don’t know, the Breastfeeding Buddies is a mom-to-mom peer-based program where breastfeeding moms support other breastfeeding moms and promote breastfeeding in the community. Peer-to-peer support is important! It offers breastfeeding moms a breastfeeding culture, a space where other moms understand why you are choosing to breastfeed and the emotion, physical and social struggles that may entail. Breastfeeding moms need understanding, emotional support, practical support, all of which they can obtain through a peer-based model, nevermind the ongoing relationship qith other breastfeeders and mentorship that they can offer when it comes to integrating breastfeeding into your lifestyle.

There is such an incredible lack of breastfeeding help, programs and support coming from governmental sources that peer-based resources are becoming more important, and this is a cause I would love to help!

Now to wait for my interview date!

I can never have too many reasons to love breastfeeding. Besides the bonding experience with my baby, the joy I get when she latches on by herself in the middle of the night, the laugh she gives me when she wants to feed in public and she tweaks my breast and says “bub”,  and then add in the extended health benefits for both mom and baby the last long after breastfeeding has stopped. How can you not love breastfeeding? If heart disease runs in your family, as it does in mine, then you’ll be happy to hear that breastfeeding reduces your risk of heart disease.

A new research study shows that the longer a mom breastfeeds her babies, the less likely her chances of developing diabetes, heart disease or stroke. Do YOU need more convincing?

My daughter has just been getting over a cold. A stuffy nosed cold. Poor lamb. It is during times like these that I am happy to be a breastfeeder. Do you know what can help a stuffy nosed baby to breathe easier? A squirt of breastmilk up the nose! I did this with my eldest daughter as well and was always pleased with how quickly her stuffiness eased up.

It can be a little tricky to get it up there, especially if your baby is expecting you to aim that nipple at her mouth and tries to follow it with an eager and ready latch. You will most likely cover your baby’s face, yourself, and the couch with a few squirts of milk, but keeping aiming and eventually you’ll get some in those nasal passages. It always took me a few tries, especially when my girl was trying to move out of the way or trying to latch on the moving target. It is well worth the effort.

I have also been known to squirt breastmilk into my daughter’s eyes when they’ve been a little crusty and on small cuts. I have actually given my husband a squirt on a particularly nasty scratch on his arm. But don’t stop there! There are a variety of ailments that can benefit from the healing powers of breastmilk:

pink eye
sore, cracked nipples during those first few weeks of nursing (express some milk onto your nipples and allow them to air dry)
mosquito bites
diaper rash
ear infections (squirt into the ear)
acne (squirt onto the face)
chapped lips
vaginal dryness (pump or hand express and use as a lubricant- think KY Jelly)

So go ahead, give a loved one (or yourself) a squirt!

I have always been proud that I breastfed my eldest daughter until she was 2.5 yrs old. It is longer than most of my friends and relatives, and longer than the national average. It is a rare occurance to see, especially in public. So much so, that while I was nursing my daughter in front of City Hall a woman walked up to me to tell me how excited she was to see me nursing a toddler and gave me a flyer for a mom’s group she frequented. It may be rare to see a mom nursing a toddler in public, but I would say it is rarer still to see such an outpouring of support. I am often surprised atmost reactions when I tell people I nursed my daughter for so long. Most are shocked, some in awe, and some are just bewildered.

Although breastfeeding rates are slowly rising, the rates for extended nursing are still dismal. Only 28% of Canadian babies are breastfed by the time they are 6 months old (StatCan, 2003) and they are even lower fror older children despite Health Canada and the Canadian Paediatric Society recommending that infants be exclusively breastfed for the first six months of life with continued breastfeeding for up to two years and beyond. Maybe public opinion and reaction to nursing toddlers have something to do with the dismal rates. Some people seem outright disgusted and grossed out at the thought, never mind the visual. I admit, at first I was a little nervous about breastfeeding my 2 year old in public. The looks you get, geez! But I live to breastfeed in public and I strive to live by example. I do believe that in order to help the general public become well adjusted to breastfeeding in public, they must see it. And they must see it so frequently that it becomes a natural part of the environment. NO matter the age of the child.

