Why Babies Should Be Breastfed

Many studies have been published in the last couple of decades showing that breastfed babies usually were happier and healthier than formula fed babies. The reasons for this weren't clear at first, but as more studies were done and science gained a better understanding of how the human body processes food, some reasons became clear and once again Nature showed that her wisdom was, as usual, more advanced than man's mental capabilities.

This thing called formula was developed during the Second World War to help free young mothers a little more, for many of them were involved on the home front at helping with the war effort and this formula was touted as containing every- thing baby would need to grow up healthy.

This became more "convenient" for many new mothers and this practice was considered the norm for many years.

Little did they know that what they were doing was far from natural and actually was a cause of many "mystery" problems.

When a baby is born, its digestive system is sterile until it begins to feed. Good and bad bacteria are introduced this way and there are ingredients in Mother's milk that help the good bacteria to establish control. The good bacteria are necessary for proper food digestion and absorption, thus necessary for optimal health.

Formula fed babies are lacking this advantage in their development, which can result in problems with infections, digestion and other ailments that mystify poor mom.

In baby's digestive system, the good bacteria help to produce B vitamins and enzymes. They also help to develop and strengthen baby's immune system.

Many things can upset this delicate balance and the worst culprits are chemicals and prescription drugs. Antibiotics are a common cause of problems, although a connection is not always made between baby's problems and antibiotics because the effects may not be noted for a few weeks. These effects can be infections, rashes and food sensitivity.

The antibiotics kill the good bacteria as well as the bad and this sets the stage for the bad bacteria to take control resulting in problems that can follow from childhood right into adulthood.

Poor diet will add to the problem. Never use any foods with preservatives and chemicals in them to feed your baby. Look up the terms on the labels and if you're not sure, don't use it. A body needs healthy food to maintain good health and the human body was not designed to process chemicals.

Many people, including some forward thinking doctors are realizing that good or bad health starts in the digestive system. Babies that are breastfed definitely start out with an advantage, but they will also have poor health eventually if they abuse their digestive system later in life.

It is easy to make simple things your baby likes with a blender and healthy organic foods. Try it and have a happy baby!