Why Breastfeeding Is So Important
Making the decision to breastfeed is certainly a personal matter that will be impacted by your particular circumstances and will have some of the people around you routing for you or discouraging you.
Many medical experts, including the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, strongly recommend breastfeeding exclusively for the first six months of your baby’s life—that means no water, juice, or formula should be introduced to the baby’s diet for the first six months.
They also recommend breastfeeding for at least a year and adding other foods such as fruits, vegetables, proteins, and grains after the six-month mark.
Why It Is So Important
Nature knows best, and breast milk provides your infant with the idyllic nutrition for a healthy start at life.
Breast milk is easier to digest than baby formula, and it contains antibodies that will help your baby fight off viruses.
Breastfeeding also lowers your baby’s risk of allergies and asthma, and babies who are exclusively breastfed for the first six months have fewer ear infections.
It is beneficial for the mom. Breastfeeding burns extra calories and helps moms lose pregnancy weight. It also releases oxytocin, which helps the uterus to go back to its pre-pregnancy size, and it is believed to reduce uterine bleeding after birth.
Breastfeeding also lowers your risk of breast and ovarian cancer, and it might even lower your risk of osteoporosis.
At first glance, it seems like a no-brainer and an easy decision to make. But breastfeeding is a commitment and way of life, and of course, there are different circumstances for each individual.
In my case, it was an easy decision, and I had the intention of breastfeeding from the minute I found out I was pregnant.
I also stayed home with both my babies, which made the process a lot easier.
But that is not the case for many new moms who have to go back to work shortly after their babies are born, and that takes a whole other game plan.
I was lucky enough to stay home with the babies, which made things a lot easier. But I have to admit that while I loved breastfeeding, it was not a walk in the park.
One of the biggest hurdles I had to deal with was cracked nipples—not ideal but quite common—which was very painful at times.
Then there was pumping the breastmilk to store, which was time-consuming and, honestly, not something I looked forward to.
I used one of the best pumps in the market, but it was bulky and very noisy, which meant going to a different room and just sitting there until the process was done.
Now, as a mother of a newborn, I was struggling to find enough time in the day to do everything that needed to be done, including the basics such as sleeping and even eating.
Adding breast-pumping time to my already cramped schedule was not exactly great.
Luckily, for moms these days, there are newer, better, quieter alternatives, such as this Freemie system. It was created by a fellow mom looking for a solution, Dr. Stella Dao, when she was struggling with balancing the need to return to work and breastfeed her vulnerable twins. She came up with the idea of collecting breast milk with your shirt on and your hands-free.
The groundbreaking Freemie Breast Pump System allows moms to pump anytime, anywhere, and around anyone. That’s right, no more running to a secluded room and laying out all the milk-pumping gear.
The innovative Freemie collection system is a hands-free and concealable way to pump and collect breast milk hassle-free and, more importantly, quietly.
Talk about freedom and convenience! The Freemie pump was designed with busy moms in mind, and it allows you to pump virtually anywhere!
What Makes It Different
Each Freemie Collection Cup has a funnel and valve embedded into the cup assembly that connects to a traditional breast pump and feels and works like regular breast pump when placed over the breasts.
Unlike traditional pumping systems, however, the Freemie collects the milk in cups that surround the funnels instead of falling down and hanging in bottles below the funnels, making this system a lot more convenient and mess free.
Also, because the cups are supported by your bra and are r lightweight, milk collection is more comfortable.
