A Weekend Adventure

Wedding Photos

Here are some photos that I liked from our wedding.

T-shirt design

Here is a t-shirt that I just designed!

Here is the new video, enjoy!

Who wants to learn something about breastfeeding?

Make it Mama’s Milk- Biological Benefits of Breastfeeding Babies

                The concept of breastfeeding in our society has come to be known to some as inappropriate, impractical, indecent, and uncomfortable.  I present many of the known benefits on a biological level of breast feeding, both for the baby, and for the mother.  I believe that if better informed about these benefits, more mothers would choose breastfeeding over the bottle and formula.  The fact that breast milk meets babies’ nutritional needs perfectly, helps build their immunity, and provides some long-term health benefits will be discussed, as will the many physical benefits on the mother such as a quicker physical return to a pre-pregnancy bodily state, and the positive effect on emotional health, as well as emotional bonding with the newborn infant.  In any case, I hope to show that in most cases nursing should be much preferred over bottle feeding.

                Whether from an evolutionary or a creationistic viewpoint, it is clear that from the dawn of human existence, babies have been raised from their infancy on a diet of milk produced and provided by their mothers, or in some cultures, from a wet-nurse taking the place of the mother in such cases where it has been necessary or preferable.  At any rate, this is clearly a proven method.  It has insured the survival of our species anywhere from 6,000 to 600,000 years, depending on your beliefs and the accuracy of your favorite scientific study. Point being, you definitely can’t go wrong with it.  It is biologically viable.  Most anyone who knows anything about the subject could tell you that breast milk is the “gold standard” for baby nutrition, basically, it’s got everything. (Godfrey, 2010)

                On a biological level, we all know who important it is to maintain a well-balanced diet, not too many carbs or fats, and lots and lots of vegetables.  Well, interestingly enough, breast milk has been designed ingeniously to fit perfectly the nutritional demands of a growing baby.  The perfect amount of carbohydrates, proteins, and lipids are all there.   In fact, research shows that babies who are breast fed in the first year of life gain more weight than those who are not.  This could be due to the increased amount of protein found in breast milk.(Sidnell, 2009)  All in all, nursed babies do not have to worry whether or not they are getting a well-balanced meal, nature already makes sure of that (as long as mama is eating enough nutritious foods). What is more, breast milk is also easier to digest than formula milk. On a very dangerous side note, there is a risk of water intoxication to infants whose parents opt to use formula and bottle, and do not mix the formula correctly.  On one hand, it is possible that the infant may become constipated if too little water is used, and even more seriously, if too much water is used, the baby may suffer from water intoxication.  (Schulman, 1980) This of course is not a problem for breast fed babies.

                Sicknesses and infections which may be common and not at all alarming in adults can wreak havoc and very seriously affect or even be lethal in infants.  During pregnancy, the fetus is relatively sterile. Normally not even the mother’s blood comes in contact with it.  In essence, babies are born biologically innocent.  They have no defenses against the “bad” infections because they have never come in contact with them.  They do not receive mama’s antibodies, even though they just spent 9 months inside of her.  However, though mama’s antibodies didn’t make it to the womb, they do make it to the bosom.  Babies who are breast fed receive with every mouthful, a measure of antibodies perfectly designed for the environment that the baby has just entered, and where it will be spending the rest of his or her infancy and even childhood.  Looking back to the days of the colonization of America, we see just how important antibodies can be.  It is said that before the pilgrims even arrived, about 9 out of 10 of the indigenous were already dead. (Taylor, 2002) This is due to the arrival of the Spanish.  It was for this same reason that Hernando Cortes was able to defeat the undefeatable Aztec Empire.  Because the bacteria and viruses that he and his men carried in their bodies and in their food and on their clothes were bacteria that had never set foot in the new land.  Cells of the natives had never fought against these new bacteria and were therefore killed by them.  Well, if they had as infants been breastfed by Spanish wet nurses, then they may not have died.  

It is the same today. Infants who consume breast milk receive not only antibodies, but also white blood cells, which fight off bacterial infections. And aside from that, research has shown that not only white blood cells and antibodies, but also lysozyme found in breast milk can contribute to a baby’s immune system.  Apparently by helping in the colonization of the intestines in a baby, lysozyme promotes the growth of intestinal flora.  This promotes the growth of bifidobacteria or “good” bacteria, while inhibiting the growth of clostridia and enterococci or “bad” bacteria. This helps the baby to resist infections and helps them have a more fully functional digestive system. (Maga, 2012)  Finally, research has shown that although breast feeding “primes” babies’ immune system, vaccinations are required to help the immune system to fully develop.  However, it has been shown that while most babies who are regularly breast fed react positively to vaccinations, babies who are not have had diminished and even negative responses to the vaccinations, in other words, some vaccinations don’t work as well on babies who aren’t drinking mama’s milk. (Dórea, 2012) Studies show that breastfeeding babies are less likely to have wheezy breathing, coughing, and a less likelihood of developing asthma in their childhood. (Green, 2011) Among children, those who were breastfed have fewer food allergies than those not.(Yamamoto, 2012) Also, though the results are still inconclusive, research between breast feeding and early onset childhood diabetes suggests that there is a reduced risk among those breast fed and those not. (Cardwell, 2012)

               

                Interestingly, however, is a study that shows that infants who drink breast milk acquire a sense of taste for a wider variety of food than formula fed infants on account of the different flavors cause by the types of foods eaten by the mother on any given day.  In one study, a man even showed that his not-yet-weaned child preferred breast milk to even a small variety of sweets that he offered them.  A few years later, on a night when his wife was away from home and he was home alone with his newborn baby, he tried giving the hungry babe a bottle of formula.  The baby grimaced and spat out the substance.  Upon return of the wife a short while later, feeding resumed.  Both he and his wife tested the taste of the formula and were of one accord with the infant.  They concluded that “breast must taste better”.

