A lot of taboos, cultural and otherwise, are associated with breastfeeding or nursing the infant. New parents are often in a fix on this issue – if the mother should purely breastfeed the baby or give a combination of formulated milk. Here is a list of six major benefits of breastfeeding which might help you select breast milk over any kind of baby formula.
Advantages of Breastfeeding:
1. Best Food for the Baby
Firstly breast milk is known as the best food for the baby. Not only it contains vitamins, minerals and fat, it is also easy to digest for the baby. It also contains antibodies which actually help in creating a stronger immunity system of the child. Moreover, if you exclusively breast-feed your baby for the first six months they will suffer less from diarrhea, ear infections, and meningitis.
2. Ensures Better Health of the Child
Brest- fed children are believed to be less susceptible to juvenile diabetes, heart diseases, and cancer before the age of fifteen. Thus, the breastfeeding benefits last beyond the breast feeding stage of your child’s life.
3. Increases Immunity
Scientists argue that there are certain immune factors, for example, secretory immunoglobulin A (IgA) which is usually found in large quantity in the mother’s first milk, known as colostrums, protect your baby from a lot of allergic reaction.
4. Reduces the Chances of Obesity
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, breast feeding decreases the chance of obesity in children. Studies show that the breast- fed babies have healthier eating patterns and they do not gain weight as rapidly as the formula fed babies do.
5. Helpful for Nursing Moms
Not only breast feeding is beneficial for your child, but even you also gain a few advantages from nursing your children.
- As breastfeeding burns the calories, it helps you to lose the pregnancy weight faster.
- Breast feeding releases a hormone called Oxytocin, helping your uterus to regain its earlier shape and can even reduce or stop the uterine bleeding post-delivery.
- It is known to lower the chances of ovarian and breast cancer.
- Further, it can help you recover from post-partum depression better.
6. Economical
Last but not least, breast feeding is more economical and less time consuming than using a formula to feed your children. Not the only breast- milk is cheaper, it also reduces the chance of your baby falling ill and therefore, less money is spent on the treatment.
There are several studies that are being conducted regularly which are showing more and more benefit of breast feeding. Apparently, breast feeding is a win-win situation, after all.
