International Breastfeeding SymbolIn honor of  World Breastfeeding Week (Aug 1-7),  I thought I would highlight a few of the amazing benefits that breastfeeding provides not just to moms and babies, but to the whole family.

First of all, it is the most perfect food for your baby.  Breastmilk changes to meet your baby’s needs.  If it is really hot, your breastmilk will have a higher water content to make sure your baby stays properly hydrated.  If your baby has been exposed to a cold virus, your body will help make antibodies specific to that virus and send them along to your baby.  The colostrum available immediately after birth is high in vitamin K, acts as a laxative to helps get your baby’s new digestive system moving along, and is full of antibodies that are not present on the colostrum of a pregnant woman.

Some for the benefits to the whole family are:

  • It saves money – the cost of a year’s worth of formula is about the same as replacing a major home appliance
  • They smell better – The poo of a breastfed baby does have a smell, but it’s a kind of musty, earthy, light smell.  Formula poos reek and can fill an entire house, much less a room.
  • Easier travel – It’s always there in the right amount, at the right temperature.  It’s nature’s convenience food – ready when you want it – no mixing, preparing or sanitizing required.
  • Better sleep – Nursing while lying down and dozing can make getting through the night so much easier.

Some benefits for baby are:

  • Less diaper rash – Poo from a breastfed baby is less irritating to its bottom than formula poo
  • Less likely to become obese as an adult
  • It’s great for their teeth – so maybe saving on orthodontic bills is a benefit to Mom and Dad, but your child just might be thankful they got to skip out on years of braces, too. All that extra work a baby has to do to breastfeed is great for their developing facial structure.

While moms can benefit from all of the above, here are a couple just for us mamas:

  • Studies have shown that breastfeeding for a total of at least 24 months (the sum of all the months of breastfeeding with all her children) can significantly reduce a woman’s chances of developing breast cancer.
  • Breastfeeding can help a woman lose extra weight gained in pregnancy – It’s part of the natural process of returning to a non-pregnant state.  In pregnancy most women require an extra 300 calories a day – while exclusively breastfeeding that can increase to 500-700 more a day.
  • Breastfeeding right after birth can prevent postpartum hemorrhage. Immediate breastfeeding stimulates oxytocin production in the mother which encourages her uterus to clamp down on the open vessels of the site from where the placenta has just recently detached.  This ensures that the mother’s blood loss after the birth is minimal and speeds up her recovery time.