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Dr. Mercola
August 03 2007
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Why Breastfeeding in the First Hour of Life is Important

It’s World Breastfeeding Week (WBW), and this year’s motto, "*** Feeding the 1st Hour -- Save One Million Babies," is emphasizing the importance of breastfeeding during the newborn’s first hour of life.

Breastfeeding in the first hour, according to a 2006 study published in the journal Pediatrics, could save 41 percent of newborns who would otherwise die in their first month of life.

Breastfeeding right away increases the likelihood that babies will continue to breastfeed, and also gives them colostrum, a mother’s first milk. Colostrum, often called the “perfect food for every newborn,” is rich in antibodies and essential nutrients.

Mothers also benefit from early breastfeeding through improved lactation and less loss of blood.

Also part of WBW is the slogan "Welcome Baby Softly." It encourages protecting the first hour between a mother and baby, so they’re able to bond naturally. One of the best ways to do this is by placing the newborn on the mother’s chest, skin-to-skin. During this time, babies actually feel less pain and it’s not uncommon for the baby to intuitively latch onto the *** to feed.

Medical News Today August 1, 2007

Pediatrics March 2006



Dr. MercolaDr. Mercola's Comments:

Campaigns like this one are greatly needed to counteract widespread infant formula ads that often make it seem like bottle-feeding is superior to breastfeeding. Unfortunately, in the developing world, the average family does believe that bottle-feeding is better for babies than breast milk.

Of course, this is completely false. Breastfeeding is the least expensive and most effective way to improve the health of both yourself and your baby. It offers your child lifelong health benefits, including added protection against:

  • Heart disease
  • Bowel diseases such as Crohn's disease
  • Asthma, allergies, and respiratory infections
  • Type 1 and type 2 diabetes
  • Eczema  

Breast milk boosts your child’s immune system naturally, promoting greater resilience against most common childhood illnesses and diseases. Many mothers who breastfed their babies have reported that their children were completely free of illness for the first several years, and have maintained unusually good health even as they’ve grown older.  

Several studies have also shown that breastfeeding can improve your child’s IQ, with breastfed children scoring an average of three to five points higher than formula-fed babies. The reason for this is that breast milk contains long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids, including animal based omega 3 fats like  DHA and AA, which appear to support brain development.

These nutrients have recently been added to some infant formulas sold in the United States, however the DHA added to formula is inferior to that in breast milk, as it may be highly oxidized. Meanwhile, breast milk contains other important fat constituents beyond DHA and AA that your baby simply won't get from formula.  

Encouraging breastfeeding and initiating skin-to-skin contact shortly after birth can make a huge difference in the future health of your child. It can also improve your own experience with parenting, since breastfeeding stimulates the release of the oxytocin hormone, which is known to promote maternal behavior.  

There are ways you can increase your odds of being able to breastfeed successfully, such as looking into having a home birth, or using a doula. However, if, for whatever reason, you are unable to breastfeed, the next best thing would be to make this healthy infant formula using raw milk. 

Additionally, if you need to go back to work but want to continue breastfeeding, look into the possibility of pumping or expressing your milk. As a precautionary note, please do not ever give your baby soymilk or soy-based baby formula, as they are grossly deficient in nutrients, will expose your baby to chemicals that mimic estrogen, and have been linked to several infant deaths.

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Community Comments ( 40 )
 Comment on this Article
  
  
rablpn
 [ Joined on 02/07 ] [ Posted on August 2, 2007 ]
13 Points        
   
 
Savvy User
What a great article! I wish that every pregnant woman, OB nurse and OB doctor would read this.Encouraging more and longer breastfeeding is the cheapest and one of the most effective ways of improving the health of children, and their mothers.
By the way, I had a c-section and I was able to breastfeed within 2 hours of birth, even in 1990.As long as local anesthesia is used and recovery room staff is educated, breastfeeding can happen shortly after a c-section. The biggest barrier to early breastfeeding was the postpartum demerol. It made my son sleepy. But he and I got the hang of it pretty quickly. Having the support of an experienced woman is a big help in the beginning. A supportive father also makes early breastfeeding easier.
 [ Reply ]
Mercola
  
