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Science and the Fourth Trimester:
Research Points the Way … Back
Imitating the womb to calm colic isn’t the only ancient wisdom that
has been ignored by our culture. Over the past fifty years, researchers
have carefully proved the benefits of another prehistoric skill, breast-
feeding, which was rescued from the brink.
Breast-Feeding Makes a Comeback
Within days of your baby’s birth, your breast milk appears, as if by
magic. It’s exactly what the doctor, and your baby, ordered. This sweet,
nutritious, easy-to-digest food gives your newborn an almost constant
flow of nourishment, just like she had inside the womb.
Early in the 1900s, after millions of years of being developed to
perfection, mother’s milk was suddenly abandoned in many parts of the
world. It was nudged aside by mass-produced artificial formula that was
promoted as equally healthful and more hygienic than mother’s milk.
Many women were convinced that scientists knew better than nature.
They fed their babies formula, mistakenly believing that the product of a
chemist was better than the old-fashioned product of their own breasts.
Mothers asked their doctors for medicine to dry up their breast milk
and to recommend their favorite commercial formula. By the 1950s,
breast-feeding became so rare in America that the women who tried it
were considered radical or eccentric.
Moms who still wanted to breast-feed often failed because they had no
personal experience and little professional guidance. As unbelievable as
it sounds, within two generations our culture almost lost this basic
human ability that had sustained our species for millions of years!

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Fortunately, many committed women (and men) were appalled by this
lack of support. Through their great efforts, groups like La Leche League
were launched and specialists were trained to help new mothers
rediscover this wonderful skill.
In recent years, public interest in breast-feeding has dramatically
rebounded, spurred by an avalanche of research revealing the
shortcomings of formula and the benefits of breast milk. Scientific
studies show that breast milk helps build babies’ brains, boosts their
immunity, protects them against diabetes, and lowers a woman’s risk of
breast and ovarian cancer. Today, breast milk is so universally accepted
as the preferred food for babies that even formula companies
recommend women use their product only if they can’t breast-feed.
I’m thankful we have excellent artificial formulas to feed babies who
are unable to feed at their mother’s breast. However, all medical groups
agree, if you can do it, “breast is best” for feeding your baby.

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