Top 5 Benefits of Breast Feeding

For infants, breast milk is acknowledged widely as the most complete infant nutrition form. It has an array of benefits for the development, immunity, growth and health of infants.  No other food is able to replace breast milk and this includes store bought formula for infants. Even if there is a possibility of accumulated pollutants in mother’s milk, it is still superior overall from the perspectives of the overall health of both child and mother. Since infants are fragile and their bodies not fully developed, they need adequate nourishment and special care. Some breast milk nutrition components can be mimicked by formula but this is still not able to duplicate the essential human milk nutrients. Here are even more benefits of breast feeding.

Breastfeeding mothers are not as likely to develop later life osteoporosis. During pregnancy, they are also able to lose the gained weight from being pregnant and have lower risks of ovarian, uterine and breast cancer.

• Later in life, children who have been breast fed are not as likely to contract numerous diseases. This includes cancer, heart disease, multiple sclerosis and juvenile diabetes before the age of fifteen.
• Early in life, breast fed kids have more disease resistance compared to children fed with formula. The reason for this is that there is a unique nutrient combination in breast milk that any formula made in a lab is unable to duplicate. Starting at birth, the benefits of breastfeeding is numerous and this goes on throughout the life of a child. As a matter of fact, if more mothers breast fed their kids, there may eventually be a decrease in the number of health problems that kids face these days.
• Another advantage of breastfeeding has to do with economics. Not only does breastfeeding help with medical bills in the long run, it is also much less expensive than purchasing infant formula. Kids are healthier as a result and so you are saved having to pay medical bills later on.
• Allergy protection is another breastfeeding advantage. In babies that have been breastfed, allergic reactions such as eczema have been rare. Children appear to be protected from allergy development if they have been fed early on with breast milk. Among children with parents that have allergies, this is a particularly strong effect.

There are also benefits gained by the mother when she breast feeds her baby. Women grow both emotionally and physically from bonding with her child as she breast feeds. Just as the milk from her breasts are specifically designed to nourish infants, this milk also aids in the mother’s health. For example, oxytocin is released by breastfeeding mothers which are hormones that cause the uterus to quickly return to its original size. Weight is also lost more easily by a woman who breast feeds. As the bodies of mothers produce milk, they burn more calories than usual. This helps them lose weight. You can even look at it like the gained pregnancy weight is actually going to serve as a lactation source of energy.