| Returning
to work after a having new baby can be difficult, especially
for women who choose to breastfeed. A lactation specialist
can provide the assistance you need for breast feeding your baby to be happy and healthy.
Benefits of Breastfeeding
Human milk is superior for infant feeding and is designed
to meet the unique needs of human infants. Breast fed infants
enjoy additional general health, growth and developmental
benefits. Breastfeeding provides infants with protection from
certain infections of the respiratory tract, ear, brain and
spinal cord, and gastrointestinal and urinary tracts. Furthermore,
breastfeeding may help prevent sudden infant death syndrome,
insulin-dependent diabetes, and diseases of the digestive
system, colon, and lymphatic system. Breastfeeding may also
reduce the risk of your baby developing allergies.
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As a mother, you benefit from breastfeeding your baby by
experiencing less bleeding after delivery and a more rapid
return of the uterus to its normal size. Breastfeeding also
helps speed your return to your pre-pregnancy weight, prevents
calcium loss from your bones, and reduces your risk of developing
ovarian and premenopausal breast cancers.
Breast milk is more economical than formula, and since breast
fed infants tend to be healthier, you may lose less time from
work to care for a sick baby.
Whether you are a new or expecting Mom, you're probably interested
in giving your baby the best care you can. And one of the
best things that only you can do is to breastfeed for as long
as possible. While breastfeeding isn't the only option for
feeding your baby, every mother has the potential to succeed
and make it a wonderful experience. Or maybe you are the partner
or a family member of a breastfeeding Mom and would like to
learn more about breastfeeding. You've come to the right place!
Here we provide practical, helpful breastfeeding information.
Dive into our resources to find out how breastfeeding can
be one of the most important things you do for both you and
your baby!
Why Should You Breastfeed Your Baby?
Best for Baby . . . A mother's milk has just the right amount
of fat, sugar, water, and protein that is needed for a baby's
growth and development. Most babies find it easier to digest
breast milk than they do formula. Breast milk has agents (called
antibodies) in it to help protect infants from bacteria and
viruses and to help them fight off infection and disease.
Human milk straight from the breast is always sterile.
Best for Mom . . . Breastfeeding saves times and money.
You do not have to purchase, measure, and mix formula, and
there are no bottles to warm in the middle of the night. Breastfeeding
also helps a mother bond with her baby. Physical contact is
important to newborns and can help them feel more secure,
warm and comforted. Nursing uses up extra calories, making
it easier to lose the pounds gained from pregnancy. It also
helps the uterus to get back to its original size more quickly
and lessens any bleeding a woman may have after giving birth.
Breastfeeding also may lower the risk of breast and ovarian
cancers.
More detail on benefits for mom.
The U.S. Surgeon General recommends that babies be fed with
breast milk only — no formula — for the first
6 months of life. It is better to breastfeed for 6 months
and best to breastfeed for 12 months, or for as long as you
and your baby wish. Solid foods can be introduced when the
baby is 6 months old, while you continue to breastfeed.
HEALTH RISKS OF NOT BREASTFEEDING
Breast milk has agents (called antibodies) in it to help
protect infants from bacteria and viruses. Recent studies
show that babies who are not exclusively breastfed for 6 months
are more likely to develop a wide range of infectious diseases
including ear infections, diarrhea, respiratory illnesses
and have more hospitalizations. Also, infants who are not
breastfed have a 21% higher postneonatal infant mortality
rate in the U.S.
Some studies suggest that infants who are not breastfed have
higher rates of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) in the
first year of life, and higher rates of type 1 and type 2
diabetes, lymphoma, leukemia, Hodgkin's disease, overweight
and obesity, high cholesterol and asthma. More research in
these areas is needed (American Academy of Pediatrics, 2005).
Babies who are not breastfed are sick more often and have
more doctor's visits.
Also, when you breastfeed, there are no bottles and nipples
to sterilize. Unlike human milk straight from women's breasts,
infant formula has a chance of being contaminated.
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