The Benefits Of Breastfeeding

Breastfeeding offers many benefits to both mother and child. Many doctors consider breast milk the optimum choice over formula. They generally recommend that, when possible, mothers should breastfeed their babies exclusively through the entire first year. Breast milk is so healthy for babies because, unlike baby formula, it is catered specifically to each baby's individual needs. The breast milk contains all of the important nutrients necessary for babies to grow and develop. As a baby grows and matures, the breast milk composition changes to match its changing nutritional needs. Mother's milk has proteins, fats, vitamins, and minerals, all of which are essential for healthy growth. And, because the fats in breast milk are more easily absorbed than the fats found in formula, the stools of breastfed babies smell much sweeter than those of formula-fed babies.

In addition to the basic nutritional benefits of breast milk, breastfeeding also has a number of health benefits. Most importantly, when mother's breastfeed they pass on the antibodies their babies require to help fight and prevent infection and illness. In fact, breastfed babies generally get sick less often during their first year of life than bottle-fed babies because of these germ-fighting antibodies that they acquire from their mother's milk. This means fewer ear infections and a decreased risk of more serious illnesses such as asthma, juvenile diabetes, and even some cancers. For the mother, breastfeeding will speed up the shrinkage of her uterus, help prevent postpartum hemorrhaging, and decrease her risk of breast and ovarian cancers. As an added bonus, many women find that breastfeeding helps them shed their pregnancy weight faster and with less dieting than women who bottle-feed their babies.

Breastfeeding also has great emotional benefits. Breastfeeding forces the mother to take a few minutes out of a hectic day to sit and rest. Babies need to feel loved and secure, and the time a mother spends time holding, cuddling, and stroking her baby as she nurses, is important for the baby's emotional health. This relaxed time that a mother spends breastfeeding her baby helps promote a strong emotional bond between them.

On the practical side, breastfeeding is certainly more convenient and less expensive than bottle-feeding. Breast milk goes wherever the mother goes and is easily pumped and stored if a mother has to leave her baby. Mothers always have milk available so there is no need for midnight trips to the store. And best of all, breast-milk is free whereas formula can cost hundreds of dollars a month!