What Are the Benefits of Breastfeeding for Mothers and Babies?

A newborn child needs a lot of nutrients to stay healthy and grow stronger. Breast milk offers what it takes to improve the child’s health. It contains antioxidants, immunity booster nutrients, enzymes, live antibodies, and numerous nutrients. That’s why WHO suggest breastfeeding until the child is 6 months old!

Everyone talks about how beneficial breastfeeding is for the child. People rarely focus on the benefits of breastfeeding for the mother. Yes, it is beneficial for the mother and the child. Reveal the benefits of breastfeeding. You will surely choose to breastfeed instead of adding formula milk to the baby’s diet!

What Are the Benefits of Breastfeeding for Babies?

The baby can survive without breast milk. Top-quality baby formulas are available in the market to soothe your child’s appetite. However, it won’t be as nutritious as breast milk is! That’s why all the leading health experts recommend breastfeeding to ensure the better health of the child!

The following benefits reveal the top benefits of breastfeeding for the baby:

1. A child’s growth and good health depend on breast milk

Breast milk is rich in vitamins, protein, and minerals. The value of these nutrients constantly improves. The child gets the daily dose of essential nutrients to fight diseases and grow faster. Mother can produce enough milk to meet the growing needs of the child. Breast milk provides food and water together. Therefore, breast milk alone is enough to soothe a newborn child’s hunger and thirst.  

2. Breastfeeding boosts the child’s immune system

Newborn babies have a weak immune system. They need breast milk to boost the immune system. Breastfeeding babies gain essential nutrients which boost their immunity to a variety of diseases.

Breast milk is rich in antibodies that fight various pathogens. It is also rich in lactoferrin, which provides the necessary supply of iron. Lactoferrin is also known as an antibacterial compound. It keeps the baby safe against viral infection.

A baby’s immune system performs better as he starts breastfeeding. The child resists diseases much better. The chances of gestational tract infection, urinary tract infection, and respiratory tract infection reduce quickly! That’s why breast milk is quite essential for newborn babies.  

3. Breast milk provides essential fatty acids

Fatty acids play a vital role in improving the child’s cognitive skills and vision. Researchers have found that breastfed premature babies develop much better than formula milk-fed premature babies. Their weight improves much faster and they gain better eyesight.  

Breast milk contains polyunsaturated fatty acids, such as arachidonic acid (AA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). These fatty acids are quite essential for the good growth of the child. Therefore, breast milk is way more beneficial for a newborn child than other forms of milk.

4. Breastfeeding establishes an unbreakable bond between the mother and the child

Breastfeeding brings the child closer to the mom. It establishes that unique mother-child relationship, which lasts forever. The child develops an emotional connection with the mom. The baby starts feeling safer with the mom and relying completely on the mom for his needs. This relationship is quite essential for the intellectual, psychological, and language development of the child.

What Are the Benefits of Breastfeeding for Mothers?

Breastfeeding is beneficial for mom in three different ways:

1. Physiological benefits

The physiological benefits of breastfeeding include the following:

• It prevents postpartum hemorrhage: A mother’s pituitary gland starts releasing oxytocin due to the child’s continuous sucking action. Oxytocin is a hormone that stimulates the secretion of milk in the mammary glands. This hormone is also responsible for uterine recovery. It plays a vital role in the contraction of the uterus. Consequently, the postpartum hemorrhage is prevented and the uterine recovery process speeds up!

• Breastfeeding prevents iron loss: Breastfeeding prevents iron loss in mothers. Iron increases the secretion of milk and the mother gets ample supply during this period. The postpartum recovery period lasts 6-8 weeks for a breastfeeding mother. It can get much longer if you feed formula milk to your child! Therefore, breastfeeding is quite essential if you want to recover faster after the baby’s delivery.

• Natural contraception: Breastfeeding mothers have delayed menstruation. It not only helps the mother in preserving iron but also causes natural contraception. Breastfeeding mothers experience natural contraception because of lactation amenorrhea (LAM). The LAM has a 98%-99% contraceptive success rate in comparison to other methods. So, the chances of getting pregnant again are almost zero for 6 months after giving birth to a child.

