Breastfeeding is the best way to feed your newborn baby and breastmilk is the most perfect and natural baby food.
What will you do if you have the capability of giving the benefits of breastfeeding but have no one to feed?
A heartbroken mother in the USA chose to give the most wonderful gift to other babies after her son passed away just three hours after his birth.
Wisconsin resident, Sierra Strangfeld, was pregnant for 20 weeks until she discovered that her unborn son had the condition trisomy 18. It is a rare situation where a baby's life was threatened by defects that can cause miscarriage.
Samuel Lee was born on September 5, 2019. It was two months before his actual due date. The little angel only left his mother's arms once, when the medical staff had to put in an oxygen tube. The whole three hours was memorably spent with his family. It's like he knew that he was with his mother.
Those three hours just felt like a few minutes. Sierra was really happy to look and be amazed by this angel's tiny body.
Amazing decision
Sierra struggled to breastfeed her first daughter, Porter. Then, it was this very moment when Strangfeld made an incredible decision to support other mommies struggling to naturally feed their babies. Also, she wants to leave a legacy for her little Samuel.
Sierra believes that if she couldn't save the life of her son, maybe she can save another precious life of an angel.
Voluntary breast pumping is not an activity for a weak heart. The struggle is real, both mentally and physically. It is even more challenging when you don't have a baby to feed.
Strangfeld had hard times when she felt angry about having a sufficient amount of milk with no baby to feed. She sometimes asked herself, why she was waking up in the middle of the night just to do breast pumping.
But for Sierra, it was the only thing that connects her to Samuel and hoping he would be proud of.
Benefits of breastfeeding for babies
- Defends against allergies and eczema. If it is genetically acquired in your family, it may be especially beneficial for you to breastfeed. Proteins found cow's milk and other milk formulas can trigger allergic reactions, while the proteins in human breast milk are suitable for the weak digestive system.
- Prevents diarrhea, stomach upset, and constipation than formula. Since breast milk is the perfect food for babies, it so easy for your baby's body to digest all the nutrients from it.
- Reduces the risk of having common illnesses. Breast milk fights against viruses, urinary tract infections gastroenteritis, ear infections, inflammatory bowel disease, and respiratory infections.
- Avoids SIDS. Although the main connection is uncertain, breastfed infants have lower chances of having Sudden Infant Death Syndrome than the formula-fed infant does.
- It makes vaccines more effective. Research shows that breastmilk can boost the baby's response to vaccines.