5 Best Benefits of Breastfeeding


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In recent years, breastfeeding has made a significant comeback, and the number of mothers choosing to forsake the bottle and feed their infants the natural way is increasing every year. Part of this is due to increased efforts to educate women concerning the economic and health benefits of breastfeeding, which are considerable, to say the least. While entire volumes could be filled regarding the benefits of breastfeeding, here are what we consider to be the 5 best benefits of breastfeeding:

  1. Breast feeding provides the ideal nutritious sustenance for your baby. Your body naturally produces milk which meet the exact nutritional requirements your baby has. While mankind has made tremendous advances in the understanding of nutrition, we have yet to improve on the nutrients nature itself offers us.
  2. Reduces the rate of several infectious diseases. Bottle fed babies are much more prone to sickness. Of course, this adds to family and societal expenses at the same time that it affects babies’ health. Mothers’ breast milk contains antibodies which help baby fight these diseases. Even if mothers are only able to breast feed for a few days, babies receive many antibiotic benefits.
  3. Breast milk has been shown definitively to best support natural growth and development in babies, and is beneficial through a toddler’s second year of life. Babies should be breastfed exclusively for the first four to six months of their lives, and may be breastfed until age three if desired.
  4. Breast feeding promotes women’s health. Notably, it reduces the chances of breast cancer, ovarian cancer and osteoporosis. Additionally, it promotes mental health by reducing instances of post partum depression.
  5. Promotes confidence as a parent and bonding between baby and mother. Fathers can even become involved in the process, staying by mother and child during feeding times to increase baby’s bonding with them (and making breast feeding easier for mom by providing someone who can help out as needed).

Of course, all of this says nothing of the significant social and economic benefits of breast feeding. Families can save literally thousands of dollars by choosing to breast feed instead of using infant formula and bottles. When you put it all together, it’s no small wonder that more and more women are choosing to breast feed.



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