As a side note, my sister who has a 4 year old son and a 7 months old daughter recently told me of an episode that took place at her house.  First off, among 5 siblings, for some reason she was the only one who was not breast fed in our family.  Subsequently she did not breast feed her son.  She has breast fed her daughter from the day that she was born.  When her son was born she lived at home with us.  I remember that bottle feeding her baby was both expensive and frustrating.  She now tells me how much easier breast feeding her daughter has been compared to bottle feeding her son.  A few days ago she tried to feed her daughter formula, just to see what her reaction would be.  She wouldn’t eat it.  Then she gave some to her son to see was his reaction would be.  He was disgusted.  She then broke the news to him that that was what he had eaten his whole first year of life.  He couldn’t believe it.

 So, disgusting as it may be to some, I do not intend to convince anyone that breast milk tastes better, though everything I have read says that it is somewhat sweeter than cow milk, and rather savory to the taste of the infant.  I have heard that it is a difference in lysozyme levels that cause that difference.

 Babies, as we have seen, are greatly benefitted by breastfeeding. However, they are not the only ones.  As we will hereafter see, mothers have almost as much to gain from breastfeeding and infants do!

One of the biggest problems that my sister faced after having her first son, were the physical effects on her body which gave her endless amounts of anxiety and dropped her self-esteem horrendously.  She hated having the extra skin which came from the stretching as he baby grew.  She hated how her hips seemed to have widened to twice as much as normal, and she hated feeling like she had just had a baby.  Well, amazingly, a mother who breastfeeds her baby stimulates a physically in her body the process of reversing the effects of pregnancy.  This is due to the chemical oxytocin which is released every time a mother breastfeeds.  This little chemical, which comes from the pituitary gland, is the hormone that gives the signal to the breasts that it is time to release milk; but it also gives a signal to the uterus that causes it to produces contractions.  The result of these contractions is not only a return to the non-pregnant sized uterus, but also prevents postpartum hemorrhaging.  This means that mama doesn’t lose iron from blood loss.  Not only will she not have postpartum bleeding, but, as long as she keeps breastfeeding regularly, her monthly bleeding cycle will also be delayed in its return.  It usually takes several months for the menstrual cycle to fully return.  Contrast that with non-breast feeding mothers whose cycle usually returns in 6-8 weeks’ time.  Also, with 98-99 percent efficacy, mothers who are regularly breastfeeding do not get pregnant in the first 6 months while not using any other method of contraception. (Dermer, 2001) Oxytocin does even more, however.  For example, postpartum depression, which can devastate mothers, having very negative long lasting effects, is counteracted by oxytocin and prolactin which can work as powerful antidepressants.  (Godfrey, 2010) Many mothers claim that the way that they feel during breastfeeding makes them feel uplifted.  In some cases some mothers thought that breastfeeding was even “fun”.  The majority claimed that the way that it made them feel helped take away the monotony of feeding their baby several times a day, compared to mothers who genuinely disliked bottle feeding their babies, who felt that it consumed their everyday life.  Most mothers reported that breastfeeding helped relieve stress.  This is all do to our little friend Oxytocin. (Page, 2012)

In the long term, research has shown that mothers who, in their lifetime, spend more than 2 years in total breastfeeding, have a 37% less risk of developing coronary heart disease.  Similar studies show that woman who breastfeed more, are that much less likely to develop type 2 diabetes. (Godfrey, 2010) Another benefit is the health of mother’s bones.  While during breastfeeding, the mother is shown to have less dense, more vulnerable bones due to the redirection of consumed calcium from the bones to the breasts in order to provide for the baby, studies have shown that in the long term, her body overcompensates resulting in even healthier and denser bones than in her pre-pregnancy state. (Dermer, 2001)

                The benefits of breastfeeding are many and it is almost alarming that so many women choose not to do it.  I believe that it is against nature not to breastfeed, unless very special circumstances exist which prevent the possibility.  It should be criminal not to do it. For both the baby’s and the mother’s health, I hope that we can open our eyes and see what is really going on.  What is it that causes so much a shift away from this natural process?  I believe that it is because of the money that is in it.  When formula is bought, money is gained by someone high up, and if everyone simply did what nature intended, there would be no baby formula industry.  Though now illegal, cigarette advertisements used to portray smoking as cool and even beneficial.  Well, even though it isn’t true, look at how much money tobacco companies make.  A mother who does not breast feed in the first few months cannot decide to later, and therefore must buy formula until her baby can consume whole foods.  A smoker who smokes for a few months cannot stop, and therefore spends his whole life buying cigarettes.  Though not as inherently evil, I believe that it is the same general technique which is being applied to keep babies away from the bosom and closer to the bottle. 

A Not Very Good Video About How to Make Video

So, as most of you will probably figure out by watching this video, I am taking a video class.  It is really the most fun class I have ever taken, besides creative writing, *pause for boos*.  This video is a couple of tips about how to shoot good video.  Mostly I didn't know what to do, so it doesn't really teach much.  But, it might be at least like 8% entertaining. Watch it if you want.

A Moment in the Life of the Taylor

So this is a video I just made for my video class.  Thank you Taylor for letting me show everyone what you're life is like.