25 Health Benefits of Breastfeeding for Mother and Baby

Protecting your children since they are new born is a must. Though, it is not an easy way to take care of the baby with a right and proper way. Yet, one thing you can do is to give the baby your breast milk. It is on of the first top thing you have to do for their first six months. Exclusive breastfeeding means that the baby only receives breast milk for their nutrients intake. Babies can get many impressive lists of health benefits from breastfeeding. Indeed, one of thebenefits is to ensure their early growth. It provides a big healthy potential both physically and mentally for babies. Not only the baby who can get the benefits of breastfeeding but mothers will also get many unexpectedly benefits from breastfeeding. Here are the health benefits of breastfeeding you should know.

Breastfeeding Advantages for Mother

Here are the health benefits of breastfeeding for mother:

1. Helps Mothers to Lose Weight

In many cases, mothers tend to get more weights after pregnancy. Moreover, by breastfeeding, it burns extra calories which help mothers may lose some weight. It makes you possible to keep your body fit and slim even after giving birth. In addition, having a practice at the gym may give you to get the best body.

2. Reduces the Risk of Breast Cancer

Breast cancer has been a big awareness for women. This cancer occurs when the cells grow without their normal control. Women have always to know the knowledge of this disease as women are 200 times the risk of developing this cancer.
Some studies show that mothers who breastfeeding may reduce their risk of breast cancer. Breastfeeding for six months gets mother’s body to reduce cancer risk by 10%. Breastfeeding provides the mother with long-term protection against cancer. As a result, breastfeeding help mothers to get a bigger prevention from cancer.

3. Reduces the Risk of Uterus Cancer

Many of you may not have known of this benefit. Thus, the next disease that breastfeeding can reduce is uterine cancer. Breastfeeding releases the hormone oxytocin, which helps the uterus return to its previous size. And it also reduces uterine bleeding after birth. Thus, it shows that breastfeeding can reduce the risk of this cancer.

4. Helps Mothers to Have More Relaxing Time

Mothers often get tired of taking caring their baby. Meanwhile, with breastfeeding, mothers do not have to prepare any other milk formula or any food for their baby. They do not need to clean and sterilize the milk bottle. They also do not need to warm up bottles while on the go. As breast milk always available to be given to the baby. Thus, it is always at the right temperature.

There is nothing easier than breastfeeding. Mothers can simply pull up the shirt and nursing while breastfeeding. Mothers can also do breastfeeding while they are watching television or while taking a nap. Then, there will be a fulfillment feeling and joy from breastfeeding while nursing. It is one of the important things from being parents. So that, mothers will have a good mental’s health by being a nursing mother.

5. Shows the Emotional Support and Bonding

Nowadays mothers tend to be a career woman instead of being a ‘full time’ mother. They choose a babysitter to take care of their baby. Nevertheless, there is something that you must know is, by taking care of your baby it helps you make bonding with your baby. By breastfeeding, mothers have more interaction to their babies. They have touching interaction from skin to skin. It builds a bigger connection between mother and the baby that could show an emotional support. It makes each other happy. And it will build a better mental health for moms and also for the baby. Moreover, A happy situation in family indicates the symptoms of living a healthy life.

6. Breastfeeding Saves Money

It is clear to see that breastfeeding costs less by not having to buy any milk formula and others feeding equipment. It helps a mother to save money. Every person must be happy if they can save their money for other’s needs. They do not need to think too often about buying some milk formula products. It may reduce stresses factor in life. Thus, it must be good for mother’s mental health.

7. Protects the Environment

A breastfeeding mother can act as environment protector. By breastfeeding, you do not need to use milk formula as your baby’s food. And it shows that you do not use any paper, cans, or plastic packaging. It decreases the packaging consumption that can affect the environment. If we save the environment, the environment will also save and protects our life. No more trash, no more floods. Less trash means more health, right?

8. Prevents Menstruation

By breastfeeding, it pauses ovulation and menstruation. It is actually nature’s way of ensuring there is time between pregnancies. It is a phenomenon as a birth control for the first few months after delivery. But you must remember that it is not a completely effective method of birth control. Since it pauses menstruation, you can use this phenomenon to enjoy the precious time with your newborn baby.

