Article about how breast-feeding and child-bearing reduces risk of breast cancer...

[teraberry]

This is a great article. With each child you give birth to you reduce your chances of breast cancer by 7% and for every year you breastfeed you reduce by something like 4.3%. We all have heard the benefits to babies who are breastfed, but maybe you didn't know it helps mom a lot too!

I have three children and breastfed a total of about 4 years so that reduces my chances of breast cancer by about 25%! Isn't that awesome! Post what percent you guys are at!

If you are pregnant or yet to have kids, please... breastfeed!


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[mayfly]

49% WOW!

[kat]

42.5%

Not too bad - especially since we've never had any kind of cancer in either side of my family!

[mama2calli]

Well the good news (which will also be in my Pierson update post!) is that I got him to nurse today - wooooohooo!!! I breastfed Calli for 18 months...Katie for 13 months...we'll see how long my precious son will breastfeed, hopefully for at least a year!!

Kath

(speaking of that, I gotta go pump soon!!!)

[NaomiMarie]

Originally posted by mama2calli
Well the good news (which will also be in my Pierson update post!) is that I got him to nurse today - wooooohooo!!! I breastfed Calli for 18 months...Katie for 13 months...we'll see how long my precious son will breastfeed, hopefully for at least a year!!

Kath

(speaking of that, I gotta go pump soon!!!)

Aweeeeeee Kath

[beckilynn7]

45% and counting!!!!

[Shainie]

Well considering I have to start working only 6 weeks after each my babes are born, I'm sure my feeble attempts at breastfeeding isn't doing much good.

I wasn't able to breastfeed Bronson at all - even after many trips to a lactation consultant we couldn't get him to latch (tongue-sucker). So I pumped for 6 weeks. Even after 6 weeks of getting up to pump at 3:00 in the morning (not to mention the 7 other times during the day I pumped), I still have a kid with allergies (seasonal) and frequent ear infections! (And neither of us have allergies and neither smoke).

It almost makes me want to not even try this time around. I WILL try again, and probably will pump again even if it doesn't work out again, but it would be easy to just say "forget it" since I haven't seen any benefits with Bronson, AND with the doctor ordering me to leave work sooner, I'll have less time at home with baby.

My position at work makes it impossible to pump during the day, and for those who could pump only, you know your milk supply just doesn't keep up with baby's demands by about 5-6 weeks.

So anyway - that's just my breastfeeding gripe. LOL

It's great that it worked out for so many of you for so long, and I do still think it's best for baby. I just question if doing it for less than a couple months have any benefits.

[mayfly]

doing it for less than a couple months has huge benefits Shainie. I am so impressed that you pumped for six weeks!!!! You are an awesome mom. I could not pump, it never worked for me.


For as long as you are able to nurse the milk continues to change. Nursing moms at 6 months have different milk then ones with 3 month old. It adapts to what a baby needs at that age.

In the very beginning you are giving the baby colostrum (sp?) which is very very important. It helps to protect the baby from diseases and viruses, common colds, like their first "shots" before they start getting shots.

The first few weeks the milks compostition is very specific for a newborn, to help their body temperatures stay up, everything they need to make that transition.

You ARE AWESOME!!!! God bless you Shainie, and your new little one coming!

[tkkmasky]

My math stinks (LOL) anyone wanna help out with my percentage?

I have 4 children and breastfed an average of 2 years per child (I'm currently BF a 6 month old) so that would be 8 years total.

I figure about 62%....am I close? If so, COOL!

And Kat, I don't mean to burst your bubble......but up until 7 years ago we had NO cancer in our family, and I mean none....and then wham, both my sister AND mother were diagnosed with breast cancer within a year of each other (and my sister was only 37 when diagnosed.) So it can happen anytime.

(btw....my mother is considered cured, while for my sister it is an ongoing process....she goes into remisssion but it comes back in other places. She is currently on chemo again.)

[kat]

Hush tkkmasky - my doctor told me that it was good news that it was zero to ANY cancers in my family, so that's what I'll keep right on thinking! I am sorry to hear about your mom & your sister - I wouldn't even want to think about anything happening like that! I hope that your sister finally goes into remission & that it doesn't come back again - it must be incredibly stressful to have to deal with that on an ongoing basis.


And Rae Ann, please don't think you're not doing some good with even 6 weeks of breast feeding! My older son nursed the longest (a little over 2 years) and still he has horrible allergies. Like the doctor said, just think about how much worse it could have been if I didn't nurse plus think about all the extra bonuses like added brain power that you give them by supplying breastmilk for as long as you can - and the first 6-8 weeks of life are the most important time for that milk. I could never get the hang of pumping (it just made me hurt & the amount was nada), so I'm amazed that you were able to do it for 6 weeks straight!

[mama2calli]

I'm amazed I'm doing well w/pumping this time around - but then again it is baby #3 and I'm a bit more familiar with the pumping process than I was in the past...I was frustrated at first but then finally my milk came in (day 4, same as with the other 2 kids!) and things got easier and it's going okay -

- on the bright side too I won't be having to pump much longer with him coming home this week!

And ditto from me, Rae Ann - breast milk is liquid gold so even if your baby gets a few week's worth, he's getting a precious gift from you, especially the colustrum! You may be passing along some wonderful immunities to your child!

I get happy to hear that an effort was made with breastfeeding, whether it works out or not, just the fact that it was tried!

Kath