Breastfeeding is the natural way to feed your baby and also benefits your health, but the decision to breastfeed is up to you. This information below explains the benefits of breastfeeding so you can make an informed decision about how to feed your baby.

Breast milk: the best food for your baby!

Breast milk provides all the nutrition your baby needs – it contains the right amount of nutrients for your baby to grow.

Breast milk is always available – as soon as your baby is born, a hormone is released by your body, signaling the breasts to produce milk. The more your baby feeds, the more milk your breasts produce.

Breast milk is convenient – it is always at the right temperature and does not require measuring or special preparation.

Breast milk is economical — breast milk is natural and free! Plus, you don’t need to buy formula, extra bottles or other feeding supplies for your baby.

Breastfeeding is safe for the environment — breast milk does not require packaging and doesn’t waste paper, glass, tin, plastic, rubber or silicon. The production of breast milk does not require the use of environmental resources.

Breastfeeding provides comfort to your baby — by holding your baby close to your skin, you provide warmth to your baby, as well as create a bond between you and your baby that no one else can replace.

Breastfeeding helps your baby’s brain develop — studies show that children who are breastfed have higher IQs (by an average of 7 points) than those who are fed breast milk substitutes.

Breastfeeding helps your baby grow into a healthy adult — studies cited by the American Academy of Pediatrics show that people who were breastfed have fewer health problems such as diabetes, asthma, ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease, allergies, skin problems, and lymphoma, as well as a reduced risk of heart attack and stroke.

Breastfeeding produces healthy babies

Babies who are breastfed for at least six months* have fewer health problems than babies who are fed breast milk substitutes. Breastfed babies have:

• Less diarrhea, constipation and stomach problems because breast milk is easy for babies to digest
• Less allergies; less ear, urinary tract and respiratory infections; and fewer serious illnesses such as bacterial meningitis and botulism because breast milk contains the mother’s antibodies which protect the baby
• Less tooth decay
• Good oral development from sucking at the breast
• A decreased risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)

*It is currently recommended that breastfeeding continue for at least 12 months, and thereafter for as long as desired by you and your baby.

Breastfeeding is healthy for moms

• Breastfeeding causes uterine contractions right after birth, leading to less bleeding
• Breastfeeding helps your uterus shrink to its normal size and burns extra calories, helping you get in shape faster
• Reduces your risk of ovarian and premenopausal breast cancer
• Reduces your risk of developing osteoporosis

Common concerns about breastfeeding

1. Are my breasts too small to breastfeed? Breast size does not affect your ability to breastfeed. The amount of milk your breasts produce will depend on how much your baby eats, not how big your breasts are.

2. Will breastfeeding hurt? Breastfeeding should not hurt if your baby is latched onto your breast correctly. Your health care provider can help you learn how to position your baby when you breastfeed for the first time. Your breasts may be tender the first few days, but this discomfort should go away as you continue to breastfeed.

3. Is breastfeeding hard to do? Breastfeeding is a learned skill and takes practice, but the health benefits you are gaining for you and your baby are worth it.

Help with breastfeeding is available. There are many resources for you to learn about breastfeeding, including a Breastfeeding Basics class that you can attend during pregnancy. Nurses and lactation consultants are also available to provide information and support. Talking to other breastfeeding moms may be helpful and make you feel more comfortable.

4. I am shy and think breastfeeding may embarrass me. You can choose to feed your baby in private. Or, you can breastfeed in front of others without them seeing anything. You can wear shirts that pull up from the bottom, just enough for your baby to reach your breast. You can put a blanket over your shoulder or around your baby so no one can see your breast.

5. Do I have to drink milk if I choose to breastfeed? No, you do not have to drink milk to produce breast milk. Other sources of calcium-rich foods include leafy green vegetables, broccoli or dried beans or peas. Eat 4 servings of calcium-rich foods every day to provide proper nutrition for you and your baby.

6. What if I need to go out? If you can take your baby with you, your baby can eat when he or she is hungry. If you need to be away from your baby, you can learn to pump or express your milk and store it so someone else can feed your baby.

7. How can I breastfeed when I go back to work? When you return to work, you can learn to pump or express your milk and store it so someone else can feed your milk to your baby while you’re at work.

8. I’m worried that breastfeeding will take too much time. Feeding your baby takes time, no matter which method you choose.

Your choice to breastfeed is a personal one. We hope this information explained some of the benefits of breastfeeding for you and your baby. Please feel free to discuss your concerns with your health care provider or a lactation specialist.

Article provided by ACSS Transitions

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Mom workout group offers friendship, fitness

By Katie Freeman – Lifestyle & Arts Reporter, Elk Grove Citizen

Losing baby weight and socializing are two reasons Maria Kang gives as to why someone should join her Mom-Me fitness group.

The group is four weeks old, about the same age as some of the members’ babies. Their young babies don’t stop them from jumping back on the fitness wagon.

“I think it’s good to exercise right after having a baby and get back into it,” said Suzanne Kennedy, who brought her 4-week-old daughter and 3-year-old son.

The group meets every Tuesday at Kunsting Family Park and Thursday at Kloss Park from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m. in Elk Grove.

Thursday, March 26, marked the second workout for Kennedy.

Her son played on the playground, while the moms pushed their strollers around the concrete path surrounding the jungle gym.

The women jogged with their strollers for about 15 minutes before they did circuit training, abs and stretching– totaling a 40 minute workout.

Kang said they burn anywhere from 300 to 600 calories during the high-intensity regimen.

Occasionally, a baby would whimper, the mom would stop to calm the baby and then proceed with the workout. For the most part, the babies just slept or stared intently at whatever was in front of them.

“She’s four weeks old, so she sleeps most of the time,” Kennedy said about her baby.

There is no sign-up sheet or fee required to join.

