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Breastfeeding Protects Your Baby

  • Breast milk is the most complete form of nutrition for infants. A mother's milk has just the right amount of fat, sugar, water, and protein that is needed for a baby's growth and development. Most babies find it easier to digest breast milk than they do formula.

  • As a result, breastfed infants grow exactly the way they should. They tend to gain less unnecessary weight and to be leaner. This may result in being less overweight later in life.

  • Premature babies do better when breastfed compared to premature babies who are fed formula.

  • Breastfed babies score slightly higher on IQ tests, especially babies who were born pre-maturely.

  • Breast milk fights disease - the cells, hormones and antibodies in breast milk protect babies from illness. This protection is unique; formula cannot match the chemical makeup of human breast milk. Among formula-fed babies, ear infections and diarrhea are more common. Formula-fed babies also have higher risk of lower respiratory infections, asthma, obesity and type 2 diabetes.

  • Babies who are not breastfed are sick more often and have more doctors' visits.

  • Also, when you breastfeed, there are no bottles and nipples to sterilize. Unlike human milk straight from the breast, infant formula has a chance of being contaminated.

Benefits for Mom

  • Nursing uses up extra calories, making it easier to lose the pounds of pregnancy. It also helps the uterus to get back to its original size and lessens any bleeding a woman may have after giving birth.

  • Breastfeeding, especially exclusive breastfeeding (no supplementing with formula), delays the return of normal ovulation and menstrual birth control choices.)

  • Breastfeeding makes your life easier. It saves time and money. You do not have to purchase, measure, and mix formula. There are no bottles to warm in the middle of the night!

  • A mother can give her baby immediate satisfaction by providing her breast milk when her baby is hungry.

  • Breastfeeding requires a mother to take some quiet relaxed time for herself and her baby.

  • Breastfeeding can help a mother to bond with her baby. Physical contact is important to newborns and can help them feel more secure, warm and comforted.

  • Breastfeeding can be good for a mother's health too. Mothers who breastfeed their babies are at lower risk for postpartum depression, type 2 diabetes, breast and ovarian cancers, and possibly the risk of hip fractures and osteoporosis after menopause.

 
articles and information

 

 

 

  • Breastfeeding  — This website briefly describes the benefits of breastfeeding and what to do if you have trouble breastfeeding, and it links to information from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development about breastfeeding. http://www.cdc.gov/breastfeeding/

 

 

 

  • Does Breastfeeding Reduce the Risk of Pediatric Overweight?  — Did you know that breastfeeding your child can reduce the chances that he or she will be overweight? This booklet explains the research behind this discovery and answers some of the questions you may have about the benefits of breastfeeding. http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/nutrition/pdf/breastfeeding_r2p.pdf

 

  • Feeding Low Birthweight Babies (Copyright © Linkages Project)  — Low birth weight babies are at risk for developing diabetes and heart disease later in life, but good feeding practices can lower the risk. This fact sheet describes how you can reduce the risks of disease with good breastfeeding practices. http://www.linkagesproject.org/media/publications/FFF_LBW_3-30-06.pdf

 

  • Feeding Your Newborn (Copyright © Nemours Foundation)  — This publication offers information on breastfeeding and bottle-feeding. It covers the advantages of breastfeeding, limitations of both breastfeeding and bottle-feeding, and possible challenges you may encounter. http://kidshealth.org/parent/food/infants/feednewborn.html

 

  • Got Mom (Copyright © American College of Nurse Midwives)  — GotMom.org was created by the American College of Nurse-Midwives to provide breastfeeding information and resources for mothers and families. It has information on why breast milk is best, dispels common misunderstandings about breastfeeding, and provides a list of resources that can help women and families with breastfeeding. http://www.gotmom.org/

 

 

 

 

  • What's in Breast Milk? (Copyright © American Pregnancy Association)  — Proteins, fats, and vitamins are some of the substances that make up breast milk. This publication describes the composition of breast milk and what makes it the best source of nutrition for your baby. http://www.americanpregnancy.org/firstyearoflife/whatsinbreastmilk.html

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