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14 Oakville Beaver Weekend Sunday, November 7, 1999 F a m ily F a r e An Oakville Beaver Feature To advertise in this section call 845-3824 Fax:337-5568 ^ O H a k v il l e ew s B eaver en tr e Sp o r ts · N a lto n · E n t e r t a in m e n t Breastfeeding the best choice for babies: public health nurse By Irene Gentle SPECIAL TO THE BEAVER hat if they could invent a magic for mula that could protect babies from gastro intestinal and respiratory L e a r n in g C 1ru t o r ir ig A ll s u b je c ts G ra d e s 1 - O A C L e a rn in g s k ills F le x ib le s c h e d u le C e rtifie d te a c h e rs C o m p u te rs A d u lt E d. c la s s e s F re n c h & S p a n is h E d u c a tio n a l A s s e s s m e n ts " L ittle L e a rn e rs " p ro g ra m fo r p re -s c h o o le rs W infections, juvenile diabetes and childhood cancers? And what if that same for mula could give mothers an added weapon in the fight to prevent breast and ovarian cancer as well as osteoporosis? And what if that potion O a k v ille P re m ie r C ra ft S h o w Saturday, Nov. 1 3 - Sunday, Nov. 1 4 10am - 4:00pm GLEN ABBEY RECREATION CENTRE (1415 Third Line at Upper Middle Rd.) Craftspeople offering their work for sale. Show Pass $2 i Children Free I 1 -8 0 0 -2 1 4 -5 8 5 5 D O N 'T M I S S T H IS O N E ! LOTS OF FREE PARKING! We can help you learn more successfully. Give us a call today! 5291 Lakeshore Road, _____________ Burlington______ SPACE OPTICAL Top Brand Names All Frames Storewide with purchase of your Rx lenses /A 3 3 3 -5 4 4 4 % £ ^ 0 6 ^ , p c o q w /A · Large selection of fram es · Doctor's appointm ent arranged · We accept all vision care program s S p a c e O p tic a l in v ite s yo u to c o m e in a n d se e all th e n e w la te s t s ty le s P l^ s e Upur resume, 'iro o f e y e g la s s e s . V isit us fo r p e rs o n a l a n d p ro m p t s e rv ic e . CtO a 311-7044 IM M E D IA T E L Y . 842-2821 Trafalgar Village 125 Cross Ave. could save the health care system millions of dollars in doctor's visits and individual families small fortunes in medication? That magic elixir has actually been part of the human experience for as long as women have been lactating, said Halton Region Health department public health nurse Louise Giacobbo. "There are bounds and bounds of research that supports that breastfeeding has the best health benefits for babies and mothers," she said. "I tell you, breast milk is incredible." And all it costs is time. In contrast, infant formula can cost up to $125 a month. As an international board certified lac tation consultant who also works with the breastfeeding clinic at Milton District Hospital, Giacobbo believes in breast feeding. "The nutrients in breast milk are so finely tuned to the baby, it boosts their immune systems," she said. "It assures the mom that the babies are getting the best possible food." It also promotes a closeness between mother and child. "Certainly there is a bonding with for mula," said Giacobbo. "But breastfeeding provides a much more intimate bonding. It is skin to skin with baby and mom." According to the Canadian Pediatric Association, it is recommended that women breastfeed exclusively for the first four to six months of their baby's life. So the question is, why aren't more women doing that? One reason is because it isn't always easy. Career pressures can cause some women to switch to formula once mater nity leave is up. And the red carpet isn't exactly rolled out for new moms when it comes to public nursing. "Unfortunately, some women are still discouraged from breastfeeding in pub lic," said Giacobbo. "Some restaurants may still shy away from having breast feeding mothers." Confusion over how to do it can also cause women to bottle feed. "It has become a lost art, unfortunate ly," said Giacobbo. "Centuries ago, we were learning how to breastfeed by watching." But today, women are more likely to learn the technique from health profes sionals instead of mothers, sisters and friends. The health benefits of breastfeeding derive from the contents of the milk itself, said Giacobbo. "It is because of what is in breast milk. It has live anti-viral and anti-bacterial agents in it," she said. "The nutrients in breast milk just help to decrease the inci dence of infections." Since breast milk is more easily digest ed, breastfeeding decreases the likelihood of stomach upsets, Crohn's disease and allergies in babies. For more information, call the Halton Regional Health Department at 825-6060, ext. 7299.