No, really – I mean ‘good for you’ .. if you’re a woman, that is.
Now, the world’s women have known that breastfeeding is good for their babies for millennia – since the first woman had the first baby, in fact.  We’ve known this because babies have a regrettable tendency to die if you don’t feed them, and let’s face it, until very recently breast milk wasn’t a choice, it was all there was. Human babies don’t tend to do well on, say, dog’s milk. Or cow’s milk, sheep’s milk, goat’s milk, or even mare’s milk, come to that. Once they’re past a certain age they can manage on it, of course, but newborns? Not so much. They might have done pretty nicely on ape’s milk, but good luck with milking that chimp.
However, when the very first baby milk formula was invented, things changed. Suddenly there was a choice, and provided your baby wasn’t allergic to it, baby formula based on cow’s milk appeared to be a very good alternative. Many women chose not to breast feed at all, but fed their child solely on ‘baby milk’ – and of course, for some, powdered baby milk was a lifesaver. Maybe Mum didn’t produce enough milk. Maybe she was on toxic drugs. Maybe she had inverted nipples, or for one of a hundred other reasons, chose to feed her baby with breast milk replacement formula.
The companies that produced baby milk put out some very convincing propaganda, too, to persuade ‘on the fence’ mothers to climb down on their side, and – reprehensibly – they also introduced rural parents in third world countries to the magic tins, which caused a lot of illness and death, because of course, people living in those areas often don’t have access to clean water, let alone sterilising equipment.
But anyway. I digress.
Where was I?
Oh yeah. Breastfeeding – it turns out – is good for the mothers who do it. This isn’t one of those studies where you sigh and say ‘but didn’t they do this study already, like about sixteen times?’ No, this is a new and interesting study. This study, started in 1985, strongly suggests that women who breastfeed are themselves protected against heart disease decades later.
“Breast-feeding, even for just a couple of months, can significantly lower a woman’s risk of metabolic syndrome — a dangerous cluster of heart disease risk factors — years later, reports a new study appearing online Dec. 3 in the journal Diabetes.
In women who didn’t have pregnancy-related (gestational) diabetes, breast-feeding between one and five months lowered a woman’s risk of developing metabolic syndrome by 39 percent, while breast-feeding for the same duration lowered the risk of the syndrome by 44 percent in women with gestational diabetes.”
They think that the important factor is glucose management, but they didn’t anticipate this when they started the study, so they didn’t measure insulin production.  Pity. But there you go. We live and learn – even scientists.
Fascinating, huh?
Photo by Morguefile.
Well thats a relief – one less thing to worry about ….maybe..
I breastfed both of mine – not because I saw it as ‘the right thing to do’ or from any other pressure but because ‘it worked’ and it was easier and cheaper than other methods…until they got teeth that is!!!!!
kate´s last blog ..It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas…..
Hmmm . . good news indeed! I’m glad it did something, certainly didn’t do much for the boobs!
Baino´s last blog ..Friday Fuckwit
All of my family breast fed their babies, except me. Then I didn’t have any babies
babs – beetle´s last blog ..Car Conversation #3
Kate – I can never understand why anyone thinks bottle feeding is easier! I thought breastfeeding was a breeze … except in the middle of the night. I was a zombie!
Baino – Didn’t do mine any harm, actually. It’s odd how it will make some women smaller and others larger, and some sag and some don’t. I suppose it’s all genetic.
Babs – Ah, well then, I can’t tell you what the study would say about you! Maybe the risk factors of giving birth cancels out the benefits of breastfeeding. I’m not sure they’ve done that study yet! LOL!
I’m one of Babs’ sisters that didn’t! My first couldn’t keep milk down till she was about five months old and have to have a special formula flown in from France. The next one turned out to be two, so I settled for bottles. I did however develop diabetes about two years ago when I reach 76! I don’t know if that makes sense, I’m thoroughly confused!
granny grimble´s last blog ..A LITTLE BIT OF CHRISTMAS MAGIC
I did breastfeed both of my sons just for a few months , after that it’s much easier to bottle fed when I went back to work.
interesting sandy
sandy´s last blog ..Today’s flowers -honeysuckle held on a long time this year , maybe because I love it so !!
Fascinating indeed, Jay! I’ve never had the honor or pleasure! And my niece was 7 when I became a surrogate mother! So pray for me, Jay!
Very interesting!
Hope you’re having a wonderful weekend!
)
petra michelle´s last blog ..A POCKET FULL OF MIRACLES – An Encore Presentation
Very happy to read this especially as with all three of mine I had to be monitored for gestational diabetes. It wasn’t breastfeeding I had trouble with – it was stopping it before it became vaguely indecent
J.J´s last blog ..More local news
I breastfed and luckily had no trouble at all … I even expressed breastmilk once I had to return to work. I am therefore, quite glad to hear about this!
Maureen´s last blog ..Cookie-Toons
Ive also heard that breastfeeding helps the mommy’s lose the ‘baby weight’ faster…but that is not nearly as AWESOME as these reasons to breast feed!
meleah rebeccah´s last blog ..Devastation Nation
Fascinating! I’m so glad I chose to breastfeed both of mine, since heart disease runs in my family. I just had tests done on my heart, and my doctor was quite impressed with the results…said my heart is in exceedingly good condition for my 53 years. Maybe this explains it!
ethelmaepotter´s last blog ..Funny Things Are Everywhere