LUBBOCK, Texas — August is national breastfeeding month.
And it’s more than just feeding your baby.
It has important benefits for moms, too.
But it can be difficult to achieve.
Dr. Danielle Walker, Pediatrician for Texas Tech Physicians at Covenant Children’s, is a working mom and knows how difficult breastfeeding can be.
“Just because breastfeeding is natural does not mean it’s easy,” Dr. Walker said.
But she says every new mom should try to breastfeed, no matter how long you keep it up.
“Anyone who can breastfeed at any point is a success,” Dr. Walker explained. “If you’re feeding 2 weeks or 2 years, that’s a success.”
Dr. Walker says there are a lot of health benefits for baby and mom.
“Breast milk has a lot of key components that help baby grow appropriately,” Dr. Walker said. “It helps their brains develop. It has a lot of immune properties in there that helps generate their immune system and prevention of infection so the risk of ear infections, respiratory tract infections, GI bugs are all decreased if baby is receiving breast milk.”
It also helps moms recover faster.
If you are a working mom, Dr. Walker says it’s important to stay consistent with your schedule
“If your baby is feeding every three hours at home then you want to be pumping every three hours and making sure you’re checking with your employer that you can have adequate breaks for that,” Dr. Walker said.
Even though it can be difficult, Dr. Walker says she encourages all new moms to try breastfeeding.
“It’s really important to have moms give it a try even if they have had times in the past where they haven’t had success, every baby is a new situation,” said Dr. Walker.
