Everyone hears about the advantages of breastfeeding for babies, but breastfeeding actually has some significant benefits for moms as well. You read that right. Not only is breastfeeding one of the best investments that you can make in your baby’s health, it can also improve the health and wellness of mom for years to come!
The Benefits and Advantages of Breastfeeding for Moms
Here’s a brief list of some of the benefits of breastfeeding for nursing moms:
- Breast milk is always sterile, fresh, perfectly clean, just the right temperature…no need for cleaning or heating it up at a 2 am feeding!!!
- This is one case where the healthy choice is also the least cost option! How often is that the case? Formula can be a very expensive addition to your monthly expenses that you can just avoid!
- Breastfeeding releases more oxytocin into your system in order to stimulate postpartum contractions. This reduces blood loss and helps return your body to its pre-pregnancy condition faster.
- Nursing increases the rate of weight loss in most breastfeeding moms without needing to diet.
- Breastfeeding has been shown to reduce the risks to mom of certain cancers including those of the breast and ovaries. Studies have shown that the longer you breastfeed, the better protected that you are.
- Breastfeeding women report psychological benefits such as increased self-confidence and a stronger sense of bonding with their little sweet babies!
Mothers who do not breastfeed are at a higher risk of:
- Pre-menopausal breast cancer
- Post-menopausal breast cancer
- Ovarian cancer
- Urinary tract infections
- Osteoporosis
- Retained gestational weight gain
- Type 2 diabetes
- Myocardial infarction,
- and the Metabolic Syndrome.
(See study data here: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2812877/)
Who knew that doing the very best thing for your baby’s health and well-being was actually the best thing for mom as well?
So if you are a mommy on the fence or really struggling as to whether it is worth it to keep breastfeeding…it is! Hang in there! It is best for YOU and best for your baby too!
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