The benefits of breastfeeding can’t be overstated. Everyone has heard the saying “Breast is best” when it comes to whether to breastfeed or not, but why? There are so many benefits to both you and your baby and here are just a few of them.
Benefits of Breastfeeding: Bonding with baby
For any parent, bonding with your baby is important. Breastfeeding causes the baby to feel a sense of comfort and security. A quick and positive response from mum when breastfeeding could aid in the babies social and cognitive development and for you helps release a ‘love hormone’ making the bond even stronger.
Healthy Baby
The contents of breast milk can protect your baby from a number of health conditions. From the transference of antibodies from mummy to child to allowing your newborn to satisfy his or her own appetite; it can fight health problems like pneumonia, chest and ear infections, tummy bugs, colds, viruses, and obesity.
Another Benefit of Breastfeeding: Stronger bones
As mentioned in the introduction breast feeding does not only have benefits for your baby. When you are pregnant and lactating your body has th
e ability to absorb calcium from food and supplements much more efficiently. Some studies propose that pregnancy is not only good for your bones while pregnant but as a whole. Suggesting the more times a women is pregnant the more dense her bones become and less likely to fracture.
Lower SIDS Risk
This means that breastfeeding can lower the chance of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome by half. Anything you can do to lower this risk is well worth it. You might even base your decision solely based on this alone.
Fewer Weight Problems are Another Benefit of Breastfeeding
Both you and your baby are less likely to become obese. When breastfeeding your baby is in charge of his or her own appetite, and the first milk your newborn gets is full of something called colostrum which does not stretch the tummy unlike bottled formula.
Immunity and antibodies
A babies immune system is very weak so they need all the help the can get! Breast milk contains antibodies from mummy that can help fight infections and act as a booster to your babies immune system.
One of The Biggest Benefit of Breastfeeding is Convenience
You don’t have to worry about buying formula, making formula and then feeding your baby. When they’re hungry you have a perfect food source as soon as they need it that is always available and at the right temperature.
Less Expense or No Expense?
Formula can cost you thousands of dollars a year. The best things in life are free! And so is breast milk. Even if cost isn’t an issue, it is still a good idea. For many people though, cost is an issue and this can make a huge difference.
Better healing post delivery
Breast feeding speeds up the healing process for your body post-delivery. When your baby is nursing the body releases oxytocin which helps your uterus contract back to its normal size, and cuts down any post-delivery blood loss.
Less risk of the big C
We all worry when we hear the word cancer. Breast feeding can significantly reduce your baby’s risk of getting some childhood cancers and for mummy it can lower your chances of getting premenopausal breast cancer and ovarian cancer.
It is nice to know that breastfeeding is not just important for your baby but is also helpful for you and you both can share and benefit from the experience.