Feeding time is bonding time
Moses Lake moms share the experience of breastfeeding
MOSES LAKE — The thought of not being able to provide her newborn baby with breast milk was an unsettling one for Mary Aardal, who gave birth to her first child, Julia, four weeks ago.
"My baby was hungry and I couldn't feed her," Aardal said, recalling her concern as she anticipated being able to breastfeed Julia for the first time, a decision that both her and her husband Aaron had made together.
However, any fear that Jana Farley — a friend of Aardal's who is expecting her second child in July — may have had was not enough to keep her from breastfeeding either.
"I was determined," Farley said. "I wanted my child to have the best nutrition possible."
Waiting anywhere from one to three days for her milk to come in, Aardal is not unlike many new mothers who deal with the challenges of learning how to breastfeed, a process that Debe Nuss knows can be disconcerting and even scary sometimes for moms who want nothing more than to breastfeed their babies. Nuss is a lactation consultant at Maternity Support Services and has been a nurse in Moses Lake for more than 25 years and is the coordinator of the Breast Feeding Coalition.
And on an average day, Nuss makes anywhere from four to six home visits to families like the Aardals and Farleys. She talks with them about their fears, questions and concerns about breastfeeding, which can range from physical discomfort to milk production to finding a comfortable place to feed their babies, Nuss said.
But making the decision to breastfeed willingly is key, Nuss said. She said she believes it is one of the most important choices a mother can make for her and her baby's long-term health.
"If every mom breastfed exclusively for six months, we could reduce (the occurrence of many health risks)," she said. Asthma, food allergies, diabetes, cancer and ear and respiratory infections can all be reduced, in part, because breast milk, unlike formula, contains live antibodies that protect the baby against illnesses even well into adulthood.
"Breast milk is different in that it is a live entity," Nuss said. "If you looked under a microscope things are changing."
Nuss added that the cost for formula can add up to hundreds of dollars per year per family.
"The container costs more than what's in the can," Nuss said of formula products.
Although Nuss strongly advocates the health and economic benefits of breastfeeding, she believes baby formula can be a useful alternative.
"Formula has its place for those not breastfeeding," she said of those who choose not to breastfeed or are unable to produce an adequate supply of milk.
Aside from the health and economic benefits, moms like Aardal and Farley say breastfeeding is also a time to bond with their babies.
Working as a dietitian at Moses Lake Community Health Center, Aardal was already aware of some of the health benefits of breastfeeding, but also saw it as an opportunity to spend quality time with her newborn baby Julia.
Holding sleeping Julia close to her chest, full and quiet after her last feeding a half hour earlier, Aardal knows she will most likely be ready for another feeding in two to three hours.
"I really enjoy these times together," Aardal said of when she can stroke Julia's cheek or give her those gentle, motherly embraces. "Those are my favorite times when she's awake and I can talk to her."
Coloring with her 2-year-old daughter — also named Julia — on the floor in their living room, Farley also remembers the first time she breastfed.
"It was hard to put into words," Farley said. "We were doing this wonderful thing that we had read and heard about and finally I got to do this … I had that moment of this is so amazing."
Farley and Aardal both agree that the role of the dad in the breastfeeding experience is equally important.
"He helps in other ways," Farley said of her husband Justin.
"I support her in what she thinks is best for her child," Justin said, who also helps with feeding and dressing their oldest child Julia.
Being a first-time mom, Aardal said breastfeeding is something she has always wanted to do, with the support of her husband.
"He has been very supportive," Aardal said of her husband Aaron. "He knows how important it is for me to breastfeed."
In between feedings and the other routines of the day, Aardal said her husband has his role to play too.
"He can burp her (after she feeds) and bath time is his time," she said.