The Benefits of Breastfeeding!
A message from Dr. Unjali Malhotra, FNHA Office of the Chief Medical Officer
My breastfeeding journey
I struggled with breastfeeding at first – that darn latch! But after a while, my child and I figured it out together. We, as a team, managed to find our way. This may not be the outcome for all, but in our case it was a positive experience. It bonded my partner and me in that he washed the pump paraphernalia while I rested, and it bonded my daughter to both of us as we figured out her cues. And of course, there was all that close physical contact known as snuggling!
As a women’s health specialist, I know that some mothers may choose not to breastfeed – or may be unable to. Please know that if this is your story, the FNHA is sensitive to and supportive of your journey too. We know that every mother and baby is unique, as is every situation, and that every mother must (will) make the choices that are right for them and their babies. Because we know, fed is best!
For those mothers who choose to / can breastfeed, I wanted to share some positives and benefits from one mom to another. These are based on my personal experience.
1) Bonding: being one in spirit with your child, connecting to family traditions and histories, providing feelings of closeness and security. Many mothers who breastfeed report experiencing an increased sensitivity and bonding with their child – this is because breastfeeding releases the "love hormone," oxytocin. This is also a time when you call upon your mother, aunties, or friends in your community for additional support.
2) Balance: breastfeeding is the first major change to your lifestyle, in that this tiny person needs you and is a new, major responsibility. I got really comfortable feeding this little human everywhere and anywhere! Coffee shops, restaurants, and so on; she needed to eat! I also needed to plan everything I had to do, from working to grocery shopping. My whole being revolved around her feeding schedule! I also realized the importance of self care, so I made sure to take time to rest and eat well.
3) Nourishment for baby: breastfeeding is the foundation for life. Your breast milk is constantly changing to meet the needs of your growing baby. From month-to-month, throughout the week, day-to-day, and even throughout a single feeding.
For many Indigenous women, breast milk is "our first traditional food, and it provides food security for our growing babies," says my colleague Lucy Barney, FNHA Specialist Perinatal Care and ECD, who is from the T’ít’q’et First Nation.
"Breastfeeding is Creator’s gift to mothers and babies, a special tradition we can continue forever. Breastfeeding carries our ancestors’ strength to our babies to keep our future generations healthy."
4) Protection and prevention for baby. There is evidence that breastfeeding provides immunity against common infectious illnesses during the first and second years, according to studies published by the Canadian Paediatric Society. Because of this, the FNHA agrees with the CPS’s recommendation that breastfeeding continue for up to two years or beyond – and with its observation that breastfeeding longer may have a protective effect against obesity in childhood. Colostrum, the first milk produced by a mother after birth, is uniquely complex and provides essential immunological protection for an infant, is especially high in nutritional value, and is well-documented to reduce infants’ risk of developing several inflammatory diseases such as asthma.
5) Lifelong health benefits for mom. In addition to helping to prevent post-partum depression in some women, there is evidence that breastfeeding for a longer duration decreases the risk of maternal breast cancer. Also, later in life, women who breastfeed are at a lower risk for diabetes, osteoporosis, breast, ovarian and endometrial cancers. Personally, breastfeeding made me feel more self-confident – I felt like a superhero in that I could feed this little person for both nutrition and comfort.
More information about breastfeeding is coming soon!
Barbara Webster, Clinical Nurse Specialist, Maternal Child Health, FNHA Office of the Chief Nursing Officer, is working with our colleague Lucy Barney on breastfeeding resources for BC First Nations that provide education, information and tips. It will include a guidebook/toolkit, a reference booklet to assist facilitators with discussing the topic, and much more, and it will be ready this fall for distribution at the upcoming FNHA Nursing Forum in November.
"We’re also working on two booklets to go with these resources that are specifically for community members," says Barbara. "The first will be on preparing for the breastfeeding journey, and the second will be on breastfeeding your baby, including recommendations for supplementary and complementary feeding. All of these resources will be available on our website. Meanwhile, we encourage you to check out the resources we do have at present, and if you have any questions, to reach out to your local community health nurse or primary care provider or call HealthLink BC’s 8-1-1, a toll free telephone line to talk to nurses, pharmacists, dietitians and health navigators."
For more information about breastfeeding, visit:
Breastfeeding for the Health and Future of Our Nation: A Booklet for Indigenous Families (an Ontario publication) https://www.beststart.org/resources/breastfeeding/BFHFN_sept26.pdf
The Shibogama First Nations Council’s video, "Creator’s Gift to Mothers," at
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rkaxLGI5WBw&feature=youtube
Breastfeeding Information for Indigenous Families Website & Resources
http://www.breastfeedinginfoforparents.ca/indigenoustext/whybreastfeed.html
Healthy Families BC’s Website & Resources
https://www.healthyfamiliesbc.ca/home/articles/breastfeeding-learning-basics