Excerpts from
Weaning a Baby from the Breast
Diane Wiessinger, MS, IBCLC
- If mom nurses baby for just a few days, the baby will receive the colostrum or “early milk.” Colostrum provides the baby with antibodies and is the first “immunization.” This first milk aids baby’s digestive system and helps the baby to pass the meconium.
- If mom nurses baby for four to six weeks, the baby will have been eased through the most critical part of infancy. Newborns who are breastfed are less likely to get sick or be hospitalized and have less digestive problems.
- If mom nurses baby for three or four months, the digestive system of the baby will have matured greatly and will be better able to tolerate formula. Breastfeeding solely for the first four months will give the baby strong protection against ear infections for the whole year.
- If mom nurses baby for six months, the baby will be less likely to have an allergic reaction to formula or other foods. Nursing for six months, helps ensure better health throughout the baby’s first year of life, including reducing the risk for childhood cancers.
- If mom nurses baby for nine months, breastmilk will have seen the baby through the fastest and most important brain and body development of the baby’s life.
- If mom nurses baby for one year, the family would have saved enough money to purchase a major household appliance. The baby will be able to handle most table foods at this time. Many of the health benefits the baby has received from nursing for the first year will last a lifetime.
Advertisement
