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Facts About Breastfeeding

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New mothers need to decide if they want to breastfeed their baby or to give their baby formula. Each individual mom will make that chose based on their circumstances and their personal preferences. The World Health Organization (WHO) has some informative facts about breastfeeding. The WHO points out that breastfeeding for the first six months is crucial. They recommend that mothers initiate breastfeeding with one hour after birth. According to the WHO, infants should be exclusively breastfed for the first six months of life to achieve optimal growth, development, and health. They also recommend that breastfeeding should continue for up … Continue reading →

10 Breastfeeding Facts from WHO

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American society seems to have a different attitude toward breastfeeding sometimes than the world at large. I was shocked when I started nursing my first child a few years ago to learn that the World Health Organization recommends breastfeeding until the age of 2. I had always thought that one year old was the recommended age, although I knew that many cultures breastfeed far beyond that. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends breastfeeding until 1 year. I have always breastfed my children until about 14 months of age. I am determined to breastfeed. This has not been an easy task … Continue reading →

Valorie’s Breastfeeding Index

Later today I will post a review of the baby blog of 2007 so why does breastfeeding get its own category? Well, in part as an answer to readers who want to read what I’ve written on breastfeeding. I’ve written so much on breastfeeding at this point that you all have asked for an index of sorts so it’s easier to find what you’re looking for. It’s also in part because I’ve become known as the breastfeeding lady. . .guru. . .whatever you want to call it. I’ve been at this breastfeeding business for a long time and many of … Continue reading →

Breastfeeding + Gene = Higher IQ?

The FADS2 gene is going to be the talk of the town in breastfeeding research for quite some time. The newest research, done in a study in Britain and New Zealand, showed that infants who had the gene and were breastfed had an IQ that was, on average, 8 points higher than other infants. The gene was isolated and studied because it produces an enzyme found in breast milk. The research is considered “ground breaking” because it shows that both nurture and nature play a part in a child’s intelligence. It is being used by agencies that want to promote … Continue reading →

How Hormones Affect Your Body

Hormones do more than influence your reproductive system. Hormone levels can increase your risk of an exercise injury. A study from the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center found that women in the first half of their menstrual cycles (when estrogen is the dominant hormone) tend to have less neuromuscular control than women in the second half of their menstrual cycles (when progesterone is the dominant hormone). In other words, the muscle timing is different. Hormone levels can affect your response to addictive behaviors. The brain seems to be more responsive to pleasure and reward when estrogen levels are high … Continue reading →

Is Your Baby’s Bottle Safe?

It has long been agreed upon by scientists that breastfeeding is the way to go when it comes to feeding your baby. Breastfeeding has been linked statistically to numerous health benefits including making your baby smarter, being developmentally advanced, reduced allergies, reduced risk of cancer and just about everything else under the sun that could be healthy and good for your baby. While formula cannot come close to mimicking breast milk perhaps another variable in the “breast is better” statistics is that hard plastic bottles have now been found to leak a dangerous chemical into the bottle’s liquid. An independent … Continue reading →

Can You Beat Breast Cancer with Housework?

A new study is in Great Britain involving the different types of exercise and their beneficial effects has found that doing housework may substantially lower a woman’s risk of breast cancer. I admit, my first reaction to reading these study results was – who conducted the study? Men who don’t want to clean the house? Actually, the research included studies that previous examined the link between breast cancer and exercise. Those studies indicated that women needed to exercise 30 to 45 minutes five days a week. This study conducted by the Cancer Research UK that wanted to examine a variety … Continue reading →

My Monday Feet Were Made For Walking

Just five days left until the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure. I’ll be walking the 1K next Saturday morning and I need to be on site by 6:30 in the morning. Part of my preparation is walking 1K every other day this week and riding my stationary bike for 45 minutes on the alternating days. Since the walk takes place outdoors with more than 10,000 participants, I’ll be alternating the incline to imitate walking up and down hills as well as the uneven feeling of pavement under the feet. The 1K is not a huge distance to walk, … Continue reading →

Breast Cancer Awareness: Surgery & Fitness

For women who have undergone a lumpectomy or mastectomy and must follow it up with radiation therapy, a walking program of moderate intensity can help to improve fitness and maintain hemoglobin levels. Doctors and fitness experts have known that aerobic exercise helps women undergoing chemotherapy to preserve their red blood cells. A recent study involved twenty-one patients who were surgically treated for breast cancer and undergoing radiation therapy 5 days per week for 7 weeks. The patients were randomly assigned to aerobic exercise and to flexibility training. Thirteen were in the first group and eight in the second. The protocol … Continue reading →

Breast Cancer Awareness: How Can You Help Prevent Breast Cancer

One of the goals of Breast Cancer Awareness month is to heighten the education of women across the board in how to prevent, treat and survive breast cancer. Let’s talk about breast cancer prevention today and what we can do to help ourselves. Remember, I am not a doctor so if you think you are at risk for breast cancer or if you have discovered a lump or what you suspect may be a lump, you should see your physician as soon as possible. Without further ado, here are a few ways to help you reduce your breast cancer risks: … Continue reading →