Breatstfeeding is Great!

Eight Great Reasons To Breastfeed Your Baby

#1 It's Convenient--Breast milk is always clean, the right temperature and  available.  You do not have to worry about carrying bottles, spoiling formula or being stranded without extra formula. 
    Night feedings are easier, too.  By breastfeeding, parents avoid leaving a warm bed and stumbling around the kitchen to make formula and warm a bottle.   Breastfeeding helps everyone get their sleep!

#2 It's The Perfect Food For Babies--Breast milk is tailor-made for the age and development of your baby.  When a baby is born, a mother's breasts produce colostrum which is easy to digest, high in protein and designed to protect the newborn from disease.  Within a few days, the thick, yellowish colostrum is replaced by thinner, white milk.
    The content of breast milk changes throughout the time that a mother is nursing to give a child exactly what he or she needs to grow and develop.  Breast milk provides your baby with a perfectly designed cocktail of protein, vitamins, minerals, fats, and cells that fight disease, called antibodies.

#3 Breastfed Babies Are Healthier--Researchers keep finding evidence that breastfed babies are healthier.  Breast milk contains antibodies that help a baby have far fewer ear infections, lower respiratory and urinary tract infections and diarrhea.  And, if a breastfed baby does get sick, they produce more gamma-interferon, a protein that helps mobilize the immune system to get them well faster.
    We are still discovering many of the lasting health benefits of breastfeeding.  Babies who are breastfed for six months or longer have shown a lower risk of developing allergies, dermatitis and asthma--even when there is a family history of these.

#4 Moms Are Healthier, Too--Medical research shows breastfeeding also has long-term health benefits for mothers.  Studies have linked breastfeeding to lower breast cancer rates.
    The evidence suggests that the longer a mother breastfeeds, the lower her risk of having breast cancer at any time during the rest of her life.  In fact, breastfeeding for more than two years has also been linked to lower rates of ovarian cancer.

#5 Mom Gets Back Into Shape Faster--Breastfeeding helps a mother's body return to its pre-pregnancy state faster.  It triggers the uterus to contract and return to its normal shape quicker.
    Breastfeeding burns extra calories everyday.  When you are eating a healthy diet, breastfeeding uses up the calories stored during pregnancy.  Many breastfeeding mothers say they are able to lose weight without dieting for the first time in their lives.  Some say they are thinner than ever after breastfeeding.

#6 It's Better For The Planet--Formula feeding results in discarded cans and bottles.  This may not seem significant for one family, but when you think about the thousands of babies born each year, the impact of this waste on the environment can be huge.

#7 Breastfeeding Builds Love--The natural positioning of a baby at the breast helps a new mother and baby look into each other's eyes and begin the bonding process.   Nature helps too.  When a mother is breastfeeding, her body produces hormones that relax and calm her.  The close contact that breastfeeding provides is a comfort to a baby who is used to the sounds and rhythms of mother's body during nine months of pregnancy.
    Returning to work does not mean the closeness of breastfeeding has to end.  The development of effective electric double breast pumps allows mothers to maintain their milk supply while working and provides breast milk for the baby to drink.   Mother and baby can breastfeed as usual during all the other times they are together.

#8 Breastfeeding Saves Money--The bottom-line for many families is cost.  Breastfeeding helps balance the family budget.  The cost of purchasing formula may not seem like much each week.  But, when you add it up over time, it could easily amount to at least $100 each month or more than $1,000 during the first year.  Special diet formulas cost even more.
    Since breastfeeding helps babies fight illness, it also saves money on health care.  Healthier babies mean fewer trips to the doctor and less money spent on prescriptions.  Affordable health care begins with breastfeeding.

© Dawn Lamuth-Higgins is a mother, writer, and the owner of Mommy Gear, an online breastfeeding boutique (www.mommygear.com).   This article is reprinted from "Pittsburgh's Child" and may be reproduced for educational purposes.