Dr. Paul Donohue is a syndicated newspaper writer and in his column today he
responds to a question about breastfeeding:

Dear Dr. Donohue:

I am trying to decide whether I should breast-feed my soon-to-be-born son.
Some tell me it is too much of a hassle, and the baby and I will end up
unhappy. Others urge me to do so. If I decide to breast-feed, how will I
know if the baby is getting enough milk? --J.D.

Dear J.D.:

No baby formula matches breast milk as the best infant nutrition. Just about
every healthy ingredient is contained in human milk. Furthermore, it
supplies to the baby its mother's antibodies -- a powerful protection
against infant infections.

You won't have any trouble knowing whether your baby gets enough milk. A
breast-fed baby that needs six to eight wet diaper changes a day gets enough
milk. A well-fed baby regains or exceeds its birth weight at the end of the
second week of life.

Nothing challenges breast-feeding as the best way to assure a healthy child.
It also helps the baby's emotional growth by establishing a strong bond
between infant and mother.

If a woman cannot breast-feed, she should not be made to feel inadequate.
She can raise a healthy baby without breast-feeding it.

Woman who want more information on breast-feeding should approach a local
chapter of La Leche League, an organization founded to encourage it
(www.lalecheleague.org)

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