Why “breastfeeding alone” is not the solution to the lack of formula

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The country is facing Insufficient milk powder, Partly due to a large recall of contaminated prescriptions from one of our very few mega-suppliers. Parents now need to explore all the options for finding a safe food source for their baby —Here is the guide.. On the other hand, an ignorant hot taker asks, “Why don’t people breastfeed alone??? Now, let it disassemble for you.

Before entering whyI’m sure it will be roasted as an evil hugging witch who doesn’t breastfeed, so let me state my disclaimer. I breastfed all three children. I have never received a drop of the formula. Others got bottles very occasionally. I think I bought 3 or 4 packages of formulas in my life. Our society believes that we need to do more to be able to breastfeed when people want. no While questioning others’ choices on social media, there are big and meaningful changes like paid parental leave.But If your baby is drinking infant formula You need a formula to allow your baby to eat fucking.. And it should not be a controversial statement. (There. Now I’m probably also roasted as an evil hugging witch breastfeeding.)

What triggered the production of milk?

Not only is breast milk ubiquitous, it’s ready to be unleashed by the rotation of the spigot. This is a very fun fact that explains a lot: A People who have breasts do not naturally produce milk until they become pregnant and unless they become pregnant. (This also applies to animals, Similarly: IIf you are a dairy farmer, most of your job is to ensure that all your cows are pregnant. )

During puberty Breast tissue begins to growThis happens almost at the same time as ovulation and menstruation begin. Later, when the person becomes pregnant, the breast tissue develops further. The glandular tissue of the breast grows and the ducts branch away from each other. Epithelial cells turn into lactating cells. Towards the end of pregnancy, a small amount of first milk (a precursor of milk) is produced.

Within the first few days after giving birth, milk begins to be produced in large quantities. It is now opaque and white mature milk instead of yellowish transparent first milk. This is sometimes referred to as “milk coming in”, and sudden increases in volume are unpleasant and can even be painful.

Let’s say you’re breastfeeding from the beginning. Your baby will drink milk and you will continue to make milk. Initially, hormones maintain milk production. After a while, this hormonal signal weakens and the milk supply from the breast changes according to demand. (In other words, the less your baby eats, the less you produce.)

When the baby stops breastfeeding or stops pumping milk, the body slowly stops breastfeeding. There is no fixed time for supply to stop, but it often runs out or almost disappears within a few weeks.

If I quit, can I breastfeed later?

So if you’re wondering why people don’t return to breast milk, you need to ask yourself: WYou see can Breastfeeding? The answer is: PThose who gave birth recently When Someone who was able to make milk after birth (some people can’t), When People who have been breastfeeding or pumping regularly since then.

In other words, breastfeeding is possible Already doing so.. If someone is breastfeeding (or milking) some of your baby’s milk, supplementing with infant formula may be able to change the balance. Do a little more pumping or nursing, and you may be able to increase your supply enough that you can use less prescriptions. Rest assured that people in this situation are already considering this possibility and are doing it if possible.

However, people who were initially unable to breastfeed their babies (for medical or other reasons) cannot always turn around and start producing milk. There are several things you can do: TAmerican Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Guide to breastfeedingNote that, and if your baby is less than 3 months old, you are most likely to succeed. Still, it can take weeks to reestablish supply.

and May induce breastfeeding Even if you have never been pregnant before, this process can take weeks or months and may include prescription drugs and often fails. It’s not a short-term solution to a lack of formula.

How Much Does Your Baby Need Breast Milk or Infant Formula?

Babies should only eat breast milk or infant formula for about 6 months of age. Then they can add “solid” foods, This usually includes what is in a bottle or pouch. Baby food is not suitable for babies under 6 months (or 4 months with some older recommendations).

By the time they are one year old, babies are still drinking a lot of milk powder and breast milk, but the digestive system is now mature enough to require an accurate balance of human milk nutrients. plug. This is when pediatricians say it’s good to replace their prescription with regular old cow milk. (There are “prepared milk powders for infants” available, In the same way. )

AAP To tell That is, due to the shortage, babies close to 1 year old can start taking infant prescriptions as temporary. For 6-12 month old babies, milk may be an option. In the same way. After all, these babies are starting to eat solid foods, including dairy products. “This isn’t ideal and shouldn’t be routine, but it’s a better option than diluting a prescription or making a homemade prescription,” they say.

How did your baby eat before the invention of modern prescriptions?

Another variation of the “breast milk only” hot take is to point out that our ancestors managed to survive with breast milk and homemade alternatives. Modern formulas exist only in the last century or so.

Indeed, long ago more babies were breastfed than they are today. Family and friends may be able to breastfeed a child whose mother has died or was unable to breastfeed. In some cultures, “nanny” May be hired (or ordered if enslaved) to feed the babyBut these nannies would be those who had their own children. The baby at home could become malnourished because the mother was unable to adequately feed both.

It is also true that the baby died when not properly nourished. If breast milk was not available, alternatives could have included animal milk, grain-based “pups” or broth mixtures, and ultimately homemade and over-the-counter formulas. These recipes and alternatives did not always provide adequate nutrition, and bottles and feeding boats were not always kept clean enough to be safe from bacterial buildup. According to one estimate One-third of babies “artificially breastfeeded” in the early 19th century died in the first year of life...

So yes, breastfeeding is one way to breastfeed your baby. But it wasn’t an option for all babies, and there was no world where all babies could be safely and properly breastfed. It doesn’t help to tell parents who are facing a shortage of infant formula to “breast only”.