I read somewhere that when the baby saliva touches the areola important antibodies are released to help the raise the babies immunity. I don’t know. Mayeb someone who has breast fed already may know. I would ask a doctor, but I’m not pregnant so there is really no urgency in the question.
October 31st, 2009 at 8:43 pm
I’ve heard that somewhere too, but can’t remember where. The other posters are correct, but it not only exercises little jaws, but strengthens the tube that runs from ears to mouth. Which lowers the risk of ear infections. My oldest son(9) has not had an ear infection until this spring.
October 31st, 2009 at 10:53 pm
There are numerous advantages to nursing directly at the breast. The milk DOES change quickly with the needs of the baby, and reacts to baby’s direct contact. (Including by producing antibodies to illnesses that baby has recently been exposed to.) Suckling at the breast is also better for baby’s jaw, and, by stimulating mom’s hormones more effectively, keeps milk production up.
However, if a mother can’t breastfeed directly, (either at all, or because she needs to go to work and so can’t be with her baby all the time) pumping and offering the milk by bottle, while very time consuming, is still much better for baby (in dozens of ways) than offering formula.
November 1st, 2009 at 1:51 am
You read right….its definitely okay to pump whem mom is separated from baby, but nutrition-wise, I learned in classes that storing breastmilk in the freezer, or even refrigeration reduces some of the antibodies and some nutrients in the breastmilk——
And this is correct for most foods except milk in a carton (because they are in non-clear-but more opaque containers because the riboflavin naturally found in cows milk is destroyed by light according to my food chem professor)…..sooo….Any processing or exposure to air and sunlight can reduce nutrients A LITTLE in foods in general…but not all the nutrients and antibodies in breastmilk…..The direct suckling is good for strengthening jaw muscles, and some research shows that direct suckling is also good to make their teeth straighter also………………….And direct suckling allows the baby to drink FRESH milk straight out of the breast reducing exposure to air-thus reducing the deterioration of antibodies and nutrients….I hope that convoluted answer helped…..But the posters here said it pretty good already:)
November 1st, 2009 at 6:30 am
Stored milk looses certain nutrients and antibiodies. Also the baby may not get as much fat as it is harder to pump and also sticks to the bottle.
But as to specifically what you are asking:http://www.womenshealthservices.org/whs_…
“Nursing also allows your baby to give germs to you so that your
immune system can respond and can synthesize antibodies! This means
that if your baby has come in contact with something which you have
not, (s)he will pass these germs to you at the next nursing; during
that feeding, your body will start to manufacture antibodies for that
particular germ. By the time the next feeding arrives, your entire
immune system will be working to provide immunities for you and your
baby.”http://chetday.com/breastfeeding.html
“The breast is the only place outside the immune system which can
synthesize antibodies! This means that if the baby has come in contact
with something the mother has not, he will pass these germs to her at
the next nursing; during that feeding, the breast will manufacture and
deliver antibodies for that particular germ.”
November 1st, 2009 at 12:17 pm
I have heard the same thing as welland dont know how true that is, but I do know if you must pump, you shuld try to give freshly expressed milk if possible. if you refridgerate it or freeze it, it loses nutrients and immune factors.
a lot of vitamin c is lost through storage.
the following website has some research on it, scroll down for a chart of some vitamins and how much of it is lost.
November 1st, 2009 at 5:05 pm
there are numerous studies that show it is better for DIRECT contact, But even pumped is better than formula.
the antibodies start to die the minute it touches air, that’s why breast milk spoils fast.
November 1st, 2009 at 9:51 pm
I am not sure about the that part but I do know from having to pump at work while away from my baby that just feeding her directly from the breast is much easier than wasting time with a bottle….LOL
November 1st, 2009 at 11:42 pm
I’m not sure if it’s more nutritious, but it’s certainly easier.