Here are 20 priceless perks.
Reduced ear infections? Check. Lower risk
for asthma? Yup. Bump in IQ? Sure. Breastfeeding your baby brings all these
benefits-plus a whole lot more.
1.
A healthier baby “The incidences of pneumonia, colds and viruses are reduced among
breastfed babies,” says infant-nutrition expert Ruth A. Lawrence, M.D., a
professor of pediatrics and OB-GYN at the University of Rochester School of
Medicine and Dentistry in Rochester, N.Y., and the author of Breastfeeding: A
Guide for the Medical Profession(Elsevier-Mosby). Gastrointestinal infections
like diarrhea-which can be devastating, especially in developing countries-are
also less common.
A
healthier baby
2.
Long-term protection, too Breastfeed your baby and you reduce his risk of developing chronic
conditions, such as type I diabetes, celiac disease and Crohn’s disease.
breastfeed
your baby and you reduce his risk of developing chronic conditions
3.
Stronger bones According to lawrence, women who breastfeed have a lower risk of
postmenopausal osteoporosis. “When a woman is pregnant and lactating, her body
absorbs calcium much more efficiently,” she explains. “So while some bones,
particularly those in the spine and hips, may be a bit less dense at weaning,
six months later, they are more dense than before pregnancy.”
4. Lower SIDS risk: breastfeeding lowers
your baby’s risk of sudden infant death syndrome by about half.
5. Fewer problems with weight: it’s more
likely that neither of you will become obese if you breastfeed him.
6. A calorie incinerator: you may have
heard that nursing burns up to 500 calories a day. And that’s almost right.
“Breast milk contains 20 calories per ounce,” Lawrence explains. “If you feed
your baby 20 ounces a day, that’s 400 calories you’ve swept out of your body.”
“Breast
milk contains 20 calories per ounce,” Lawrence explains.
7. It’s good for the earth: dairy cows,
which are raised in part to make infant formula, are a significant contributor
to global warming: Their belching, manure and flatulence (really!) spew
enormous amounts of methane, a harmful greenhouse gas, into the atmosphere.
8. Better healing post-delivery: the
oxytocin secreted when your baby nurses helps your uterus contract, reducing
post-delivery blood loss. Plus, breastfeeding will help your uterus return to
its normal size more quickly-at about six weeks postpartum, compared with 10
weeks if you don’t breastfeed.
9. Less risk of cancer: breastfeeding can
decrease your baby’s risk of some childhood cancers. And you’ll have a lower
risk of premenopausal breast cancer and ovarian cancer, an often deadly disease
that’s on the rise.
10. An unmatched feeling of power: “it’s
empowering as a new mother to see your baby grow and thrive on your breast milk
alone,” Lawrence says.
11. A custom-made supply: formula isn’t able
to change its constitution, but your breast milk morphs to meet your baby’s
changing needs. Colostrum-the “pre-milk” that comes in after you deliver-is
chock-full of antibodies to protect your newborn baby. “It’s also higher in
protein and lower in sugar than ‘full’ milk, so even a small amount can hold
off your baby’s hunger,” says Heather Kelly, an international board-certified
lactation consultant in New York City and a member of the Bravado Breastfeeding
Information Council’s advisory board. When your full milk comes in (usually
three to four days after delivery), it is higher in both sugar and volume than
colostrum-again, just what your baby requires. “He needs a lot of calories and
frequent feedings to fuel his rapid growth,” Kelly explains. “Your mature milk
is designed to be digested quickly so he’ll eat often.”
Breastfeeding
can decrease your baby’s risk of some childhood cancers.
12. More effective vaccines: research shows
that breastfed babies have a better antibody response to vaccines than
formula-fed babies.
13. A menstruation vacation: breastfeeding
your baby around the clock-no bottles or formula- will delay ovulation, which
means delayed menstruation. “Breastfeeding causes the release of prolactin,
which keeps estrogen and progesterone at bay so ovulation isn’t triggered,”
Kelly explains. “When your prolactin levels drop, those two hormones can kick
back in, which means ovulation-and, hence, menstruation-occurs.”
Even if you do
breastfeed exclusively, your prolactin levels will eventually drop over the
course of several months. Many moms who solely nurse will see their periods
return between six and eight months after delivery, Kelly adds; others don’t
for a full year.
14. Less time off work: your baby will be
ill less often, so that means fewer sick days for you.
15. It’s cheap!: according to la Leche
League international, the cost of formula can range anywhere from $134 to $491
per month. That’s $1,608 to $5,892 in one year!
16. A great way to learn about your baby:
“you have to read your baby’s ‘satiety cues’ a little better, because unlike
with a bottle, you can’t see how much he’s eaten,” Kelly says. “You have to
rely on your own instincts and your baby’s behavior to know when your baby is
full.”
17. You can stash the condoms-for now:
breastfeeding can be 98 percent to 99 percent effective as birth control if a
few guidelines are followed. Your period must not have resumed; you must
breastfeed at least every four hours around the clock; you must not give your
baby any pacifiers, bottles or formula; and you must be less than six months
postpartum. According to Kelly, nighttime feedings are the most important to
the “lactation amenorrhea method,” so do not let your baby (or yourself ) sleep
through a feeding. “Going long stretches at night without nursing seems to be
directly responsible for the return of ovulation,” she says. Prematurely sleep training
your baby can also hasten ovulation.
“You
have to rely on your own instincts and your baby’s behavior to know when your
baby is full.”
18. There’s nothing easier: simply pull up
your shirt and nurse. Breast milk is always available and always at the right
temperature.
19. Benefits for all: according to a study
published in the journal pediatrics, the united States would save about $13
billion per year in medical costs if 90 percent of U.S. families breastfed
their newborns for at least six months.
20. Better friendships: “breastfeeding helps cultivate relationships
with other moms,” kelly says. Whether it’s talking about parenting styles,
nighttime feedings or engorgement, nursing allows women to forge positive
postpartum relationships. Adds Kelly, “Women are supposed to be sitting
together, nursing and taking care of babies.”
