Breast Milk Or Formula Milk?
We have many mothers here. May I ask you, what was the first milk you gave your baby after delivery? Is it formula milk or breast milk? The rate of breastfeeding among Malaysian mothers is very low, only a mere 14.5% of mothers breastfeed their babies up to six months. For those who did not breastfeed your baby, may I know the reason why? There are many excuses given by mothers and there are also many myths surrounding breastfeeding. Let’s discuss some of these myths.
Myth No. 1 - Many nursing mothers believe that they do not have enough breast milk. This is not true. In fact, many nursing mothers can produce more than enough breast milk for their babies. Just keep in mind that our brains are very unique. When the baby is sucking on the mother’s breast, it will stimulate the mother’s brain to produce sufficient milk for the baby. To all the new mothers out there, please do not worry about the supply of your milk. Your body will respond by producing sufficient milk for your baby. What you need to do, is to be wary of friends and relatives who may, out of “good intention” and ignorance, wrongly advise you against breastfeeding.
Myth No. 2 – Newborn babies need the extra vitamins and nutritions which are found in formula milk, as advertised by them. This is not true at all. The manufacturers of formula milk try to mimic the nutritions found in human breast milk but they have not been able to do so because breast milk is very unique and cannot be duplicated. The manufacturers and producers of formula milk put up lots of advertisements in the media to try and convince the public to use formula milk. They also try to portray that formula milk is as good as breast milk. Actually, it is not true. Do you still remember the 2008 milk scandal in China? 6 babies died (maybe more than that) and 300,000 babies are suffering from kidney problems as a result of consuming the tainted formula milk. Breast milk produced by the mother is created based on the baby’s needs. It has everything the baby needs to grow. And it's all provided in a form more easily digested than formula milk. Moreover, the physical closeness and eye contact between mother and baby during breastfeeding helps the baby to bond with the mother and to feel secure.
Myth No. 3 - New mothers are concerned about the size of their breasts. They think that small breasts will produce less milk compared with larger sized breasts. This is utter nonsense! The size of the breast does not determine the amount of milk produced. Just let your baby suckle on your breast more frequently. Your baby’s suckling will stimulate your brain to release more prolactin hormones, which will automatically elevate the supply of milk.
Let me share with you what are the benefits of breast feeding. First of all, breast milk is rich in antibodies, nutrition and vitamins which can help your baby become stronger and protect him or her from common diseases.
Secondly, breastfeeding can help you save money. Do you believe it? My elder daughter was breastfed for 1½ years or 18 months since birth. Now, let’s try to calculate how much I have saved from not buying formula milk. 1 tin of a-650g Enfalac milk powder cost about RM68 and 1 tin of the milk can only last about 5 days. So for a month, my baby would need 6 tins of the milk and that would have cost me RM408 ( 6 x RM68 ). For 18 months, when we were breastfeeding our baby, I would have saved RM7,344 ( RM408 x 18 months ).. With this amount of money saved, I can invest in a children’s education fund for my daughter.
And finally, for those who would like to slim down faster after delivering your baby, breastfeeding is a very safe and effective way to do it. Breast-feeding burns extra calories, so it can help you lose pregnancy weight faster. It releases the hormone oxytocin, which helps your uterus return to its pre-pregnancy size. Breastfeeding also lowers your risk of breast and ovarian cancer. Therefore, do not waste your money buying and consuming those slimming products which may harm your body and health.
We need to emphasize the value of breastfeeding to new mothers. Family members of the new mother, especially her parents, parents-in-law and her spouse, need to encourage her and support breastfeeding. We must ignore the power of those commercials that promotes formula milk. We need to choose the best food for our baby.
Do keep in mind, COW’S MILK IS FOR CALVES, BREAST MILK IS FOR BABIES!
