What to Expect the First Year Read Free Page B

needs: It’s different in the morning than it is in the late afternoon, different at the beginning of a feeding than at the end, different the first month than the seventh, different for a preemie than for a full-term newborn. It even tastes different, depending on what you’ve been snacking on (just like your amniotic fluid does when you’re pregnant). A one-of-a-kind food for your one-of-a-kind baby.
    â€¢ It goes down easily. Breast milk is designed for a new baby’s brand new digestive system. The protein and fat in breast milk are easier to digest than those in cow’s milk formula, and its important micronutrients are more easily absorbed. The bottom line for newborn nursers: better nourishment.
    â€¢ It’s a tummy soother. Breast milk is not only easier going down, it’s easier staying down … and easier going out. Breastfed babies are less likely to have tummy troubles (including excessive gas or spitting up) and almost never become constipated (formula can sometimes clog up the works). And although their poops are normally quite soft, nursers rarely have diarrhea. In fact, breast milk appears to reduce the risk of digestive upset both by keeping harmful microorganisms in check and by encouraging the growth of beneficial ones. You know the much-touted pre- and probiotics that are added to some formulas? They’re naturally occurring in breast milk.
    â€¢ It’s naturally safe. You can be sure that the milk served up from your breasts is always perfectly prepared—and never spoiled, contaminated, expired, or recalled.
    â€¢ It’s virtually allergy-proof. Babies are almost never truly allergic to breast milk (though occasionally an infant may be sensitive to something mom has eaten). The formula flip side? About 2 to 3 percent of babies turn out to have an allergy to cow’s milk formula. And there’s more good news on the allergy front: evidence that breastfed babies may be less likely to develop asthma and eczema than babies fed formula.
    â€¢ It doesn’t make a stink. Breastfed babies fill their diapers with sweeter-smelling stool—at least until solids are spooned up.
    â€¢ It’s a diaper rash eradicator. That sweeter-smelling poop is also less likely to trigger diaper rash—for a sweeter (and softer) bottom line.
    â€¢ It’s an infection fighter. With each and every feeding, nursers get a healthy dose of antibodies to boost their immunity to bugs of all varieties (some pediatricians like to refer to breastfeeding as a baby’s first immunization). In general, breastfed babies will come down with fewer colds, ear infections, lower respiratory tract infections, urinary tract infections, and other illnesses than bottle-fed infants, and when they do get sick, they’ll usually recover more quickly and with fewer complications. Breastfeeding may improve the immune response to immunizations for some diseases. Plus, it may offer some protection against Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).
    â€¢ It’s a fat flattener. Breastfed infants are less likely to be too chubby. That is, in part, because breastfeeding lets baby’s appetite call the shots—and the ounces. A breastfed baby is likely to stop feeding when full, while a bottle-fed infant may be urged to keep feeding until the bottle’s emptied. What’s more, breast milk is actually ingeniously calorie controlled. The lower-calorie foremilk (served up at the start of a feed) is designed as a thirst quencher. The higher calorie hindmilk (served up at the end of a feed) is a filler-upper, signaling to a nurser that it’s quitting time. And research suggests that the fat-defeating benefits of breastfeeding follow a baby out of the nursery—and into high school. Studies show that former breastfeeders are less likely to battle weight as teens—and the longer they were breastfed, the lower their risk of becoming overweight. Another potential health plus