In a world filled with inequality, crises, and poverty, breastfeeding is the foundation of life-long good health for babies and mothers. The slogan of World Breastfeeding Week (WBW) 2018 was tagged, FOUNDATION OF LIFE.
The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends exclusive breastfeeding starting within one hour after birth until a baby is 6 months old. Nutritious complementary foods should then be added while continuing to breastfeed for up to 2 years or beyond.
Even though breastfeeding is known to be the cheapest source of food for a newborn, it provides the best nourishment for a baby with minimal effect on the mother’s nutritional content. One of the greatest importance of breastmilk is the fact that it’s easily digestible by the baby and it contains the nutrients essential for your baby’s development and growth.
Check out these 20 benefits of Breastfeeding for both mother and baby:
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Keeps your Baby healthy
Breastmilk contains the essential vitamins, minerals and nutrients that help a child grow and become healthy. As a baby, their body parts, brains and the bones are just forming to become a whole, and research (https://news.brown.edu/articles/2013/06/breastfeeding) has proven beyond reasonable doubts that breastfeeding helps to improve the cognitive development of a child who was exclusively breastfed than the child who wasn’t. Children who are breastfed are also less prone to ear infections, respiratory diseases like asthma, allergies and diarrhoea.
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Lower SIDs risk
Breastfeeding reduces your baby’s risk of sudden infant death syndrome by about 50%. By breastfeeding your child regularly and exclusively, your baby has a higher chances of overcoming sudden infant death as one of the recommended preventive measures is by breastfeeding.
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Stronger bones
Breastmilk contains calcium that helps to build your child’s bones and reduce risk of diseases associated with calcium-deficiency.
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Long Term Protection
When a child is well breastfed, his/her immune system is strong enough to ward off infections, allergies, and diseases. The child also has lower risk of non-communicable diseases like cancer, diabetes and Crohn’s diseases amongst others.
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Bonding
A lot of mothers have shared how the most emotional moments for them was when their children raise up their eyes to look at them while they were breastfeeding them, most women desire a very high level of intimacy with their babies and to be honest, who wouldn’t?
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Balanced weight
Even though the body differs, most women experience a balanced weight when they breastfeed their babies well and are less likely to be obese during this period.
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Faster postpartum healing
When a baby is sucking the breast, the hormone ‘oxytocin’ is released and helps your uterus to contract, this reduces post-delivery blood to a large extent. Breastfeeding also helps your uterus to shrink to its normal size faster than if you don’t breastfeed.
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Reduced risk of cancer
While breastfeeding can reduce your baby’s risk of some childhood cancers, breastfeeding mothers also have a lesser chance of pre-menopausal breast cancer and ovarian cancer.
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Feeling of responsibility
While this is not the reality of many women, a lot of women have confessed to being more responsible and experience a heightened sense of confidence knowing that a life is dependent on your care and growing/thriving daily due to your breastmilk.
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Bespoke baby needs
One of the beauties of breastfeeding is the knowledge that at every point of your baby’s development is food that has been formulated to provide the essentials per time. “Colostrum” also known as Premilk, contains antibodies needed to strengthen your child’s immune system. Your breastmilk also contains high levels of protein and low levels of sugar.
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Better response to Vaccines
Research has shown that children who are well breastfed are more equipped with better antibody response to vaccines than formula-fed babies.
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Affordability
Even though this is an obvious factor, it is relieving to know that your child is getting the very best of breastmilk at no cost to you all, thanks to Mother Nature. Since it’s free, you don’t have to disburse funds on Formula, bottles of sterilizing equipment.
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Rest from Menstruation
Anyone who has ever experienced the constant pain/cramps due to menstruation will have no choice than to be grateful for the few months of menstrual vacation that childbirth and breastfeeding afford nursing mothers. The hormone prolactin which is released due to breastfeeding keeps progesterone and estrogen at the door so that there’s no ovulation. Even though this is for at least 6-12months, still a fair time to rest from pads and tampons.
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Smarter Baby
Breastmilk is important for your baby’s brain development. Many schools of thought believe that a child who is well breastfed will become way smarter than the child who wasn’t.
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Burning Fat
Breast milk has been said to contain 20 calories per ounce and if you feed your baby about 20 ounces in a day, you’ll have shed off 400 calories, Not too bad for reducing that baby fat right?
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Birth Control Alternative
Lactational Amenorrhea Method (LAM) is a short-term family planning method which works based on the natural effect of breastfeeding on fertility. This act of exclusive breastfeeding often suppresses the release of hormones that are necessary for ovulation – making it near impossible to conceive while you’re still breastfeeding your baby.
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Less Preparation Time
It’s easier to breastfeed a child than to formula-feed, the time used to prepare formula for a child would be enough for the child to have already started sucking breast milk. The breast is always ready at the right temperature and at the time the baby wants it. You also don’t have to wake up in the middle of the night to prepare your baby’s food when you can always grant him his wishes as soon as he wants it.
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Rest
One of the beautiful things with breastfeeding is your ability to sit down and put your feet down while relaxing and bonding with your precious little one.
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Healthier relationships for you
Breastfeeding makes it easier to relate with other moms, you can engage in conversations about nighttime feeding, parenting quirks and baby uniqueness. A lot of women can better deal with postpartum depression if they’re able to form positive relationshi
ps with other moms.
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Bonding between family
You are able to have moments of fun, laughter, beautiful memories you’ll share forever. With your baby’s responses and reactions to food and you, you can even make some videos you’ll cherish forever.
Do you have other benefits of breastfeeding you’ll like to share with others? Comment below!!!!!!!!!!! For breastfeeding mothers, EVERGREEN NATAL CARE is the recommended supplement for pregnant and nursing mothers. Evergreen Natal Care 30 Tablets – Carrot Top Drugs Limited (carrottop-ng.com)