If you don’t have children of your own, it may be hard to picture nursing a 2 year old, or a 3 year old, but a 2 year old is still a baby in many ways, and really don’t they deserve the benefits of breastmilk just as much as a 6 month old? Really, the whole human race should be drinking breastmilk! We should have nursing moms hooked up to double-pumpers pumping breastmilk to sell in stores, not the cow’s milk that is really meant for cows. Ever wonder why some humans have a strong intolerance to the milk of other mammals? Maybe because that milk wasn’t meant to cross species. We can all benefit from breastmilk.

Then there is the emotional side. You can force wean a child, but if they’re not ready, you may have a struggle on your hands as you try to replace the comfort of nursing with something new. For a child, breastfeeding is nutritive and emotionally bonding. As a nursing mom, it can also be difficult to stop nursing your baby especially if they are not ready to wean. It doesn’t matter if that baby is 1 yr or 2yrs old. It is equally difficult for the mom if the child self weans when the mom wasn’t ready to stop nursing.

So, how long is too long to nurse for you? There are many people casting judgement on a British mom who is still breastfeeding her 8 year old daughter. There are clips from a documentary that were circulating around the internet a while back. If you’re interested, you can watch it on YouTube. I don’t think I would be able to continue breastfeeding for so long, but I would never cast judgement on another mom who chooses to allow her child to decide when to stop. I know myself and I’m certain I would want my body back to myself way before then, but I certainly do not think we should allow societal pressures or social mores to dictate the age it is appropriate or inappropriate for a child to breastfeed.

So tell me, how long have you or do you intend to breastfeed? How long is too long for you?

My darling daughter has been sick for the past week. Low-grade fever, listless, lethargic, she just wants to sit in my lap, cuddled up and nurse. She has spent the past week barely eating anything, she only wants to nurse. I’ve just had one of those sessions where I’ve looked down to watch her tired face as she drinks the only sustenance that has nourished her for these past five days and I am filled with thanks.

I am thankful for having the ability to breastfeed. I am thankful that we as mom and daughter have been blessed with a syncopation that has allowed us to breastfeed together so well. I am thankful that my body produces the most important life-sustaining fluid for my baby, and still after 22 months, flows freely for her continued nourishment. I am thankful that when my daughter is sick and wants nothing to eat or drink, that she wants the comfort and nourishment that only my breasts can give her. Thankful that I can breastfeed.

Like every new mom, I tracked my baby’s number 1’s and number 2’s for the first couple of weeks to make sure she was getting enough breastmilk. She has never been big on the bowel movements. She saves them up and gives us one good one every 2-3 days. So I asked my midwife about this at our last appointment. Should I be worried? Nope, not at all. My girl is working just fine. I had no idea, but my midwife told me that breastfed babies can go for 10 days without a bowel movement. How is this possible?

Breastmilk is so perfectly formulated for your baby that very little goes to waste. When your baby’s saliva comes into contact with your nipple, it is telling your body what minerals and nutrients your baby needs. Your breastmilk instantly changes to meet your baby’s needs. Because it it always so perfectly formulated for your baby, your baby’s body absorbs so much of your breastmilk, some days all of it, hence no bowel movements. I had no idea. No wonder my girl is growing so fast!

So, if your baby doesn’t poo for 3 or 4 days, don’t sweat it. You are feeding her nature’s perfect food and her body is soaking it up. Of course if you are worried, call your midwife or doctor. But now you know, breastfed babies can go up to 10 days without a bowel movement. Just beware… when it does come, it may be HUGE.

Oh yes it does! It leads baby to sleep for 3.5-4 hours at a time regularly since the milk supply came in Friday, so to answer my own question, Yes it does last! But I wonder for how long?