ISBN-13: 9780743213455 / Angielski / Miękka / 2002 / 240 str.
ISBN-13: 9780743213455 / Angielski / Miękka / 2002 / 240 str.
Finally, a sensible plan for women who return to work
after a three-month maternity leave
Anyone who has ever had a baby has heard the prevailing medical wisdom that "breast is best" for baby's first food. Solid science stands behind that wisdom: Excellent studies show that there are immunological and other benefits for the breastfed baby. On the other hand, doctors and breastfeed- ing advocates rarely appreciate or even acknowledge the challenges that go along with breastfeeding until baby is ready for solid food -- anywhere from four to nine months. The simple and reasonable approach is one that many doctors and breastfeeding advocates unfortunately treat as sacrilege:
Limit breastfeeding to the length of your maternity leave.
As Dr. Wilkoff explains, the truth is that women who nurse for three months (or until their maternity leave is over) provide their children with an optimal start in terms of nutrition and can have the same rewarding experience as mothers who nurse their children much longer. In contrast to the insistence of militant breastfeeding advocates, he offers an important and comforting message: Breast is best for as long as you can comfortably manage it.
There are no guilt trips or political agendas here. Instead mothers will find:
a practical plan for establishing a nursing schedule
troubleshooting advice, including how moms can avoid becoming the baby's pacifier
help with making a smooth transition back to the workplace
and more
Almost every pediatrician will tell a new mother that if she wants to breastfeed, she must commit to it for at least six months--a full year is the traditional, and generally more preferred, duration. Imagine hearing this as a working mother; with just three months leave, many working mothers may never attempt nursing. Or, if they do nurse, they have to figure out on their own how they can return to work and still maintain a routine feeding schedule for their baby. Unitl now, women facing the triple challenge of balancing motherhood, breastfeeding, and a career have had no reliable nursing reference to turn to for guidance. The Three Month Breastfeeding Plan is exactly the book they need to make the most of those precious months and make a smooth transition back to the workplace. Will Wilkoff, M.D. assures working moms that, contrary to traditional belief, they can provide all the health advantages of breastfeeding in just three months. And the best part is, they wont feel guilty for not doing what theyve been told repeatedly is "best" for their baby.