bodypostbaby's blog

Let’s hear it for the girls! 

I love breastfeeding.  We always knew it was good for your heart to snuggle and be close to your baby (awwwww.)  But now science supports it as well.  I know breast feeding doesn’t make the breasts look prettier long term (in the short term it can do wonders though).  I know as a plastic surgeon many of you think we only care about how pretty your breasts are.  And I do care what they look like, but the breasts have a purpose other than looking good in a bikini.

A new study came out in Diabetes  (and was presented by Gunderson’s team on June 6 in New Orleans at the American Diabetes Association’s 69th annual Scientific Sessions meeting).  It was a long term prospective study of 1400 patients.  In it, they looked at the benefit to mom (not babe) of breastfeeding, specifically looking at the “metabolic syndrome” of risk factors which cluster and increase your heart risk.

What increases your risk of heart disease and diabetes?

• Abdominal obesity (the apple body shape, not pear, especially when the fat is “intraabdominal” behind your belly muscles)
• high blood pressure
• cholesterol (low HDL the good one, and high LDL, the bad one)
• high triglycerides
•  insulin resistance
• inflammatory markers
• a tendency to clot.

They found of these 1400 women, 50% had kids.  They followed them at 7, 10, 15, and 20  years. They found the risk of the “metabolic syndrome” was reduced in women who breastfed.  This risk was reduced further the longer you breastfed.  For those who breastfed over 9 months, the risk went down 56% in those with no gestational diabetes (diabetes while pregnant, a marker for those at risk for diabetes later in life) and 86% for those with gestational diabetes.

Yay.

They don’t know why. ? Does it increase your good HDL cholesterol?  Lower the abdominal body fat? Or help with the metabolism of blood sugar and lower your insulin levels?  We don’t know. But it was nice to see these results.

So let’s hear it for the girls.

Don’t worry- if they look bad when you are done, I can help you. But a healthy heart- that looks good on everyone.

I am a huge fan of breast feeding.  The benefits are well known.  For the baby, there is reduced otitis media, respiratory infections, gastroenteritis, rates of SIDS, childhood obesity, type 2 diabetes, and childhood leukemia.  For the mother, there are lower rates of breast and ovarian cancer and type 2 diabetes.  There have even been studies that breastfed children deal better with stress later in life.

It is recommended you breastfeed exclusively for 6 months.  I breastfed all of my children.  Particularly with the dangers in the world of swine flu and other diseases, it is one of the best gifts you can give your child.

Breastfeeding can take a toll on your breasts.  So here are some recommendations:

1. Alternate breasts.  Everyone has one side which is easier to feed on, produces more milk, the baby likes it better, etc etc. Breasts are not symmetric.  They are different sizes and different producers.  Try to use both breasts evenly.  Use a timer and switch to the other side.  Personally, I tried to feed from both breasts with each feed.  When I have patients who exclusively breastfeed on one side, there is a marked difference between their breasts at the end.  The key to breasts is symmetry.  Whatever you do, you want your breasts to look as alike as they can.

2. Support.  Breasts are not a muscle. The infamous ”we must, we must, we must increase our bust” exercises don’t work.  The pectoral muscle lies beneath the breast tissue.  The breast itself is composed of breast tissue, ligaments, and fat.  When the tissue has stretched, there is no way to “firm” it up again with exercises, creams, or lasers.  So wear a bra.  Make sure it fits well and is really supporting you.  Sleep in the bra.  To see if the bra is giving good support, jump up and down in front of the mirror and see how well you are supported.  Everyone has seen a woman jogging who does not have enough support.  A good bra has a defined size, 2-3 rows of hooks in the back, and adjustable straps to transfer the weight of the breast to the shoulder.