Breastfeeding
The Benefits for Mom and Baby
Choosing to breastfeed your new baby is one of the most important and wonderful decisions you will make as a new mom! By now, most of us have heard that "breast is best" — but just how wonderful breastfeeding is may come as an added surprise to even the most well-read mother to be!
Mother's milk is the perfect infant food and provides all the ingredients your growing baby needs. Even before your mature milk comes in, rest assured that the wonderful colostrum your newborn is receiving is all that he or she requires for a great start! In fact, this clear "first milk" has been called nature's first immunization because about half of infant immunities come from it! Moreover, colostrum helps your baby pass merconium and decreases absorption of bilirubin, which decreases the chances of jaundice. Wow! How about that for starting off on the right foot!
Mother's milk has all the nutrients your baby needs until about the middle of the first year. That sure takes a lot of stress and worry out of the equation for a busy new mom. And because breastmilk digests easily, your baby will have fewer tummy aches and no constipation! That sure makes for a happy baby! Breastmilk has been shown to reduce the risk of allergies, reduce the risk of sudden infant death syndrome, reduce the risks of ear infections, and provides antibodies to illnesses to which mother has been exposed. Babies who are breastfed show significantly less incidence of respiratory illness than those who are not. Breastfeeding encourages healthy tooth and jaw development and does not cause tooth decay. Switching baby from side to side enhances hand eye coordination. Breastfed babies have soft, sweet smelling skin, and bowel movements are not unpleasant to change. Of course, breastmilk is always the "right" temperature and always fresh what a treat for your bundle of joy!
Baby is not the only one who physically benefits from breastfeeding. Nursing your baby after birth reduces the risk of hemorrhaging because your uterus contracts as a result of hormones stimulated by your newborns sucking. Many mothers experience a delayed return of menstruation and ovulation for the first six months of exclusive breastfeeding, sometimes much longer. Moms who breastfeed usually find that they return to their pre-pregnancy figures quicker due to the increased calorie burning of lactation. In study after study, breastfeeding also has been shown to reduce the risk of breast and uterine cancer.
Breastfeeding is good for the environment! Artificial substitutes must be produced, packaged, transported, and then packaging waste must be discarded. Moreover, artificial milk substitutes are expensive. Unfortunately, many low income mothers still spend much of their limited income on feeding their newborns these costly products. When you breastfeed, you help decrease shelves from being stocked with these products and empower lower income moms to make healthy, no-cost breastfeeding their reality.
On the emotional side, breastfeeding helps foster a sense of well being and relaxation thanks to prolactin and oxytocin, the wonderful mothering hormones. Many moms agree nursing not only calms and pacifies baby, but that they also experience a peaceful feeling. Breastfeeding is more than just physical nourishment. The closeness, skin contact, and ability to comfort your baby at the breast is truly wondrous. One study showed that when early breastfeeding was established among Russian mothers in a St. Petersburg maternity hospital, infant abandonment rates declined, while they increased in other hospitals in the same city! Less dramatic, but no less important, at those times when your baby may not be feeling well, it sure is nice to have breastfeeding as a mothering tool! Many moms will joyfully tell you that when nothing else would calm their infants, breastfeeding was the "magic" solution. Enjoy the advantages of breastfeeding. Remember, its free, it's portable, its time saving and it's great for both of you. Now that's what a busy mom calls beneficial!