Your Breastfed Grandbaby
Why You Want Your Daughter or Daughter-in-Law to Nurse Her Baby
If your grandchild's mother has decided to breastfeed him, she is giving him the best possible start in life. You need to know why so you can encourage her.
Congratulations! Your daughter or daughter-in-law has chosen to give your new grandbaby the very best start in life! Maybe she is following the example that you set when you breastfed. Or perhaps you didn’t breastfeed and are wondering why she has made this decision. Either way, here is everything you ever wanted to know about breastfeeding, but didn't know to ask:
Why Breastfeed?
There are many reasons that mothers decide to breastfeed. Here are just a few:
- Breastmilk is the ideal infant food. It is perfectly designed to meet all of your grandbaby's nutritional requirements. Furthermore, as he grows, his mother's milk will change to meet his changing needs. It truly is a miracle food. When his mother catches a cold or is exposed to a virus, her body makes antibodies which he receives every time he nurses. That's one reason why breastfed babes are statistically healthier than their formula fed counterparts.
- Breastfeeding is convenient and inexpensive. Your grandbaby's mother has made an economically sound decision by breastfeeding him. She is saving an average of $200 a month in formula costs. Even is she buys a state-of-the-art Medela Pump in Style and has a lactation consultant come to her home, she will still save at least $1500 during the first year of her baby's life! Furthermore, she can nurse anywhere, any time. She doesn't have to stop to mix formula and make sure it's the right temperature. Breastmilk is always available and always the right temperature!
- Breastfeeding is good for the mother. When she nurses her baby, hormonal cues help her uterus clamp down quickly to avoid excessive bleeding. She will regain her pre-pregnancy figure more quickly, even though she continues eating for two. Furthermore, women who breastfeed for at least a year have a reduced incidence of pre-menopausal breast cancer. It also offers protection against ovarian cancer. Finally, the hormones oxytocin and prolactin which make breastfeeding work also help mothers to be more relaxed and to feel more motherly.
- Breastfeeding provides wonderful bonding opportunities. When your daughter or daughter-in-law nurses your grandbaby, she is creating a deep bond with him that only exists between a nursing mother and child. That doesn't mean that a mother who formula feeds isn't bonded to her child. However, the breastfeeding mother has a hormonal bond that is unlike any other.
When a grandmother realizes how wonderful breastfeeding is for both her grandbaby and his mother, she will be eager to do all she can to support them both.
The copyright of the article Your Breastfed Grandbaby in Grandparenting is owned by Glenni Lorick. Permission to republish Your Breastfed Grandbaby must be granted by the author in writing.