Breastfeeding Advantages for Baby

Here are the health benefits of breastfeeding for baby:

9. Lowers the Risk of Allergies

Babies get many risks of allergies in their first month of life since they have low immune systems. By breastfeeding, it prevents and lowers the risk of allergies. On the opposite, giving your baby milk formula will increase the risk allergies. Some babies show allergic to cow milk or even soy milk. And by using milk bottle, it increases bacteria movement from the bottle to baby’s mouth. So, the most right way to feed your baby is by giving the baby breastfeeding.

Related: Signs of Wheat Allergy

10. Prevents Infections

Breast milk contains antibodies that help your baby fight off viruses and bacteria. Research also shows that breastfeeding prevents the baby from getting infections such as middle ear infections, respiratory tract infections, colds infections, and gut infections. Babies could also get many others infections. Then, the best way that mother can do is to protect them by giving nutrients that help defense the infections with breastfeeding.

11. Breaks the Cycle of Diarrhea

As we have known, using bottles for the baby is not a completely hygienic way. There are bacteria on the top of the bottle’s mouth. It can be transferred to your baby’s mouth. And it may cause diarrhea. The other reason why you should breastfeeding your baby is because not all the babies can accept the milk formula rather than breast milk. Many of them get diarrhea after drinking it. Diarrhea can be a fatal disease for the babies. In some cases, babies with diarrhea may also have a serious fever. And it makes many baby’s death caused by this disease. As the parent, a mother has to prevent diarrhea by giving the baby best food. And as this article discussed, breastfeeding might be the best way.

12. Supports the Development of Baby’s Mouth muscle

The benefit that babies can get from breastfeeding is getting the better development of their mouth muscle. As the baby pumps the breast milk, the mouth muscle is having a great movement. The movement of baby’s mouth while breastfeeding helps the muscle works well. Moreover, it also helps the baby to learn how to swallow food in childhood later.

13. Builds a Good Immune System

The fact that you should know is that mother’s immune system can be transferred from the breast milk to the baby. The breast milk itself also act as an immune system builder. The immune factor is a substance called secretory immunoglobulin A (IgA) that is present in large amounts in colostrum, the first milk your body produces for your baby. It acts as well as several other antibodies. It guards against invading germs in baby’s intestines, nose, and throat. Though the baby has a low immune system, the function of breast milk can replace and increase the immune system. Consequently, it builds a better immune system for the baby to against many other infections and diseases.

14. Satisfies Baby’s Emotional Needs

Babies need much care from their mother. They need such comforting feeling and cuddling. In other cases, babies tend to cry if they do not get enough attention from their parents. By breastfeeding, it helps babies feels an emotional feeling that makes them comfortable. Ensuring the babies that they get enough attention is one of the ways to make sure that their mental condition is good. Thus, in this case, it would be good for breastfeeding and cuddling to make your baby happy and feel the love they must be received.

15. Full Time Save

This statement will be linked to the previous statement which is already described above. If your baby often cries, it means there is something wrong there. It might cause by the food or the attention you give to your baby. Therefore, you have to find a way to watch your baby every single time to watch their growth. While breastfeeding, you can make sure that your baby is safe. You can also find if there is something wrong with the baby. The point is, while breastfeeding, you can give your full attention to your baby to prevent any accident from happening.

16. Reduces the Risk of Obesity

Some people may think that giving milk formula can make their baby healthier and gain more weight. However, it is not right to see the health itself by seeing that your baby gains more or less weight. There are many health factors can be used to evaluate baby’s health. Breastfeeding helps your baby gain healthy weight and prevents childhood obesity. This may cause the development of different gut bacteria. Babies who get breast milk have higher amounts of beneficial gut bacteria which affect fat storage. Recent studies show that breastfed babies have lower obesity rates by 15%-30% compared to formula-fed babies. It is scientifically proven that breastfeeding reduces the risk of the obesity.

