August - 27, 2024

Benefits of Breastfeeding

Have you ever thought about the benefits breastfeeding offers other than bonding? Breastfeeding your child has many benefits for both the mother and child. It’s like the gift that keeps on giving with advantages spanning from short-term to long-term. In this blog post, we will discuss the more obvious benefits and some of the lesser-known benefits that can impact you and your baby’s health years down the road. 

Financially Sound

Breastfeeding your baby is free. It costs zero dollars for your body to produce milk, though you may spend a little extra money on breastfeeding supplies such as breast pumps, breastfeeding pillows, and nursing-friendly clothing, these are optional. If you have insurance, you will be able to get a free breast pump through your company but not all companies cover the same breast pumps. If you’re not satisfied with the pump your insurance company covers, they may still offer a discounted price on your chosen breast pump. 

Personalized Nutrition

With breastfeeding, your milk’s composition changes depending on your baby’s needs. Your first milk after giving birth is called colostrum and is a super-packed milk to boost your baby’s immune system, provide an easy-to-digest high-protein meal, and help your baby with their first poop (meconium). Next, your transitional milk will begin to come with a higher water content to keep your baby hydrated. After about a month, you have what’s called “mature milk,” which changes with your child’s nutritional needs based on their age. For example, the breast milk from mothers of toddlers has more calories than the breast milk from mothers of infants under 12 months old. 

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Your breastmilk composition will change depending on the time of day. In the morning, your milk will have a higher fat content than it will during the evening and into the night. Even during the same breastfeeding session, your breastmilk will change. At the beginning of the nursing session, you will have foremilk which has high water content and is meant to quench your baby’s thirst. Then you will have hindmilk which is fattier and meant to satiate your baby. 

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When your baby gets sick and breastfeeds, a vacuum is created by the suckling motion that provides feedback taking backwash (saliva and breastmilk) from the baby and into the mother’s nipple creating an on-demand supply of immune cells for the baby. This helps your baby fight infections and get over illnesses faster. 

Reduced Risk of Disease

Women who breastfeed have a reduced risk of diseases such as breast and ovarian cancer, heart disease, type II diabetes, and high blood pressure. How amazing is it that women can breastfeed for a short amount of time and still reap the benefits from it years and decades down the road after weaning? Women who breastfeed are also less likely to develop Postpartum Depression (PPD). 

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Breastfed babies also have a reduced risk of diseases. As mentioned earlier, breastmilk can help fight off infections by producing antibodies based on the baby’s saliva. Not only that, but breastfeeding can also help ward off ear infections, SIDS, allergies, childhood leukemia, and type I and II diabetes.

Promotes Healthy Eating Habits

Breastfeeding can promote healthy eating habits for both the mother and the baby. While breastfeeding, it’s important to eat a diverse diet of vegetables, fruits, dairy, proteins, nuts, and legumes. The foods that mothers eat are passed through to the breastmilk by the mammary glands that draw upon nutrients stored in the mother’s body. The mother’s body will take whatever nutrients it needs to feed the baby, even if that means the mother will have little nutrition leftover so eat plenty of healthy foods. 

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Breastfed babies nurse for as long as they need to and when their tummies are fully satiated, they end the nursing session. This promotes future intuitive eating, only consuming as much as they need to satisfy their appetite and prevents overeating. 

Takeaway

Breastfeeding has many advantages, but it is not without faults. Breastfeeding can be difficult, especially in the beginning when you both are learning how breastfeeding works and later when the mental load can start to take its toll. Overall, as long as both the mother and the baby are happy, healthy, and want to continue breastfeeding, the pros outweigh the cons.

For more information on breastfeeding, schedule a consultation with our midwives now!