fullofoats
 		[ Joined on 06/06 ]  [ Posted on August 3, 2007]
5 Points        
   
Savvy User
  Mercola
Hopefully this article helps to encourage more women.  During the birth of my daughter, I declined medical intervention, asked to leave the umbilical cord attached, and immediately nursed her for the entire first hour.  She's 1 1/2 years old now and has not had one sick visit to the pediatrician!  I also give her a whole-food probiotic and lots of raw, organic produce.
  
  
chirocheer
 [ Joined on 08/06 ] [ Posted on August 2, 2007 ]
13 Points        
   
 
Savvy User
There is no substitute for God's perfect food for babies.  Man can't even come close.

I really enjoyed this article.  I had no idea that the first hour was so vital.  Another reason to avoid a C-section unless a life (mother or baby) is in danger.
 [ Reply ]
Mercola
  
Russ Bianchi
 		[ Joined on 09/06 ]  [ Posted on August 3, 2007]
12 Points        
   
Savvy User
  Mercola
Infant formulas SUCK...so to speak.
Mercola
  
Musica
 		[ Joined on 06/07 ]  [ Posted on August 25, 2007]
-6 Points        
   
Novice User
  Mercola

That is so true at the present moment. Man cannot come close to any of God's creations. According to some sources though, man has the chance to become a great creator himself/herself, if and only if there will be love, respect, and connection between humans. The human heart holds the key.

And according to other sources of the same nature, the scale already started to tilt the other way, meaning that humans who really care have reached a critical mass and things are slowly changing in good...
Mercola
  
Musica
 		[ Joined on 06/07 ]  [ Posted on August 29, 2007]
-4 Points        
   
Novice User
  Mercola

So many people dissagreed with what I said that I felt the need to explain more. The people who initially casted their vote may or may not be back to read this, but nonetheless...

One of the sources I was mentioning was the american Edgar Cayce. So much to say about him, I cannot even begin, but I hope you heard about him. He was an avid reader of the Bible, in fact he read it everyday for tens of years. His soul readings indicated that we are cocreators with God, this is the reason why we were made, love is our true nature. We evolved to a point where all we need is the courage to see who we are and what we are here for. A gentle hand is lifting our chin, encouraging us to look up and truly see.

Another source is the experience of the canadian Shelley Yates. She had a near-death-experience following a car accident, about 4 years ago. Her son almost died (the doctors at the hospital in Halifax, Nova Scotia told the mother to pull the plug on the life support machine that her son was connected to). But she received advice from higher realms on how to save her son - she did what she was told, and now both of them are better than ever. There is more to know about this, the whole story is told by Shelley on YouTube, and she also has a website called FireTheGrid.

There are more sources like these, funny that it all started with breastfeeding the baby in the first hour of life - but everything is connected...
  
  
mmc88121
 [ Joined on 11/06 ] [ Posted on August 2, 2007 ]
11 Points        
   
 
Moderator User
Breast feeding is the best for mother and child.  It helps contract the placenta and gives the child a good start in life.

Mary
 [ Reply ]
Mercola
  
Linda M
 		[ Joined on 06/06 ]  [ Posted on August 25, 2007]
7 Points        
   
Novice User
  Mercola

Mary, I think you mean it breastfeeding makes the uterus contract so it can expel the placenta. The placenta is not a muscular organ like the uterus so it cannot contract.

Linda
  
  
nancie
  [ Posted on August 6, 2007 ]
9 Points        
   
 
Savvy User
The absolute, positive way to guarantee this is to have a home birth.  Four of my kids had latched on within the first 15 minutes and this most recent one had latched on within a half hour (too busy looking around).