Related: Risks of Obesity

17. Reduces the Risk of Diabetes

Breastfeeding is considered to reduce the risk of diabetes. Diabetes has been a nightmare for people in the world. People have to manage their sugar consumption in their food to prevent diabetes. It is not an easy way to cure this disease. It takes times and costs for not a little money. However, you can start to prevent the risk earlier to your baby by breastfeeding. Research shows that breastfed baby may reduce the risk of type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes. If we can do it earlier, why we should postpone?

18. Reduces Risk of Asthma

One of the great benefits of breastfeeding is not only to reduce the risk of diabetes and obesity, breastfeeding can also reduce the risk of asthma. It shows that giving your baby exclusive breast milk for at least 3–4 months is linked with a 27–42% reduced risk of asthma.

Related: Symptoms of Asthma

19. Gets the Chance of Higher IQ

Every parent wishes the best things for their children. They want their children to become an intelligent and a good person. Parents usually give their children more vitamins to support their intelligence by feeding their children with good foods. For the baby, you just have to breastfeed them. It shows that breastfeeding has been linked to higher IQ scores in later childhood. Studies indicate that breastfed babies have higher intelligence scores and higher capability in learning as they grow older. So, if you want your babies to have higher IQ and high potency for their life, start breastfeeding them since they are a baby. That’s one of the effective ways.

20. Have a Longer Life

Research indicates that breastfed children have a 20 percent lower risk of dying between the ages of 28 days and 1 year than children who were not breastfed. This may give you an unexpected fact from the benefits of breastfeeding. But, one thing you should know that our body has their own function. And by breastfeeding, it gives your baby it’s best functions as it should be.

21. Most Effective Vaccines

Milk formula mostly does not have any antibodies. It only contains anti-microbe immunoglobulin. Studies show that breastfed babies have a better antibody response to vaccines than formula-fed babies.

22. Breast Milk Contains Colostrum

In another hand, milk formula also does not contain colostrum. What is colostrum? Colostrum is the white-yellowish breast milk that comes in earlier after you deliver a baby. It contains antibodies to protect the newborn baby. Colostrum contains higher protein and lower in sugar than ‘full’ milk and loaded with beneficial compounds. If you think that milk formula can replace the benefits of breast milk, now you have already known it. It is not completely right. And it shows that milk formula does not have precise nutrients that your baby needs. So, it is the best way to give your babies breast milk rather than giving them milk formula.

23. A Natural Food Supply

Breastfeeding is the only one naturally nutrition food source for your baby. It is fresh, organic and contains many nutrients that can help baby’s growth. Just give your breast milk to the baby and no other solid foods. It will provide the ideal nutrition for the baby that has a perfect mix of vitamins, proteins, and fat. It is a natural form that more easily digested than the milk formula. Everyone must be agreed for something that comes naturally, right?

24. Lowers the Risk of Breast Cancer

Breast cancer has been one of the people’s fears especially women. Research shows that people with breast cancer have been increased year by year. Breast cancer has known as a really hard disease to cure. Thus, women who have more potential to have breast cancer must find a way to prevent it. Here, we show you what action that we should do to prevent it.

Studies indicate that breastfed children have lower rates of breast cancer when they reach adulthood. They have 25% lower risk of developing breast cancer. On the opposite, formula-fed babies have higher rates of both premenopausal and postmenopausal breast cancer. From this fact, we have known that breastfeeding is one of the ways to prevents both mother and child to have breast cancer. It is always being a good thing if we can preventing first rather than curing after.

Related: Probiotics While Breastfeeding

25. Provides Good Nutrients

All facts that are already described above show one important thing. Breastfeeding has many benefits to the baby is because the breast milk itself contains many nutrients. Babies need precise nutrients for their growth. And the only one result to give the best nutrients is by breastfeeding. The nutrients also act as a protector and give benefits to your baby. There is no more food that can replace the nutrients of breast milk. Thus, try to give your baby the needs that they need.

There might be several ways to support your children’s growth yet there’s health benefits of breastfeeding. Even though some mothers choose milk formula to replace breast milk. Still, with all the benefits above, it is the best way to breastfeeding your child since they are a baby. It is not only to have best nutrients, gain ideal weight, or prevent diseases, but also to build a perfect bonding between mother and the baby. There is a no more important thing that your baby needs, except how is the way you take care of them.