Saturday, August 30, 2014

Ingredients in Breast Milk and Formula

Have you ever wondered what's in breast milk verses formula?

Source - Click on the poster to view it larger!
I've never looked on the back of formula to see what is in it. 

I do know that new things are discovered every year in breast milk. Breast milk has tons of ingredients. A Mom's body changes what it produces to meet the needs of their baby, or toddler.

There is a rumor that once the child is past a year that they no longer need momma's milk. While it's true that babies start eating other things, breast milk still has antibodies that is good for them. Breast milk is similar to blood. It changes with the needs of your body. 

Riordan & Wambach (2012) state, “Human milk is similar to unstructured living tissue, such as blood, and is capable or transporting nutrients, affecting biochemical systems, enhancing immunity, and destroying pathogens ”  They they go on to say, “Breastmilk, like all other animal milks, is species-specific.  It has been adapted throughout human existence to meet nutritional and anti-infective requirements of the human infant to ensure optimal growth, development, and survival” (p. 97).

Breast milk is good for children that are sick, and children that are healthy. There is no magic age a baby, or toddler should stop drinking Momma's milk. It's up to the momma and baby to decide when to wean. To be honest weaning begins the moment foods are introduced in a baby's diet. When to stop breast feeding all together is a decision for those involved.

Then things that stay in breast milk after babyhood: 
  • Vitamins
  • Minerals
  • Enzymes
  • Elecrolytes
  • Antibacterial Properties
  • Antimicrobial Properties
  • Antifungal Properties
  • And More 
Cow's milk and cow's milk formula are made for a baby cow.

Formula can be life saving in different situations, but there is no research to support the idea that a toddler should switch to a milk that is specific to a different animal.

People do not/should not all fit into a mold. Some women have trouble breastfeeding, or have to go on medicines that prevent them from breastfeeding.

If a child is sick, and won't eat anything, the fact that they are drinking breast milk that has so many wonderful properties is a big relief. Often times kids don't want to eat anything when they are sick. Doctors want them to have Pedialyte. Pedialyte is fine if they'll drink it. Breast milk naturally has elecrolytes in it.

Formula is marketed for consumers to think that there is more in it than breast milk. This simply is not true. AHA and DHA is naturally produced from breast milk, and synthetically produced in a factory lab for formula.

Here is a portion of what a great ARTICLE mentions about the review of available research and literature by the Who and Cochran Review:
 
 “ARA (promoted as enhancing “visual acuity”) and DHA (touted for advancing “neurological development”) have been added to infant formula since 1997. Both these long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids are found in human breast milk and, in this form, contribute to eye and neurological development. But over the past five years, WHO and the Cochran Collaboration, a London-based research organisation, have published policy statements and studies concluding that ARA and DHA, when used as additives, do not improve infants’ development.”

It goes on to say:

“According to the US Food and Drug Administration, the scientific evidence ismixed’ over the benefits of adding ARA and DHA to baby formula, with no currently available published studies on the long-term impact. ‘Scientists can’t make the same form of ARA and DHA that human breast milk contains,’ said Elizabeth Myler, a spokeswoman for the US-based NGO that promotes breastfeeding, La Leche League International. ‘Instead, they extract it from fermented algae and fungus using a toxic chemical called hexane.’ “

Even though this addition has been made to these formulas, babies are not having any improvements compared to artificially fed babies without ADA and DHA added!  Marketing execs are a smart bunch and know how to make a serious amount of money with campaigns such as this…

The World Health Organization recommends the following for babies if their mother cannot breastfeed. The order is in preference from most preferred to least preferred; expressed breast milk from the infant’s own mother , donated breast milk from a healthy wet-nurse or human milk bank, formula.  

Global Strategy for Infant and Young Child Feeding, World Health Organization

Click on this LINK for another great poster listing how little artificial milk has to offer compared to breast milk.
 
