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Mothers of New Babies and Toddlers

Breastfeeding

Benefits

How your baby benefits from breastfeeding:

It is the most natural and nutritious way to help your baby develop.

  • Research shows that breastfeeding can enhance the way your baby’s brain and thinking skills develop.

  • Research shows that breastfed infants are sick less often and have milder effects when illness does occur.

  • The skin-to-skin contacts of breastfeeding gives your baby emotional support.

  • The physical act of sucking at the breast while breastfeeding helps the baby's mouth muscles and facial bones grow as they should.

  • Breastfed babies are less likely to develop lung infections, childhood diabetes, and childhood lymphoma (a form of cancer that affects the immune system).

  • Breastfeeding may give some protection against SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome).

  • For infants with a family history of allergies (namely that one or both parents, or a sibling has allergies), exclusive breastfeeding for at least 4 months seems to help protect the baby from allergies.

 

The advantages of breast milk:

  • No milk or soy formula can give babies either the nutrients found in breast milk or the special benefits these nutrients provide.

  • Breast milk has the right level and amount of nutrients to suit the baby's needs.

  • The first breast milk that you produce is rich in colostrum. It begins to change into mature milk a few days after your baby is born. Colostrum provides baby with the best defence possible against bacteria and viruses. It is the perfect first food for babies.

  • Breast milk contains antibodies and other immune factors to fight off illness and to avoid or delay allergic responses.

  • Breast milk contains a unique mix of fats, sugars, minerals, proteins, vitamins, and enzymes, all made for one reason only: to promote proper growth of an infant’s brain and body.

  • Breast milk is easier for a baby to digest. This means your baby is less likely to have constipation or diarrhea.

  • Breast milk is always fresh, perfectly clean, and just the right temperature. It is available 24 hours a day and provides the best feeding system for the lowest cost.

 

Breastfeeding has many benefits to you, the mother:

  • Making breast milk requires about 500 extra calories daily. This helps women to lose the weight that they gained during pregnancy.

  • Women who breastfeed reduce their risk of getting cervical cancer, osteoporosis, or breast cancer before menopause.

 

NOTE:  Some women think that breastfeeding will stop them from having their period (menstruation) and that this is a "natural" form of birth control. While there is some reason to believe that menstruation may be delayed when a woman uses exclusive breastfeeding for 2 months, this is NOT an effective form of birth control! If you do not begin menstruating 6 months after giving birth, you should talk to your doctor.