Are you pregnant and trying to decide whether breastfeeding is right for you and your baby? I’ve already talked about how breastfeeding benefits your newborn, but do you know breastfeeding provides substantial benefits to the mother as well?
The followings are some of the breastfeeding benefits for mom:
In response to the baby’s sucking, the mother’s body releases hormone oxytocin that makes her uterus contract and get smaller. If a woman does not breastfeed, her uterus will remain slightly larger than it was before pregnancy.
Many mothers also get emotional benefits from breastfeeding because of the closeness of this interaction with the baby and from the satisfaction of helping to nourish their babies. Mothers who breastfeed immediately after the birth quickly develop a strong bond with their baby.
It may offer protection against some cancers such as breast, uterine and ovarian. Studies have shown that the risk of developing breast cancer can be reduced by almost 50% in breastfeeding mothers. Breastfeeding for 12 to 24 consecutive months can reduce your risk of developing uterine cancer by almost one third.
It may also help to increase bone density, preventing osteoporosis when breastfeeding ceases.
Breastfeeding can aid weight loss after birth. Breastfeeding can burn up to 500 calories a day, which can help you lose those extra pregnancy pounds. Breastfeeding mothers showed significantly larger reductions in hip circumference and more fat loss by one month postpartum when compared with formula-feeding moms. Breastfeeding mothers tend to have an earlier return to their pre-pregnant weight.
Breast milk is free - reducing or eliminating the cost of formula (in the thousands per year).
Benefits child spacing. Since breastfeeding delays ovulation, the longer a mother breastfeeds the more she is able to practice natural child spacing, if she desires. How long a woman remains infertile depends on her baby’s nursing pattern and her own individual baby.
Breastfed babies are sick less thus reducing health care costs to family in doctor office visits, prescriptions and hospitalizations.
Breastfeeding is usually easy and convenient. Breastfed babies are very portable and you have instant, pre-warmed, ready-to-serve food wherever you go.
Welcome to AnythingMaternity.com! On this first post, I would like to talk about an important topic, which is Breastfeeding.
Why is breastfeeding important?
You have spent nine months nourishing your precious baby in your womb, why start feeding your baby infant formula when you have your own wonderful breastmilk?
Every parent wants to give their child the very best. When it comes to feeding babies, there is nothing as good as breast milk. Do you know the advantages of breast milk? Your breast milk is organic and tailormade for your baby. Breast milk is the ideal baby food. It has the perfect combination of proteins, fats, carbohydrate, and fluids that new-born babies require.
Benefits of breastfeeding should be enough to encourage mothers to want to breastfeed their newborn and for all health care providers to strongly encourage breastfeeding.
What are the benefits of breastfeeding for the baby?
The colostrum your baby receives in the first few days, and the breastmilk that follows, contain antibodies that provide resistance to infection. Until your baby has had time to build up its own immunities, mother’s immunities will be shared with him/her through her breast milk.
Breast milk is an important factor in promoting the best possible development of babies. It is well recognised that breastfed babies have better development of their eyesight and speech.
The unique combination of fatty acids and other components in breast milk contribute to optimal brain development, so lack of these in artificially-fed babies may result in lower intelligence.
Breastfed babies are less likely to suffer from childhood cancers, eczema and asthma. And if a breastfed baby does get ill, the illness is often less severe than it would otherwise have been.
Breastfed babies will also have some protection against conditions like juvenile diabetes, and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. There is good evidence that Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS or ‘cot death’) is less common in breastfed babies.
Breastfeeding can protect your baby from developing allergies. Several studies have found that breastfeeding for six months or more makes it less likely that your baby will go on to develop food or respiratory allergies.
Advantages in long-term health: Many studies have looked at the possible long-term health benefits of breastfeeding. There is now good evidence that, on average, the following health problems in later life are less common in those who had been breast fed compared to those who had not:
This website is dedicated to all parents, parents to be, and anyone who are interested to know more knowledge of pregnancy, childbirth and infant care.
You will find lots of information on anything related to maternity such as pregnancy tips, pregnancy symptoms, fertility, parenting articles, breastfeeding, maternity advice, maternity clothing, baby products recommendation and more!