2. The long-term breastfeeding benefits

Breastfeeding effectively reduces the risks of several types of cancers. It improves the metabolism process and offers other health benefits, which are:

• Weight loss:

Most pregnant ladies feel worried about their weight. They believe they will never regain that attractive shape. It might get true if you do not breastfeed your child. Breastfeeding improves metabolic function. You burn excess body fat faster and get in a proper shape quickly. You can quickly maintain an attractive shape if you breastfeed your child!

• Quick recovery from gestational diabetes:

Many women suffer from gestational diabetes during the pregnancy period. Breastfeeding speeds up the recovery process. It causes weight loss and the risks of diabetes also reduce rapidly.

• Breastfeeding lowers the risk of osteoporosis:

Research also shows that breastfeeding lowers the risk of osteoporosis. This disease can cause bone fracture. Breastfeeding effectively reduces the risks of such a disease.

3. Psychological benefits

Motherhood is unlike anything you have experienced before. It is something only a woman can understand. The only effective way of establishing a bond with the child is breastfeeding. You nourish the child you brought into this world. It makes you more caring and a kinder person than you were before.

A mother’s body starts producing a special kind of hormone when she breastfeeds. This hormone keeps the mother calm and relaxed. You won’t feel anger or sad because you will be more optimistic in your life.

Breastfeeding thoroughly changes your life. You dedicatedly think about the child and this feeling lasts forever. That’s why every mother must breastfeed to stay healthy and be happy.

What Are Potential Disadvantages of Breastfeeding?

There are a few disadvantages of breastfeeding, which can occur in certain circumstances.

1. The mother can transmit the disease to the child in certain conditions

A pregnant lady suffering from hepatitis, AIDS, and other infectious diseases can affect the child’s health. Doctors prohibit women from undergoing chemotherapy from breastfeeding the child. You should also avoid breastfeeding if you are taking anti-epileptic drugs. It is safe to feed formula milk to the child if you are taking certain medicines to recover from certain diseases.

2. Breastfeeding can halt the recovery from breast surgery

You should not feed the baby if you have recently undergone breast surgery. It will halt the recovery process. Besides, your mammary glands may not produce enough milk to satisfy the baby. Therefore, it is better to feed formula milk to the child in such conditions!

3. Mothers can’t take caffeinated drinks

You cannot drink beverages with high caffeine content. Such drinks can affect the baby’s health. Your baby consumes what you consume. Your food adds certain nutrients and compounds into breast milk, which can be harmful to the child’s health. Therefore, you will have to leave your coffee and tea drinking habit to take care of the child.

4. Breastfeeding can cause pain

It can be a painful experience to breastfeeding the baby. The newborn child sucks milk slowly. It still causes pain. Some mothers experience severe pain in their breasts. It occurs due to incorrect breastfeeding position. You can reduce the pain while feeding the child if you learn accurate breastfeeding techniques.  

5. Breastfeeding affects the mother’s professional life

It is probably the biggest disadvantage for mothers. They cannot join the office for 6-12 months after the baby’s delivery. Babies are unpredictable. They feed, play, and cry whenever they want. You will have to be around the child 24-7 to feed him and comfort him.

A newborn to 6 months old child needs milk 5-8 times a day. Your child will eagerly search for you when you are not around him. He will soon feel upset, scared, and then he will start crying. It can be quite challenging to work when you are taking care of the child. That’s why you may need to compromise your professional life to take better care of the child!

These disadvantages do not haunt new mothers. They already know how to take care of the child. Many women suffering from infectious diseases plan the right way to feed the child. Things get better soon and you stop worrying about those disadvantages!

Conclusion

The benefits of breastfeeding completely overshadow the disadvantages. Therefore, most mothers choose to breastfeed the baby. Some women take the time to learn the proper breastfeeding posture. It comforts them when they follow an accurate feeding method.

Do not feel sad if you can’t breastfeed due to certain health conditions. First, recover and then experience the pleasure of nourishing your child. It will be beneficial for you and the child!

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