Benefits of Breastfeeding For Baby And Mom

You are well aware that the best first food for babies is breast milk and there are many benefits to breastfeeding including baby and mom. Let us quickly recall the benefits of breastfeeding here.

Benefits for Baby

Complete form of Nutrition - Lots of studies have proved that breast milk has complete form of nutrition for infants and it contains at least 100 ingredients not found in formula. Another thing you don't need to worry is almost non of the babies are allergic to their mother's milk.

Activities of Sucking - Your baby has a better activity of sucking. The daily activities of sucking at the breast enhances your baby's development of oral muscles, facial bones and aids in optimal dental development. It is harder to get milk out of a breast than bottle. Sucking is definitely a good exercise for baby to strengthen the jaws and encourage the growth of healthy teeth.

Immune System - It also helps to mature baby's own immune system, protecting the baby from bacteria and parasitic infections. It increases the protection against polio and diphtheria vaccines. The most important is breastfeeding decreases the risk of childhood cancer.

Sense of Security - When you breastfed your baby, you have to hug him/her close to you. Baby enjoys a sense of security from the warmth and presence of the mother when breastfeeding. Compare to bottle-feed, the nursing baby tends to have more human contact during feeding and it's a source of warmth and comfort.

Psychological Benefits - Infants can only see 12 to 15 inches when at birth and this create an early attachment between mother and baby when breastfeeding. Baby can see the mother's face when breastfeeding because the distance of nursing baby and the mother's face is about 12 to 15 inches.

Boost your child's Intelligence - Studies have found that the fatty acids in breast milk play the biggest role in a baby's brain development. There is connection between breastfeeding and higher IQs. Babies breastfed for longer time tend to have more advantages.

Benefits For Mom

Risk of Cancers - Studies have found that breastfeeding lowers the risk of breast and ovarian cancers and the longer they breastfeed, the more they're protected.

Bone Density - Breastfeeding also improve the mother's bone density in the long run and reduce the risk of hip fractures in old age.

Psychological Benefits - A breastfeeding mother has more self-confidence and stronger sense of connection with the baby.

Save Time and Money - It is economical because you don't have to buy the formula and there are no bottles to warm in the middle of the night.

Get rest - When the baby is hungry, the nursing mother must sit down and relax to nurse. By this time, she is forced to get needed rest.

Of course, there are more detail studies about the benefits of breastfeeding compare to infant formula. However, under some circumstances it is not advisable to breastfeed. When a mother has an serious illness such as hepatitis or HIV, the virus might be transmitted through breast milk and in this case, the mother should not breast feed.

The American Academy of Pediatrics says that the ideal option is breastfeeding exclusively for the first six months. Some mothers find that they are not able to do this, and I find that it is quite difficult for me too. I was only able to breast feed my Baby Moon for one month and breastfeeding really need the patience and will power especially for a working mom.