Four Ways Breastfeeding Helps You and Your Baby

By admin
May 27, 2015

Breastfeeding, i.e., feeding your baby milk from your breasts, is very important. The best way to do this is for your baby to feed directly from your nipple. However, if that is not possible, for whatever reason, then milk can be pumped from your breasts into a bottle from which your baby can be fed. The American Association of Pediatrics recommends mothers to breastfeed their babies for the first six months of the infant's life.

How Does Breastfeeding Help

  • It helps you get back to your pre-pregnancy shape and size sooner. Like every other activity, breastfeeding also burns your calories. This will help you lose weight quicker. In addition, during the process, a hormone called oxytocin is released. This hormone helps to return your uterus to its normal size and can also help in reducing after-birth uterine bleeding.
  • It reduces the risk of contracting certain types of cancer. Researchers have determined that if you breastfeed your baby, the risk of both ovarian and breast cancer is reduced. The longer you breastfeed, the lower your risk for cancer will be. Your risk of osteoporosis may also be lower.
  • It protects your baby from many problems. The risk of sudden infant death syndrome is drastically lowered if you breastfeed your baby. Your breast milk contains several antibodies which help your baby to fight off diseases better. It has also been found that exclusively breastfeeding your baby for six months can reduce the instances of ear infections, diarrhea, and respiratory problem. It may also reduce the risk of obesity and asthma.
  • It lowers stress and can prevent postpartum depression. The hormones released during breastfeeding also tend to make you feel relaxed. Further, it has also been found that compared with women who stopped breastfeeding early or did not nurse their babies at all, women who breastfeed are less likely to develop postpartum depression.

For More Information about Breastfeeding, Contact Women's Health Medical Group (WHMG).

To know more about breastfeeding or other baby and mother related issues, contact WHMG today. You may call us on 817.346.5336 or visit one of our offices in Fort Worth, Burleson, Granbury, or Lake Worth. We hope to hear from you soon.

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