Why Breastfeeding Your Baby is Better, Amanda Carlson

Why Breastfeeding Your Baby is Better

Breastfeeding your babies is something that many new mothers struggle with.

• Should you or shouldn’t you?
• Is formula better?
• How long should you breastfeed?
• Is it better for the baby or not?
  • But why?
  • What benefits does breastfeeding your child have?

While breastfeeding your child is a personal choice that new mothers have to make based on their child’s needs, many experts agree that breastfeeding your baby is better for them.

• A healthier baby – Most doctors agrees that children who breastfeed are healthier overall. While this is not true for all children, it is important to breastfeed at least the first few days so that the natural immune boosters found in colostrum, the first milk your body produces for your baby, can be passed on. These immune boosters help your baby create antibodies to illnesses you have been exposed to over your lifetime. These are probably the same illnesses your child will be exposed to also.
• Less allergies – Along with the immune fighting powers that are transferred in breast milk, babies who are breast fed are also less likely to have allergies or allergic reactions to things. This is especially true if the mother has allergies, strangely enough.
• Better nutrition – while infant formula of today is packed with the vitamins and minerals necessary for children to grow, it is not as complete as breast milk. Breast milk is specially formulated for your child and provides all the nutrition they need for their first six months. Infant formula has the chance of being improperly mixed, reducing the nutrients, or even being contaminated by other sources.
• Better connections – The act of breastfeeding itself helps the baby to feel more connected to its mother and vice versa. This nurturing environment can help the baby to grow up to be more confident and socially adaptable then bottle fed babies.
• Fewer cavities – It has been found that children who were exclusively breastfed for the first six months to a year have fewer cavities in their baby teeth as they get older. They also have more balanced insulin levels and a lower risk of diabetes.
• More affordable – Breastfeeding is also the more affordable option. While breast milk is not something you buy formula is and can cost upwards of one thousand dollars a year in expenses.
• Prevents pregnancy – Nursing your child is a ninety eight percent effective birth control. When you nurse, your body is less likely to become pregnant again too soon.
• Helps mom lose weight – The energy required to produce breast milk is often taken from the leftover baby fat from the pregnancy. This means that mom can lose the extra weight fast. Breastfeeding also promotes the release of a chemical that helps the uterus to shrink back to normal size after birth, also helping mom to regain her shape.
• Lowers cancer risks – Scientists have found that breastfeeding your baby can reduce your chances of getting cancer. Occurrences of ovarian, breast, uterine and endometrial cancers are all reduced when you breastfeed your child. It also helps to prevent osteoporosis.
• Lessens anxiety – When a mother breastfeeds her child she forms a connection with it. This connection can alleviate the anxiety many new mothers feel when confronted with taking care of a new baby.
• These are just a few reasons for breastfeeding your baby. Of course, the choice is up to you, but breastfeeding is the traditional way that mothers have fed their children since the very beginning.

Author Bio:

Amanda Carlson, Sandy Williams & Shawntelle Madison

Amanda Carlson, a blogger as well as a former newborn care nurse, contributed this post.

To stay connected to her previous career and share the knowledge she gained, she began writing for New Born Care.

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