This is the editorial from the newspaper in my parent's hometown in a very
small town in the mountains of western North Carolina..

Barb Whitehead, IBCLC
Eastern NC
Sylva Herald, Sylva, NC, August 1, 2001, Editorial

Goals of breastfeeding week need our support


During National Breastfeeding Week we'd like to join our local health
department in supporting this most natural means of providing proper
nutrition and nurture to infants. Babies who are breastfed are healthier
because infants are rarely allergic to their mother's milk, unlike some
children's reaction to formula. Breastfeeding also lowers the risk of food
allergies, colic and asthma. Human milk provides antibodies that protect
babies from common childhood illnesses, like ear infections and colds.
Nursing a baby provides documented benefits to the mother as well. A mother's
uterus has been shown to return to its normal size more quickly when she
breastfeeds her infant. Other advantages to the mother include no bottle to
wash, no formula to mix or buy and an easier time of loosing weight in the
months after birth. Breastfeeding benefits both mother and baby as they enjoy
this unique time together. We're glad our health department is committed to
providing the information and support mothers need to successfully breastfeed
their infants, and we encourage every new mother to take advantage of this
quality service. We may live in the most technologically-advanced age the
world has ever known, but Mother Nature is still the expert when it comes to
nourishing babies.

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