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I am a firm believer in the power of a mother's milk! What a beautiful blessing we mothers are given to have the ability to provide such a beautiful gift to our babies. 

Breast milk is the perfect mix of vitamins, fat, enzymes and protein for a baby's growth and development. It is full of antibodies, building and strengthening a baby's immune system. Babies that are fed breast milk are less likely to have infections or become sick than babies that are fed substitutes. It can help prevent allergies and asthma, as well as many childhood illnesses. A mother's milk is custom made for her baby! A mother can collect pathogens from her baby's skin by kissing them, which helps the lymphatic system to create antibodies in her milk specific to the baby's environment. 

It is healthy for mothers, too! Breastfeeding helps the body to heal after birth, releases oxytocin (often referred to as the "love hormone"), which helps the mother to feel good, burns calories, and can help lower the risk of breast and ovarian cancer. 

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I don't understand why a woman would chose not to breastfeed. Don't get me wrong, I understand if there are specific reasons, like not being able to, not having a good supply, or working full-time, etc. And, believe me, I know what it is to experience severe nipple pain and breast infection. But when a healthy woman has no reason not to, I just don't understand why she wouldn't. It has been hypothesized that a woman who doesn't breastfeed may experience feelings of emotional and psychological loss because her body thinks that her baby has died. My mom has a lot of friends who didn't breastfeed, and I don't think they all had reasons why they didn't. Possibly because formula companies were in cahoots with heath care providers, who recommended using formula instead of breast milk. I'm so thankful for my mom giving me the gift of being breastfed.

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My toddler breastfed until he was 22 months old and he has been extremely strong and healthy, only having had a couple mild cold bugs. Now I am breastfeeding my baby girl and I am savoring every moment. I didn't have the greatest experience with my first baby for the first four months of breastfeeding, but I fought through it and didn't give up because I knew how important breast milk was for my baby. Breastfeeding is a powerful bonding experience for mom and baby that I can't imagine choosing not to have! I'm so thankful for my ability to breastfeed my babies! 

Blessings!