Every Mom knows what’s best for them and best for their child. If you do choose to breastfeed, we’ve got a great article for you below that outlines some of the benefits of breastfeeding:
Breastfeeding has so many benefits for both you and your baby and it is highly recommended by healthcare professionals and maternity nurses. In this article, we explore these benefits, in the hope that you will understand this topic better.
Experts have agreed that breastfeeding your baby is the best gift you can give it. The nutrients and antibodies it provides your baby with are quite phenomenal.
Breast milk is known to reduce your child’s risk of contracting infectious diseases. Expert Ruth A. Lawrence, M.D, professor of paediatrics, obstetrics and gynaecology at the University Of Rochester School Of Medicine stated that “The incidences of pneumonia, colds and viruses are reduced among breastfed babies”.
Any length of breastfeeding has a positive effect. The longer you choose to breastfeed, the longer the protection against infections and diseases lasts. Instant formula does not provide the same protection as breast milk. Breast milk also adapts as your baby grows to meet its changing needs.
Breast milk is the only natural food for your baby. It is 100% organic and there can be no other substitute.
It can also be noted that breastfed babies have:
- less chance of diarrhoea and vomiting
- fewer chest and ear infections and fewer visits to hospital as a result
- less chance of being constipated
- lower probability of becoming obese and consequently developing type 2 diabetes and other obesity-related illnesses later in life
- less chance of developing eczema
- Breastfeeding has been known to lower the risk of Moms developing breast and ovarian cancer.
- It naturally uses up to 500 calories a day
- It’s free, so you won’t need to spend money on infant formula and sterilising equipment
- Breastfeeding can help to build a strong bond between you and your baby
- The first mistaken belief about breastfeeding is that it will make your breasts saggy. This is in fact, not true. It is the ageing process and losing and putting on of weight that does this.
- "Infant formula is basically the same as breast milk" Infant formula is not the same as breast milk. It's not a living product, so it doesn’t have the antibodies, living cells, enzymes or hormones that protect your baby from infections and diseases in childhood and later on in life.
- "People don’t like women breastfeeding in public" There was a survey done and interestingly, it showed that the majority of people don’t mind women breastfeeding in public. The more it’s done the more normal it will continue to become.
References:
www.nhs.ukwww.fitpregnancy.com
