Benefits to breast feeding

Breastfeeding has long-term benefits for your baby, lasting right into adulthood. Any amount of breast milk has a positive effect. The longer you breastfee the longer the protection lasts and the greater the benefits.

Acta Paediatrica special issue on breastfeeding : Finds that the health benefits of breastfeeding are substantial, lasting well beyond the period of breastfeeding and affecting high- and low-income populations alike. Shows that the Baby Friendly Initiative is highly effective in improving breastfeeding rates. In the short term, breastfeeding can prevent ovulation, so you may be free of periods for a while, too.

What are the benefits of breastfeeding ? Find out more about breastfeeding and how to seek support if you need it. This is particularly true of exclusive breastfeeding, meaning that the infant receives only breast milk. Research shows that breastfeeding offers many health benefits for infants and mothers, as well as potential economic and environmental benefits for communities.

Ask your midwife or health visitor for help. They can also tell you about other breastfeeding support available near you. Search online for breastfeeding support in your area. It reduces risks of breast and ovarian cancer, type II diabetes, and postpartum depression.

Benefits of breastfeeding Your breastmilk is the only food specifically designed for your baby.

As well as having all the nutrients your baby needs to grow and develop, human milk has very special ingredients such as antibodies, hormones and stem cells to help protect your baby now and in the future. Most health professionals are familiar with the benefits of breastfeeding. Unicef UK’s Baby Friendly Initiative has made a real difference in giving our staff the skills and confidence to change the conversation about breastfeeding and early relationship building with parents… Together we can ensure that every single mother and baby receives the very best possible care, at a point in their lives where the. But it also can be difficult to manage breastfeeding in today’s hurried world. Learning all you can before you give birth can help.

The decision to breastfeed is a personal one. As a new mom, you deserve support no matter how you decide to feed your baby. Deaths of an estimated 820children under the age of five could be prevented globally every year with increased breastfeeding. Our expert explains how and why it gives your newborn everything she needs to thrive for the first six months of her life. Mothers who breastfeed may miss less work to care for sick infants than mothers who feed their infants formula.

Employer medical costs may also be lower. Formula cans and bottle supplies create more trash and plastic waste. The hormone oxytocin, released during breastfeeding , acts to return the uterus to its regular size more quickly and can reduce postpartum bleeding. Clinicians know that breast feeding is crucial to infant health in developing countries, but they may be less aware of the potential longer term health benefits for mothers and babies in developed countries, particularly in relation to obesity, blood pressure, cholesterol, and cancer.

Women who have breastfed are less likely to develop ovarian and pre-menopausal breast cancers. The more months a woman has spent breastfeeding , the greater the benefi-cial effect. As you approach the end of your pregnancy, your body is preparing to breastfeed.

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website.

Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are as essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. It explains the benefits of breastfeeding and where to go for support and further information. Exclusive breastfeeding is the best way to feed a baby from birth until months of age.

The evidence is conclusive: breast milk is the best nutrition you can offer your newborn. It is specially designed to cater for all your child’s nutritional needs in the first six months of life. Breast is best: advantages of breastfeeding.

Giving your baby breast milk really will be giving him the best possible start in life and breastfeeding has many benefits for you too.