Breastfeeding is one of those topics that fuels mommy wars.
Mothers who decide to breastfeed can’t comprehend why there are mothers who decide not to breastfeed.
Mothers who don’t breastfeed don’t understand what the big fuss about breastfeeding your baby is all about.
And while it’s up to you to decide on which side of this elephant in the room you stand on, I’m here to share what I know about breastfeeding from the research and from my experience.
I wish I could be impartial and provide you with research studies that presented the downside of breastfeeding. But I haven’t found any. (Not that I think any exist).
On the contrary, the value and benefits of breastfeeding are such, that usually, pediatricians, the American Academy of Pediatrics Association (AAP,) breastfeeding consultants and the World Health Organization (WHO) are in agreement that babies should be breastfed for 1 year to 3 years or more. Many people are under the impression that 6 months is what you should aim to breastfeed for, but if you read the fine print carefully, you’ll at least 6 months of EXCLUSIVE breastfeed is suggested, but that it is also recommended that you continue to breastfeed even after you start introducing solids.
My decision to breastfeed was a very natural and easy one. In my mind, mothers breastfed. That’s what they do.
Even though I myself wasn’t breastfed and I don’t remember seeing my mother breastfeed my younger sister and my younger brother because she would do it behind closed doors in her bedroom… I decided to breastfeed. I knew it was important to my baby and I.
Since I had no role models to look up to, I started to do my own research and get comfortable with the idea I would be breastfeeding. And I was pretty excited.
When I was pregnant, I went to my first breastfeeding support group.
It was funny being there without a baby. And it was funnier that I was there before anybody could tell that I was pregnant. And you know what my recurring though was for most of that session? “I don’t want to see any boobs.” Although truth be told, I did see some breastfeeding mom’s boobs there and at other mothering courses I attended.
Despite that, I was determined to breastfeed.
So, What Are The 10 Reasons You Should Breastfeed That Speak For Themselves?
As you read these reasons, please keep in mind that even though some of these reasons are simple… they are extremely powerful. And their effects can be lifelong.
- Because babies were designed to breastfeed.
2. Moms were designed to nurse.
3. It’s the simplest way to feed your baby.
4. It’s the safest way to feed your baby in part because no manmade materials are going into your baby and the number of times they’re exposed to germs other than those on your body is greatly reduced.
5. Breastfed babies are healthier.
6. Babies feel and are closer to you, which feels familiar to them because they were in the womb for about 40 weeks.
7. Being breastfed makes your babies feel loved. Holding them gives you the opportunity to love them, know them, cherish them and bond with them.
8. It makes your babies feel safe. What better place to be but in your arms?
9. Breastfeeding allows babies to start from a place of thriving instead of merely surviving without your nourishment. It gives them the best start.
10. Breastfed babies are smarter for two reasons.
- a) They have better brain development and as a result,
- b) They tend to have higher IQs
But as Bugs Bunny would say, “that’s not all folks.”
The list for babies is longer than this. We’ll be getting into more specific and scientific benefits in the upcoming weeks.
In the meantime know that just like in real life, when you give whole-heartedly, it’s not surprising that you receive benefits as well.
That’s precisely the case.
As a mom, you get a few perks for breastfeeding (other than having the blessing of holding your baby in your arms). Crazy, right?
Breastfeeding Gives You Better Health Since You Have:
- Less postpartum bleeding
- Less probability of postpartum depression
- Less probability of breast cancer
- Less probability of ovarian cancer
- Less probability of uterine cancer
- Less risk for type two diabetes
- You can lose the baby weight sooner
- Your uterus can return to its regular size faster
- More iron in your body thanks to the delay of your menstrual cycle
- And contrary to what you may think (since you’re producing so much milk, and we all know that milk contains calcium) you have stronger bones, which will help you prevent fractures when you’re a senior citizen. That’s wild!
Teaches You How To Be a Mom
Hormones released during breastfeeding lead you to have motherly behaviors in you even if you’re a first-time mom.
Breastfeeding Saves Time because when the baby is hungry you simply feed them.
You Save Money
On average, you can save $1,000 in just the first year of life by breastfeeding since you don’t need to buy bottles or nipples (unless you want to ) or formula.
Have Less Health Scares and miss less days of work because your baby is healthier thanks to breastfeeding.
Breastmilk is THE PERFECT baby food that’s readily accessible, but at the same time is SOOO precious.
- It’s clean
- It’s germ-free
- Has the perfect temperature— not too hod, not too cold but just right, as Goldilocks would say
- It’s easily digestible
- It’s “packed” and available wherever you are
- It allows vaccines to work better
- It has more than 200 nutrients
- it has all the nutrients, calories and fluids your baby needs for optimal health
- It helps your baby’s organs develop in the best way possible
As you can see, it’s pretty amazing stuff that makes your baby’s health, your health and your interactions with your baby THAT much better.
As you can see, the decision to breastfeed is one of THE most important decisions you will ever make for your baby.
Breastfeeding give your little one the best possible start.
When seen that way, the choice to breastfeed is really easy.