Here is a list of ingredients from a can of formula: The first three ingredients are lactose from cow’s milk, vegetable oils and “enzymatically hydrolysed whey protein (milk)” also from a cow…

  • Lactose (milk)
  • vegetable oils
  • Enzymatically hydrolysed whey protein (milk)
  • Minerals (calcium phosphate, magnesium chloride, potassium chloride, potassium phosphate, sodium chloride, ferrous sulphate, zinc sulphate, copper sulphate, calcium carbonate, manganese sulphate, sodium selenate, potassium iodide)
  • Maltodextrin, omega LCPUFAs (DHA from fish oil, AA)
  • Vitamins [sodium ascorbate (vit C)
  • Dl-alpha-tocopheryl acetate (vit E)
  • Retinyl acetate (vit A)
  • Niacinamide (niacin)
  • Calcium pantothenate
  • Cholecalciferol (vit D3)
  • Thiamine mononitrate (vit B1)
  • Riboflavin (vit B2)
  • Pyridoxine hydrochloride (vit B6)
  • Phylloquinone (vit K1)
  • Folic acid
  • Cyanocobalamin (vit B12)
  • Biotin
  • L-phenylalanine, L-histidine
  • L-tyrosine
  • Choline bitartrate
  • Acidity regulator (citric acid)
  • Taurine, inositol
  • Nucleotides (cytidine 5′-monophosphate, uridine 5′-monophosphate, adenosine 5′-monophosphate 
  • Guanosine 5′-monophosphate 
  • L-carnitine
  • Culture (bifidus)
  • Antioxidant (ascorbyl palmitate)

Starter infant formula. The enzymatically hydrolysed protein source is from cow’s milk.

You can find a source for this article here.

Monday, August 25, 2014

30 Celebrities That Breastfed Their Babies

Celebrities have very busy lives. They are often time on the road.

Here is a post that mentions 30 celebrities that breastfed their babies.

Natalia Vodianova/Instagram
Often times celebrities seem unlike real people. They are just like anyone else. Some breastfeed and some opt to formula feed. I don't have a problem with either. Breastfeeding is as natural as it gets though.

Monday, August 18, 2014

Life is Difficult!

I ran across this video on FB a few weeks ago:


I so reminded me of my youngest Isaak when he was her age. He used to cry because he didn't want to grow up, and have a house of his own. He wanted to live with us for life. When we faced the death of my Grandma I thought Isaak was going to fall apart. He didn't want us to die, he didn't want to die himself.

I never understood people that think kids are dumb. Some of them understand life more than adults do.

Monday, August 11, 2014

Finnish Babies Sleep in Cardboard Boxes

I saw a beautiful post here. It actually took me awhile to find it once again.

Source
You may be wondering why their babies sleep in cardboard boxes?

For 76 years, Finland's expectant mothers have been given a box by the state. It's much like the organization WIC. Instead of giving mom's formula, they give mom's a box filled with everything a mom would need to start the care for their baby.

The kit has clothes, toys, sheets, bodysuits, a sleeping bag, outdoor gear, bathing products for the baby, as well as nappies, bedding and a small box sized mattress. They even have breastfeeding supplies in the box; to encourage women to breastfeed more. It has worked! They do have the option for the mom's to choose money instead. Most Mom's opt for the box. The box and supplies are worth more than the money.

The box it's self ends up as a bed for the baby. You may find that odd, having a baby sleep in a box. Many have said that Finland achieve one of the world's lowest infant mortality rates. There is nothing to get tangled up in a box.

The tradition dates back to 1938. To begin with, the scheme was only available to families on low incomes, but that changed in 1949. Now they are offered to every Mom.

Monday, August 4, 2014

Breastfeeding in Public

In the US there are more places that will look down on a mom for breastfeeding, than look up to them.

I love how the UK is a bit more supportive on the subject.

"Breastfeeding Mums - Pop in and have a FREE cup of tea if you need a pit stop... no need to eat, no need to ask - please relax." 


"Laundromat - Go ahead and breastfeed. We like both babies and boobs!"

Images were found on Facebook. If you know who these belong to, let me know, and I'll source them.

I never felt comfortable breastfeeding in public. I wish that I had. The cover-ups that my sister uses didn't work for us. Both of my sons had latch problems in the beginning. I had to see what I was doing. When they were a little older, they were active breastfeeder's. Meaning they would walk and fidget on me before they could even crawl. My mom and sister would laugh every time they watched my son's breastfeed back in the day. Trying to cover up an oh so active eater as them just isn't possible.

I would hide away in dressing rooms when I was out shopping, or breastfeed them in the car. I would not breastfeed in the bathroom. To me that's a dirty place. Would you eat your dinner in the bathroom? Why expect a baby to do that?

Did/do you feel comfortable breastfeeding in public? Where would you go to breastfeed?