Breastmilk-The Only Nourishment An Infant Needs

At top of the news this week is the China milk scandal where a considerable number of infants were found to have kidney problems as a result of ingesting infant formula contaminated with the chemical melamine. This is not the first scandal to have rocked the multi-billion dollar infant formula industry and I doubt if it will be the last unless and until mothers worldwide take the initiative to exclusively nourish their children with their own breastmilk for at least a year.

I have personally seen the hideous faces of these milk companies operating in the guise of medical doctors and registered nurses. When I was pregnant with Ilysse, I was forced to see another obstetrician (who is even touted one of the best in the country) since my regular obstetrician, Dr. Lilibeth Genuino, was then unavailable. This obstetrician I went to had the gall to say that I was no longer giving any nourishment to my baby when I disclosed that I was still breastfeefding Isabelle at 1 1/2 years. I had similar experiences with the attending nurses when I gave birth to Isabelle and Ilysse. Even if these nurses personally knew that I wanted to exclusively breastfeed my babies, they deliberately, willfully, and calculatingly gave them infant formula, explaining that since I was sleeping, they did not want to disturb me. What do these doctors and nurses get in turn for these diabolical deeds? A trip to the Bahamas? A brand new car of their choice? Or even a suitcase full of wad? The dire consequences of these deeds - an estimated yearly 1.5 million infant deaths around the world because they were not breastfed. This is not a figure taken out of thin air but gathered and confirmed by the World Helath Organization ("WHO") and the United Nations Children's Fund ("UNICEF").

After that demeaning remark from that doctor, I came back with a vengeance and breastfed Ilysse for 3 1/2 years. I wanted to breastfeed Isabelle longer but she chose to wean early. It might be because I was already then pregnant with Ilysse. I would be repeating what everyone knows but refuse to heed that breastmilk is the only nourishment an infant needs - not infant formula, no matter how expensive. As I begin to see all the benefits of breastfeeding in my daughters, I am perpetually grateful for the wisdom in choosing the right path, a path that I hope all mothers and mothers-to-be will take.