Breastfeeding is important, for any newborn child. The most emotional activity between a mother and child, where mothers feed their babies and young children with milk through her breast. Find out the importance of breastfeeding for a mother and child and know the values of lactation.
Benefits of Breastfeeding for Mother:
1. Reduces the risk of breast cancer:
Women who breastfeed regularly, are at a lower risk of developing, breast cancer. The reduction in cancer risk, depends on the duration of breastfeeding and for how much longer you are continuing it. More the months, or years, a mother continues to breastfeed, she is at a lower risk of breast cancer.
2. Reduces the risk of uterine and ovarian cancer:
Women who breastfeed regularly, are at reduced rates of developing breast and ovarian cancer later in life. During lactation, the estrogen hormone levels are low, and it is less available to stimulate the lining of the uterus and breast tissue also. Through breastfeeding, these tissues are at a lower risk of becoming cancerous.
3. Lessens osteoporosis:
Breastfeeding, may also lower your risk of osteoporosis. Women, who do not breastfeed, have a greater chance of developing osteoporosis and are more likely to suffer from hip fractures in the post-menopausal years.
4. Benefits child spacing:
Breastfeeding, delays the ovulation process. The infertility process, in a woman, depends on her baby’s nursing pattern. The longest, a mother breastfeeds, the better will be her ovulation process.
5. Promotes emotional health:
Breastfeeding, not only benefits a mother’s body, but also her mind. According to research, breastfeeding mothers show less postpartum anxiety and depression than formula-feeding mothers.
6. Promotes postpartum weight loss:
Women, who breastfeed regularly, can burn those extra calories, and can help lose pregnancy weight faster, when compared with formula-feeding mothers.
7. Release of good hormones:
Women, who experience breastfeeding, feel fulfillment and joy from the physical and emotional bond, they experience with their child while nursing. These feelings are raised in women, by the release of hormones such as Prolactin, which produces a peaceful, nurturing sensation that allows you to relax and focus on your child and another hormone, Oxytocin(R),that promotes a strong sense of love and attachment between the two of you.
8. Recovery after childbirth:
Breastfeeding mothers, recover after childbirth more quickly and easily. The hormone oxytocin, makes the uterus return to its regular size more quickly and can help reduce postpartum bleeding.
9. Lowers risk of diseases:
Research says, breastfeeding may reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, and cardiovascular disease, including high blood pressure and high cholesterol.
The Importance of breastfeeding for baby:
1. Better growth:
Breast milk contains all the ideal nutrients needed for your infants to grow. It has a perfect mixture of vitamins, protein, and fat.
2. Easy Digestion:
Breast milk, is more easily digested than formula milk for infants.
3. Fights disease:
Your baby can fight viruses and bacteria, and through breast milk, he/she can lower risk of having asthma or allergies. Additionally, babies who are breastfed exclusively for the first 6 months, without any formula, have fewer ear infections, respiratory illnesses, and diarrhea for short periods.
Disadvantages of breastfeeding:
1. Breastfed babies need to be fed more often:
A breastfed baby needs to be fed about every 1.5 to 3 hours. This can, definitely be inconvenient and frustrating, especially through the night. However, this could easily be seen as a positive thing, as it forces a new mom to take frequent breaks with her little one. And gives you much time to bond with your child.
2. Some medications are passed through breast milk:
If a woman, is taking certain kinds of antidepressants for postpartum depression, she will not be able to breastfeed her baby. You need to formula feed your baby or look out for other breastfeeding options. Certain drugs, however, are not compatible with breastfeeding.
3. There are dietary restrictions:
For nursing mothers, there are few dietary restrictions you have to be careful about. Whatever you eat, that will pass on to your baby through the milk. Avoid foods and beverages that are too spicy, cause gas, or cause discomfort to your baby. An added, advantage of restricting such foods, is you will increase your lifespan and get you back to your pre-pregnancy form sooner.
4. It can be uncomfortable and painful:
Breastfeeding can cause some discomfort. When you start breastfeeding at your starting stage, your nipples are probably going to be sore, and your breasts will be engorged throughout the whole duration. And when your baby has his teeth, biting nipples can be painful.
5. You don’t know how much milk they are getting:
Using formula milk, with a bottle, will let you know how much amount of milk your baby gets and you can measure it. But, when you are breastfeeding, it can be hard to determine exactly how much amount of milk they are getting. Many moms worry about the facts, that whether the baby is getting enough nutrition or not, or are they feeding them too much.
By Supraja
