What are the advantages of breastfeeding?
Breastfeeding provides ideal nourishment and a special bonding experience that many new mothers cherish.
What are some of the advantages to breastfeeding:
Infection-fighting. A mother who breastfeeds her baby passes antibodies to her child which can help lower the occurrence of many conditions, including:
- ear infections
- diarrhea
- respiratory infections
- meningitis
Other factors in breast milk help to protect a breastfed baby from infection by contributing to the infant’s immune system by increasing the barriers to infection and decreasing the growth of organisms like bacteria and viruses.
Breastfeeding has more advantages for premature babies and also may protect children against:
- allergies
- asthma
- diabetes
- obesity
- sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)
As a group, breastfed babies have fewer infections and hospitalizations than formula-fed infants.
Nutrition and ease of digestion. Breast milk is frequently called the “perfect food” for a human baby’s digestive system, breast milk’s components — lactose, protein (whey and casein), and fat — are easily absorbed by a newborn’s immature digestive system. As a group, breastfed infants have less difficulty with digestion than do formula-fed infants as breast milk tends to be more easily digested so that breastfed babies have fewer incidences of diarrhea or constipation.
Breast milk also naturally contains many of the vitamins and minerals that a newborn requires. A healthy mother usually does not need any additional vitamins or nutritional supplements.
Lower Financial Cost. One of the easiest to measure advantages of breastfeeding is that it is free. Breast milk doesn’t cost a cent. With the fortifications to the child’s immune system it can mean fewer trips to the doctor’s office or loss of time from work to care for a sick infant.
Convenience. The mother’s body is continually generating a source of food for her infant which means no frantic runs to the store for formula as breast milk is always fresh and available. Breastfeeding also offers the advantage of having the breast milk at an agreeable temperature for the child so no warming up bottles in the middle of the night. It’s also easy for breastfeeding mothers to be active — and go out and about — with their babies and know that they’ll have food available for whenever their little one is hungry.
“Skin-to-skin” contact. Many nursing mothers really enjoy the experience of bonding so closely with their babies. And the skin-to-skin contact can enhance the emotional connection between mother and infant.
Beneficial for mom, too. Another advantage to breastfeeding is that providing food for your baby helps a new mother gain confidence in her ability to care for her baby. Breastfeeding also burns calories and helps shrink the uterus, which may help nursing moms return to their pre-pregnancy shape and weight more rapidly. Also several studies have indicated that breastfeeding helps lower the risk of breast cancer and also may help decrease the risk of uterine and ovarian cancer.
