What a wonderfully needed concept in modern America as well as other "developed" nations who have been swept away by the false idea that we can actually engineer a product that's comparable or (roll eyes here) better than what God and Mother Nature designed for human young.
Here's what the World Health Organization (WHO) has to say about breastfeeding:
"Breastfeeding is an unequalled way of providing ideal food for the healthy growth and development of infants; it is also an integral part of the reproductive process with important implications for the health of mothers. As a global public health recommendation, infants should be exclusively breastfed for the first six months of life to achieve optimal growth, development and health. Thereafter, to meet their evolving nutritional requirements, infants should receive nutritionally adequate and safe complementary foods while breastfeeding continues for up to two years of age or beyond. Exclusive breastfeeding from birth is possible except for a few medical conditions, and unrestricted exclusive breastfeeding results in ample milk production."
[But the idea of World Breastfeeding Week is actually not for these "civilized" countries, it's for the underdeveloped countries of the world.]
It is true that formulas now are better than previous variants (high-fructose corn syrup), but the truth is that each successive version of the original (which was thought to be just as good or better than breastmilk, but of course now this idea was laughable) does get more nutritious, but the only way it will ever be as good as breastmilk is if it were actually - well, breastmilk.
For this reason, the WHO recommends in order: 1-Breastfeeding by the mother, 2- Breastfeeding by a woman other than the mother, 3- Breastmilk from a bottle, and lastly if NONE of the above options are available, 4- formula.
Please understand that breastfeeding by a mother who is fit, healthy, and happy is the absolute BEST nutrition there will ever be for a baby! This is something that you should absolutely strive for if you want your baby to have the best start in life, however, over the last decade there has been increasing alarm about the toxicity of breastmilk. Some of the chemicals of concern are those that have been banned since the '70s (PCBs, etc). These chemicals are so bad that they can hang around for decades and affect generation after generation. Are we in trouble? Only if we continue blindly down this toxic road.
It is up to us to understand that the things we choose to purchase actually support companies that are responsible for poisoning us and our children. It is up to us to spend the time to get informed about companies like Monsanto who kill for profit, about the devastation of herbicides, pesticides and anything else ending in "-cide" which means "kill".
Some of the worst offenders have been antibiotics. When will we stop focusing on killing everything and instead focus on making ourselves stronger by consuming the diet our bodies were designed to eat, moving the ways we were designed to move, and forming thoughts and relationships our bodies were designed to have? This is the only chance we have as a species on earth and it starts day one with breastfeeding by a mother who is properly nourished in body, mind, and spirit.
Yours in Health, Love, and Freedom,
Stephen Perry, DC, CCWP
Wellness Expert and Chiropractor
