24khealth.com

Mother Milk and Breast Feeding

I’m a long-time advocate of breastfeeding. To my mind it’s quite simply the best thing for mum and baby. So when I see headlines, claiming that research has found the benefits of breast-feeding over formula milk have been exaggerated. I despair, How on earth can any scientist doubt breast milk, which contains hundreds, probably thousands of ingredients – many which are still undiscovered – and try to compare it to something manmade that’s not been around long? We’re constantly discovering new benefits of breast milk such as good bacteria in the milk that help the immune system form and growth factors that help the baby’s gut to mature. And we certainly don’t have any way of adding these vital components to formula milk. Breast milk has been nature’s way of nurturing babies since time immemorial and it would require some incredible new evidence to prove to me that it wasn’t the very best way to nurture a newborn.

BENEFITS TO BABY

It’s full the right sort of goodness: breast milk provides the perfect nutrition for the first six months of life, containing the ideal combination of protein, fats, carbohydrate and fluids that new borns need. It helps the gut develop. The growth factors it contains prepare baby’s digestive system to receive solid food after six months. There are Fewer infections. Breast milk helps the immune system form and seems to protect babies form gastroenteritis, chest infections and many other infections. Lower cot death risk is another benefit. There is good evidence that sudden infant death syndroms is less common in breastfed babies. Reduced risk of asthma, eczema and allergies. Although this was questioned by the new study, other research shows that babies on formula milk are more prone to allergies than those breastfed. It helps with nappy rash. Because breast milk is more easily and quickly digested than cow’s milk your baby’s stools contain fewer of the enzymes that cause nappy rash. Breast milk contains many hormones. The lactation hormones oxytocin and prolactin have an effect on the reward centre, making a baby feel loved and secure. They also promote brain growth. In the long term breast feeding reduces obesity. Breast feeding was discouraged in the 1970s because formula-fed babies gained weight faster and this was thought better But we now agree that the slow, sustained growth that comes with breast-feeding is healthier and studies show it reduces the like hood of becoming obese in later childhood or developing diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease. Some studies have suggested that babies who are breast-fed have a slightly higher IQ.

BENEFITS TO MUM

Mums who breast-feed enjoy lots of positives too, including a strong bond with their child and the knowledge they’re doing what’s best for their little one. There is also evidence that the following health problems are less common in women who’ve breast-fed.

-Breast cancer-Ovarian cancer

Type 2 Diabetes-Postnatal depression

Breast-feeding is the most natural thing in the world, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t take time and effort to get the hang of it. Here are some things to bear in mind. Sucking stimulates the production of oxytocin, a hormone that helps the womb expel the placenta, and as it’s the love hormone forms a bond between you and your baby. Make sure your partner nows to encourage you. Being told well done will help new mums stick with it. The key to successful feeding is getting your baby to latch on properly. Many women think it’s just the nipple that goes into the mouth, but it’s the whole areola (the pink area around the nipple) that should be covered. Ask your nurse or midwife to sit with you for an entire feed. Giving a running commentary. It’s best to semi-recline so baby can latch on without gravity dragging her

    Essential oils work on the body on several different levels. The most obvious is by stimulating the powerful but little understood sense of smell.

The smell has a great impact on how we feel. The way the drug acts directly with the blood , the smell act directly with the brain.

And while most depressed, stressed-out people can smell just fine it is believes that their emotional states are also affected by the odors they are—or don’t –smell.

Scientific research supports the notion that smelling particular odors has a direct effect on brain activity. ’’We know from  brain wave frequency studies that smelling lavender increases alpha waves in the back of the head, which are associated with relaxation. An odor such as jasmine increases beta waves in the front of the head, which are associated with a more alert state.’’

And since most people can detect many different odors, the potential therapeutic uses of smell seem endless. Experts say that inhaling essential oils can benefit many conditions linked to nervous tension, including headaches, insomnia and anxiety. Inhalations are also used to treat respiratory complaints such as colds, allergies and bronchitis.

Experiencing the mood-altering power of scent can be as simple as adding several drops of essential oil to your bath or placing a couple of drops of essential oil on a scent ring, which sits on a warm light bulb. A longer-lasting way to scent a room is with an aroma lamp, a porcelain or clay pot in which essential oils are mixed with water and hearted over a candle, or an electric aromatic diffuser, which reduces essential oils to a fine spray and disperses the scent throughout the room. These are sold in some health food stores and through mail order