August 3rd Newsletter
It’s August!! Can you believe it?! I sure can’t! That means baby girl is going to be here in a little over a month and we are soon going to become a family of 5! It also means that I am well into my 3rd Trimester and my body is about stretched to its max – although I know it’s going to prove me wrong and continue to expand until [almost] the breaking point! Haha. {This is where the “sore feet” part falls in – although you can read more about that in my , below.}
Being August, it also means that it’s officially National Breastfeeding Awareness Month, and that the rest of the week (August 1-7) is World Breastfeeding Week, both of which are movements to promote, protect and support breastfeeding by any woman, anywhere and at any time. This year’s theme, which has been adopted by both organizations – Breastfeeding: Foundation of Life.
The breastfeeding campaign, funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, hopes to empower women to commit to breastfeeding by highlighting new research showing that babies who are exclusively breastfed for six months are less likely to develop ear infections, diarrhea and respiratory illnesses, and may be less likely to develop childhood obesity. It’s also here to highlight that in a world filled with inequality, crises and poverty, breastfeeding is the foundation of lifelong good health for babies and mothers. Breastfeeding prevents hunger and malnutrition in all its forms and ensures food security for babies, even in times of crises.
Furthermore, The American Academy of Pediatrics and other health organizations endorse breastfeeding as the best way of feeding infants, and recommend breastfeeding for at least one year or longer. Breast milk is custom-made by each mother, and contains the perfect combination of protein, carbohydrate, fat, vitamins and minerals, and is packed with disease-fighting substances that help protect the baby from illness. Breastfeeding improves the survival, health, and development of all children, saves women’s lives and contributes to human capital development across populations. Breastfeeding is not only the cornerstone of a child’s healthy growth and development, it is the foundation of a country’s development. A healthy child ensures a nation’s sustained development.
I have lots of my own breastfeeding advice and stories to share – since I have literally fed a baseball team’s worth of babies – but I’ll save all that fun info for later this month 😉 However, in the meantime, I do want to share Fit Pregnancy’s compiled guide to serve as your one-stop resource for the information and support you’ll need to be successful at breastfeeding. Arm yourself with information now, and you’ll thank yourself later for giving your baby the best possible start in life!
I will leave you with one tip of my own though: an essential part of breastfeeding and producing enough milk is your nutrition and water intake. Making sure you fuel your body adequately, with carbs, protein and healthy fats, as well as drinking [easily] over a gallon of water a day, will definitely help your cause! One snack that I’ll be sure to have around: . You can read all about them in my , but just know that they are great for moms [and husbands alike] and truly are some of the most simple and deliciously made bars you can find (containing around 5 ingredients or so).
Too anxious to wait until later this month to learn about my tips and tricks for producing 80+ ounces of breast milk per day?! Then please reach out to me directly – because I am here to help! And if you have friends and/or colleagues who you think would love this info as much as you do, please SHARE this Blog and Newsletter with them. LIKE us on Facebook and FOLLOW us on Instagram, Pinterest and Twitter to stay connected as well!
