BREASTFEEDING 101: THE HEALTH BENEFITS

While doing research for this series, I came across a survey done about breastfeeding. The conclusion was that many moms did not know all the health benefits for both mom and baby that came along with it. And had more moms been provided with the information, they either would have attempted to breastfeed or breastfed longer to prolong those benefits.

So, I was actually in the middle of drafting another post in this series and I stopped completely so that I can help you the most I can. And we’ll be going over some of the many health benefits that breastfeeding can provide!

For Baby

Breastmilk is nature’s perfect food.

• it provides the right amount of fats, sugars, vitamins, amino acids, antibacterial properties, and antibodies for your baby at any age
• breastmilk has been linked to higher IQs in some studies
• breastfed infants are less likely to suffer from childhood obesity due to babies self-feeding/breastfeeding on demand
• Breastfeeding reduces the risk of your child having asthma
• reduced risk of having allergies
• Breastfed babies also turn out to be less picky eaters due to the taste of breastmilk varying slightly as mom eats different foods
• reduced risk of SIDs
• reduced risk of diabetes
• reduced risk of childhood leukemia
• stronger immune systems
• less diarrhea
• less constipation
• fewer ear infections

For Mom

• reduced risk of breast cancer
• reduced risk of ovarian cancer
• breastfeeding burns calories, some moms can lose their pregnancy weight
• breastfeeding helps the postpartum cramping, helping return your uterus to its pre-pregnancy size quicker
• breastfeeding creates oxytocin and prolactin
• breastfeeding can temporarily work as birth control
• breastfeeding can help with postpartum depression
• breastfeeding can increase calmness; breastfed babies tend to cry less

Other Benefits

• can save time washing and sterilization of bottles/nipples compared to using formula
• can save you time and money as opposed to buying and preparing formula
• extra bonding time and skin-to-skin; better relationships between mom and baby
• breastfeeding moms learn to read their baby’s needs quicker
• breastfeeding can be easier when out and about; you don’t have to carry everything to keep a bottle of formula

Also, if you’d like some more really interesting facts (and some of these more in-depth) check out this article here written by HealthLine, and an article here written by BreastmilkCounts on the most common myths about breastfeeding – both are seriously so good, I highly recommend checking these out! Another good one is linked here, this one is written by Cleveland Clinic but they have references! Feel free to share this with your parents as well – in my experience I’ve found A LOT of our moms and dads are uneducated about all the benefits – and science has certainly come a long way.

The scientific evidence shows breastmilk is indeed superior to formula… Some things, mankind just can’t compete with – and THAT’S OKAY. You should be proud of any amount of breastmilk you can provide your baby with and be proud of however long your breastfeeding journey lasts. I hope that these upcoming blog posts help provide encouragement and hope so you can feel confident when making the choice to breastfeed!