I wonder if Jacques Blanchard endured media outrage when he painted “Charity” circa 1634?
But I digress…
Breast Milk is a miracle. The more it is studied, the more is discovered about the way it nourishes our babies (and older children!). Over the course of the breastfeeding relationship, the nutrient profile changes and adapts to the growing nursling’s needs.
The day my newborn baby arrived, my 2 year old had a hacking cough- the worst one he’d ever had. When the lactation consultant paid us a visit, I asked her how I should handle nursing my 2 year old without exposing my new baby to the virus causing the cough.
Do I need to wash the nipples between use? Assign a specific breast to each child?
“Actually,” she said, “it’s a really good thing your toddler is still nursing. First of all, he will heal faster because of the breastmilk. And the best thing you can do to protect your baby from the cough is to breastfeed him. Magically, when your two year old is latched on, your milk ducts are busily making antibodies to this particular virus! So your baby will get them the next time he is at the breast.”
Did I say miracle?
My newborn was protected from that cough, and everything else I was exposed to in the hospital.