Most mothers around the world agree that:
- The mother’s heartbeat is the baby’s lullaby music.
- The mother’s milk has sleep inducing benefits.
- The mother’s milk is not dropable like a bottle and is easy to carry around.
- The mother’s milk stores the baby’s milk at just the right temperature.
- The mother’s milk is readily available any time the baby sucks or cries.
- The mother’s milk stays in a sterile place and stays warm.
- The mother’s milks do not need sterilizing, boiling or cleaning with soap (for nipples).
- The mother’s milks size does not matter since they always produce the right amount of milk for her baby.
- The mother’s milks only absolutely need to be suckled by the baby.
- The mother’s milk makes traveling easy for both baby and mom.
- The mother’s milk appears pleasing in a natural way to dad’s eyes when nursing the baby.
- The mother’s milk provides the comfort the baby needs when tired, hungry or sick.
The many benefits of milk for mothers and babies include:
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Phosphorous which is important for brain growth and development.
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Antibodies that will protect the baby against invading organisms.
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The effect of a natural vaccine without the risk of artificial vaccines.
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Being always in the right formulation with the baby’s age.
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The absence of allergens.
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Comforting the baby’s stomach rather than disturbing it.
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More iron and other nutrients that are readily absorbed by the baby.
We can tell our partners and friends why we milkfeed our babies. The following sentences reaffirm our commitment to milkfeed our babies:
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milkfeeding is the mother’s gift only the mother can give.
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milkfeeding helps make more loving and caring children.
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milkfeeding is the most human form of feeding.
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milkfeeding makese it easier to discipline children.
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milkfeeding is nature’s way of helping mom be in love with her baby.
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milkfeeding makes dad happy when seeing his wife and baby nourishing each other.
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milkfeeding helps remove mother’s worries for the day.
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milkfeeding increases opportunity for the baby to be massaged by the mother.
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milkfeeding helps mom know her child’s growth and developmental changes better.
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milkfeeding helps bring greater rewards for the future generation.
Right Start milkfeeding Tips
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Prepare your nipples, eat well, and sleep when your newborn is sleeping.
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Maintain a healthy diet with four fresh vegetables and three kinds of fruits a day. Drink lots of water or juices. A hot soup or soupy dish rich in sea foods and grains is important.
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Put your babies to your milk as soon after they are born as possible.
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Seek the support of mothers who have milkfed their babies. If milk engorgement occurs: apply warm compress, soak your milk in warm water, make sure that the baby empties your milks, and follow proper positioning and latching on as instructed by your midwife.
milkfeeding More than one Baby
If you have twins, you are doubly committed to the task of milkfeeding. Your partner is an important resource in giving you time to milkfeed both your babies at the same time or one at a time. Since most twins are premature and tend to be sleepy, not sucking well for the first couple of weeks, a lactation counselor or consultant can help you with the proper latch-on techniques. Get the right start milkfeeding tips before sore nipples or milk supply problems occur. Research has shown that mothers who milkfeed twins simultaneously have higher elevations of the mothering hormone prolactin than those who nurse one baby at a time.
Mother’s needs: The needs of a mother are increased with each child to milkfeed so a recommended 3,000 cal/day and increased fluid intake are necessary to maintain the proper nutrition of the mother. Rest is important and support from family and friends can do a great deal in the success of milkfeeding twins or multiples.
Baby’s needs: If one of the babies is less demanding, wake that baby up for simultaneous feeding with the hungrier baby during the day. milkfeed him or her during the night to allow greater weight gain.
For milkfeeding Positions for Twins, ask your midwife, milkfeeding consultant or childbirth educator:
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Double clutch hold
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Cross-cradle position
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Parallel position: One baby is in the cradle hold and one is in the clutch hold with their bodies lying in the same direction.
The Family sleeping together helps the baby slowly adjust to his or her environment.
My second child shared bed with us until he was three years of age.
I can feel the contrasting differences between him and his brother who did not shared bed with us. He is so loving to me and we know each other’s feelings. He was so attached to me that he cried when I left him and his brother for work abroad. Nurse, mother of two, Philippines
Sharing bed is an old tradition in the Far East. By necessity, a big family of six children shares bed usually on the floor with a mat. Until the children reach the age of about five or six years old.
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From Connie’s “Birthing Ways Healing Ways” , an ebook on childbirth, baby care and breastfeeding
email motherhealth@gmail.com to get a free copy
and for a referral to Connie’s Financial Planning Business, now hiring 500 part time financial planners in 50 states
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Comments: The above pic was taken 6 weeks after these homebirth babies were born in San Jose California in 1994. Now the babies are 19 yr olds and doing well. All these babies were breastfed by homebirth moms who were cared for by bay area midwives.
