Breastfeeding Benefits

As your birth date approaches, you will begin making important decisions about how you wish to approach your birth experience. Equally important are decisions about how to parent your baby such as whether to breast or bottle feed.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends breastfeeding at least until your baby is one year old. This recommendation is based on volumes of research that proves breastfed babies are healthier, smarter and better adapted emotionally.

In the majority of cases, breast milk is the most perfect food for your baby.

• Breast milk helps support your baby's immature immune system, and it contains easily digestible proteins and other factors that aid in digestion
• Breast milk is low in cost and requires no preparation time
• Studies show that breastfed babies are less likely to have colic, upper respiratory infections, ear infections, constipation, asthma or allergies

Mothers who breastfeed have health benefits also, such as decreased incidence of breast cancer.

Other benefits of breastfeeding include:

• Less expense
• Once established, breastfeeding is less time consuming, so mom can get more sleep and baby sleeps better
• Less newborn allergies and illness
• Less medical expense as breastfed babies visit the doctor less often for illness—so, if mom works, there's less time off from work taking care of a sick baby
• Breastfeeding burns calories—nearly 500 each day—so mothers can return to their pre-pregnancy weight sooner
• May help your baby guard against obesity later in life