Advocates promoting benefits of breastfeeding for moms, children
By KALEY LYON
Kevin and Sarah Koenigsman had their first child in April.
While there's always many decisions to make when a baby comes home, the decision to breastfeed was one choice that wasn't difficult to make, they said.
"I think we kind of assumed we would at least try breastfeeding and see how it went," Sarah Koenigsman said as their 3-month old daughter, Kynli, cooed and smiled on her lap.
"It's cheaper ... and it just seemed like the right thing to do."
Today is day four of world breastfeeding week, which is commemorated from Aug. 1 to Aug. 7.
Furthermore, the entire month of August is dubbed breastfeeding month.
With hopes that more families will make the same choice as the Koenigsmans' did, several local organizations are busy reaching out to young mothers.
Breastfeeding advocacy groups such as La Leche League International and Healthy Start hope to make parents aware of the benefits they, and their children, could be afforded, said Elaine Rupp, a home visitor with Healthy Start.
"Breastfeeding is best for babies and mothers," Rupp said. "It goes both ways, so they both benefit."
The international events are headed by the World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action, and a separate coalition recently was formed in the state of Kansas, Rupp said.
The goal of such efforts is to emphasize how breastfeeding can move ahead if the mothers have the education and support they need, she said.
Another goal is to advocate for working mothers, who might need to pump during the workday, Rupp said.
"We want to make sure mothers are aware that breastfeeding is the very best start," she said. "Each day, scientists discover more and more that human milk was made for human babies. It's very unique."
On a local level, the Hays chapter of La Leche League has been providing networking and support for mothers since 2003. The group meets monthly on the second Tuesday at the Center for Health Improvement.
The group strives to make mothers aware of the health benefits. Since breastmilk is produced by the mother's body, it is a living organism and changes to meet the child's needs, said Sandy Aldrich, La Leche League leader.
"It's a living organism, so it's different for each baby," she said.
For example, the milk offers immunological benefits, is highly digestible, and if a baby is born premature, the milk will contain a higher fat content.
"Breastfeeding is the standard," Aldrich said. "That is what babies normally would encounter in nature."
It also helps keep the baby's mouth palette in the right shape and creates a special bond between mother and child, she said.
There also are health benefits for the mothers. Breastfeeding reduces the risk of breast and uterine cancer and helps the mother's body return to pre-birth condition.
Because mothers of various experiences and stages come to the La Leche meetings, it's beneficial for new mothers to network, she said.
"They are the experts on their own children," Aldrich said. "If you can empower a mother to realize she knows her baby best and her instincts matter, she can be an advocate on behalf of the child."
The Koenigsman family decided to become involved in La Leche a few months ago, and Sarah has been attending the meetings.
A working mother, Sarah said her job has been supportive of her needs, and breastfeeding has been successfully implemented into the family's lifestyle.
The family, however, said they wish they had been attending La Leche meetings and educating themselves even before the baby arrived.
Until she became a mother, Sarah said she hadn't given the choice between breastmilk and formula much thought. Now, however, she wouldn't have it any other way.
"I think if your body produces it, it's nature," she said. "God made you that way. ... It's that special of a bond."