Of course you don't have to worry about samples being shoved down your throat and the discouraging "well, not every woman can breastfeed and don't feel guilty if it fails" speech.  I've actually heard that speech from health professionals and non health professionals alike.

I understand that not everyone can have a home birth and that you can still breastfeed in a setting that is hostile to it.  After all, some women still breastfed during the 60's when it was really taboo.
 [ Reply ]
  
  
Stay at Home Mom of 6
 [ Joined on 02/07 ] [ Posted on August 25, 2007 ]
8 Points        
   
 
Apprentice User

I just want to see this work. I can't believe that "***" is censored out on this site. So I just typed the word in the previous sentence, and I want to see it replaced with asterisks. I'm not sure if I'm laughing or just incredibly embarrassed for this site. Yes, I nursed all my children, one for two years, and I'm coaching my daughter with her daughter. Let me just tell you, it's not always as easy as it may seem. My daughter is seriously considering giving it up because the United States culture is so antagonistic, and it's a huge commitment. Her in laws offer no support and she is reluctant to even have them visit because they have no prior knowledge or experience in breastfeeding. Too bad we are so awkward in the US about it all. I guess this site asterisking out the word is a symptom of the problem.

 [ Reply ]
Mercola
  
bkt
 		[ Joined on 06/06 ]  [ Posted on August 26, 2007]
4 Points        
   
Novice User
  Mercola

I can't believe the word *** is censored out on this site either. It seems a little ridiculous, considering the subject. We all need to be more supportive and encouraging to new moms for the sake of their precious one's health.
  
  
The New Christine
 [ Joined on 09/06 ] [ Posted on August 25, 2007 ]
8 Points        
   
 
Savvy User

It saddens me deeply that during the time when my children were born, formula was "king" and breastfeeding was out.  Little did I know that the evil geniuses in Big Pharma were pushing the sick-care industry to market this idea.  When I gave birth to my last child, who was born via c-section, and he had multiple anomalties due to a chromosome deletiion, which I didn't know about until later on that week, I was really gung-ho about breastfeeding but unfortunately the baby didn't know how to suck on anything.  I pumped milk for a month, without too much assistance from the nurses when I first started and well, I didn't get much milk.  Unfortunately they didn't do much to educate me on how to pump, or even how to produce a good amount of milk.  I wish I could have another child just to be able to do things soooooo different this time, but unfortunately, that ship has pretty much sailed.  Now all I can do is hope that my now 18 year old daughter will listen intently about taking care of her body and someday when she's married and ready to have children that she understands the importance of breastfeeding-those things on your chest are not just there to attract the opposite sex!

I do have one question about the article though, why did they type in *** instead of the word ***?  Is it taboo?  Really now!  :)

 [ Reply ]
Mercola
  
corgi
 		[ Joined on 06/07 ]  [ Posted on August 25, 2007]
4 Points        
   
Novice User
  Mercola

It must be political correctness to be forced to use *** in the place of tit or teat, all of which are commonly known and used interchangebly all the time. I wasnt aware that this site suffered from leftwing liberalism or rightwing conservatism. I thought it was a health information site. PC reaches into the unknown depths of our thoughts and souls. Do you know what is being 'fed' to you?
  
  
nateandjaysmom
 [ Joined on 08/07 ] [ Posted on August 25, 2007 ]
7 Points        
   
 
Novice User

I am a breastfeeding mother of a 16 month old and I am happy to see this information.  I know how important it is to breastfeed and I hope that more people will continue to breastfeed their children.  Thank You Dr. Mercola!

 [ Reply ]
Mercola
  
BeyondOrganic
 		[ Joined on 06/06 ]  [ Posted on August 26, 2007]
1 Points        
   
Savvy User
  Mercola

All of my children were breastfed until around 2 years old.  One a little longer.

Mercola
  
Magnolia
 		[ Joined on 06/06 ]  [ Posted on August 30, 2007]