Waching daily Jul 28 2017

Hi. I'm Wendy Armbruster-Bell. Founder and CEO of Snugabell.

What we feed our babies, breastmilk, formula, or a combination of both.

It's a controversial topic.

Perhaps you've hear the "Breast is Best" message.

While technically correct in most cases,

this can feel alienating and unobtainable to some women.

Breast milk is the biologically ideal food for babies, but

it's not always possible for women to breastfeed.

What are some reasons for this?

Some babies cannot latch due to their oral anatomy.

A small percentage of women had insufficient

glandular tissue to create enough breastmilk to sustain their nurseling.

Hormonal abnormalities,

removal of breast tissue due to cancer treatment,

complications from previous breast surgery,

past history of abuse,

metal health concerns,

medication conflicts,

adoption,

among other things, can all lead to breastfeeding

difficulties or the inability to breastfeed.

Interventions during birth

that lead to further medical treatment for mom and or baby

and lack of support during the crucial first weeks

when milk supply is being established,

can disrupt breastfeeding.

The challenge breastfeeding advocates face is

how do we support women without making them

feel pressure or ashamed?

The beginning of a breastfeeding relationship is a crucial time.

A woman's breastmilk supply is established in those first fragile weeks.

Supplementing with formula, even for just one daily feed,

can affect a woman's ability to produce sufficient breastmilk.

This happened to me.

I had no idea that a daily bottle of formula could affect my supply.

Mis-information is probably the biggest contributor

to breastfeeding struggles.

Parent's make many choices about how to feed their babies.

With one of the first choices being whether to

breastfeed, formula feed, or some combination of the two.

While these decisions can seem fraught,

parents who are well informed and well supported,

are able to make the choices that are best for their families.

Women and families need to evaluate what is best for them,

what works for them,

and what will contribute to the overall

physical and mental health of mom and nurseling.

Snugabell strives to inform women about

the many benefits of breastfeeding and pumped breastmilk,

without excluding parents who choose to formula feed

or contributing to the guilt and shame prevalent in the conversation.

If your baby is fed and loved,

you're making the right choice.

Thank you for watching.

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