“Just show-up,” said Ana Sneed, who has been friends with Kang since high school.

The two women were pregnant at the same time– their due dates were four days apart.

When Kang was pregnant, she had an idea about starting a mother’s fitness group and Sneed volunteered to help.

They posted signs around Elk Grove to promote Mom-Me.

For the first Mom-Me workout, no one came. Fortunately, the next one was more successful.

Now the group consists of five to six mothers and their babies.

Although the group is small, lately she’s been receiving more inquires from women interested in attending.

Kang just launched a Web site for mothers who can’t attend the meet-up, but want workout advice, she said.

Kang’s career in fitness began while in college. She worked as a trainer for 24 Hour Fitness. Then she worked in San Ramon for the 24 Hour Fitness corporate office.

She said her leader-type personality will help her and other mothers get into pre-baby shape.

“It’s kind of an accountability thing,” she said. “If I’m responsible for leading other people, then I’m responsible for getting fit too.”

The women execute push-ups, jumping jacks, squats and other calisthenics under the shade of a gazebo.

Kang shouts directions and corrects any improper form, but is so perky, her directions come across as helpful advice.

“We are all at our own level and no one is breathing down our necks, everyone is really supportive,” Sneed said.

After the calisthenics, they do abdominal work lying on the padded ground surrounding the jungle gym.

One of the reasons Kang said she started the group was because she wanted to meet other moms and lose the pregnancy weight.

“I wanted to be fit right after pregnancy,” she said.

Besides living in Elk Grove and having a baby, the women in the Mom-Me group share the desire to be fit moms.

“They want to lose the baby fat- the baby fat from the baby,” she said.

The social aspect of the group is appealing for new moms too.

“Right after you have a child you can feel really alienated,” Sneed said. “So it’s great to meet moms and not just go to the gym by yourself.”

Sneed said she likes Mom-Me more than the gym because it’s a support system.

“It’s great for me because on Tuesdays and Thursdays I know that I have to get up and come here because people are expecting me,” she said.

Everyone in the group has their own motivation.

Joy Isaacson joined the group Tuesday, March 17.

She hopes her baby, five-week-old Sierra, will make friends with other babies, she said.

Isaacson also wants to lose the 40 pounds she gained during pregnancy.

The group will help motivate her to work out, but to reach her goal weight, she’ll need to workout more often, Isaacson said.

“But at least this is motivating,” she said.

Some of the women will go back to work soon, so they want to memorize the exercises.

“I think Maria’s goal is to teach us all the exercises so we don’t depend on her,” Sneed said. “Then we can meet on our own and do it.”

After the abdominal portion of the workout, Kang handed out Nutri-Grain bars.

First 5 California gives money to the group so that everyone can have bottled water and a snack at the end of each workout.

The moms sat while they stretched, chatted and took their babies out of the strollers to meet other babies.

Kang held Sneed’s baby, William, in her lap.

“In the summertime when it’s a little bit warmer, I want to use the babies as weights,” Kang said as she lifted up William.

“I want the kids to be involved in the fitness aspect, so they can grow up with a really healthy mindset,” she said.

The women also want to add another regular workout meet-up on Saturday at 9 a.m., so their husbands can attend too.

“So they know the pain we go through,” Kang said with a laugh.

For more information about Mom-Me fitness club, please visit http://www.mommyfitnessclub.com/.

——-

UPDATE:

On Tuesdays we meet at10am at Kloss Park

and on Thursdays we meet at10am at Kunsting Family Park on 10069 Wild Orchid Way (right off of Whitelock)

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I officially became a mother on January 8, 2009. My son Christian was born a healthy 7lbs and 14oz with a full head of hair! Throughout my pregnancy I monitored my food intake in a journal, I performed light-resistant workouts 3-4 times a week and I supplemented daily with prenatal vitamins and protein shakes. As a result, I gained a healthy 35lbs and didn’t experience water retention or excessive stretch marks.

Two weeks post-labor I lost 20lbs. Four weeks later I lost an additional 10lbs. Now, I’m working on those last five pounds to get to my pre-pregnancy weight. My belly has flattened, my hips are tightening and my body confidence is rising again. While it feels empowering to regain a body that was not ‘mine’ for ten months, getting my physique back still comes with varying emotions of frustration, dissatisfaction and fatigue.

Since my son’s birth, I haven’t been able to sleep through one night without him crying in need of food or a diaper change. My entire schedule revolves around his feedings and what I call his ‘fussy moments’. In addition to the baby, I have laundry, meals, dishes, articles, work and working out to complete on a daily basis. Life has definitely changed, however, with these changes comes a stronger need to focus on my physical goals even though time is often scarce.

For many mothers, exercising can be seen as a ‘selfish act’, a time they could be spending finishing chores or spending with their children. However, I’ve always viewed exercise as an essential daily act, for in order to be strong mentally, physically and spiritually for everyone around you, you must strengthen and maintain the temple your soul exists inside: your body.

I workout every morning around 6am after I nurse Christian. During my 1.5 hour session I perform approximately 45 minutes of weight training and anywhere between 30-45 minutes of cardio. It’s a dedicated act that requires a lot of personal motivation. However, once it’s done, it’s done! Then you can focus on all the other priorities you have for the day, including caring for your little children.

Here are my top 6 tips to becoming fit fast after having a baby:

1) Breastfeed! It will contract and shrink your uterus.

2) Plan to be fit before you become pregnant.

3) Write down everything you eat in a food journal. Do this during pregnancy and post-labor.

4) Do not focus on strict dieting. Focus on nourishing your body with healthy foods for your baby.

5) Go on high intensity, run/walks with your baby outside when you can.

6) Take your supplements. I personally consistently consumed my multivitamin, calcium, EFA’s, and protein shake throughout my whole pregnancy and post-labor.

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