Hooded seal mothers make 22 liters of breastmilk a day - and their thirsty pups are weaned in just four days, as they super-grow from 55 to 110 pounds. A black bear mom feeds her cubs for two years, but she sleeps through the first three months of breastfeeding.
These cases make human breastfeeding seem pretty middle-of-the-road: It's recommended moms do it exclusively for six months; then add solid food while continuing to breastfeed for 12 months or longer.
Unfortunately, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, only 47% of babies are exclusively breastfeeding at 3 months, and about 25% are exclusively breastfeeding at 6 months.
That's risky for your child's health. Researchers at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health have discovered that when babies are given solid foods at or before 3 months of age it changes the mix of bacteria in their gut biome. That throws off metabolic and immune functions and increases the child's risk of obesity, eczema, asthma and allergies to specific foods, pollen and more.
So, if possible, breastfeed exclusively for six months - or supplement with formula - only introducing solid food after that. Don't use work as an excuse. Most employers MUST provide a safe, clean area for you to pump breastmilk, which can be placed in an insulated cooler with ice packs for up to 24 hours. It can be refrigerated at home for four days. Not going to use it in four days? Freeze it in 2- to 4-ounce single-serve containers. After thawing, don't microwave or refreeze.
Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.
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