The benefits of breastfeeding have been much discussed, but you probably don’t know these jaw-dropping facts about breast milk.
If you are planning to breastfeed your new baby, then you are probably looking for information beforehand regarding its benefits. But, different moms have different perspectives on this. it is your choice to make if you want to breastfeed or not.
We know that nothing can quite compare to breastmilk when it comes to your baby’s nutrition. We know that breastfeeding leads to smarter babies and has relevance with lower incidences of childhood obesity. But, breastmilk has so many other benefits.
Breastmilk and breastfeeding are natural ways to nurse your baby. It helps your baby to build its immune system and induce perfect nutrition.
As the baby gains with breastfeeding, you as a mom will also benefit from it. Breastfeeding could lower the risks of health complications such as breast and ovarian cancer, and even cardiovascular disease.
Here’s one cool thing about breast milk that you might not have known: according to an article in The Stranger, “The nutritional and immunological components of breast milk change every day, according to the specific, individual needs of a baby.”
Photo: Fotolia
Yes, a breastfeeding mother’s body actually alters the milk’s composition so that it can cater to the baby’s needs. If that’s not blowing your mind right now, nothing will.
According to biologist Katie Hinde, a nursing baby creates a vacuum with its suckling. That is why the mother’s nipple. The receptors in the mammary glands then translate the information from the “baby spit backwash”, which it then uses to adjust the breast milk’s immunological composition.
“The antibody content in the mother’s milk contributes in the immediate but also to the long term protection of the infant”
So, if your baby is sick, your body picks up on this as they nurses. Also, your body will cater to it accordingly through your milk. This explains why breastfed babies don’t get sick as much as their formula-fed counterparts—their mother’s body is acting, as Mom.me puts it, like an “undercover doctor/pharmacist”.
A study from the Department of Clinical Immunology at the University of Göteborg, Switzerland reads:
Studies regarding breast feeding show decrease in risks of morbidity in gastroenteritis, septicemia, otitis media, and urinary tract infection. Additionally, breastfeeding prevents health conditions like encephalitis, pneumonia, and necrotizing enterocolitis.
The antibody content in the mother’s milk probably contributes not only to the immediate but also to the long term infant protection. This also includes both resistance to infection and development of immunological tolerance to harmless environmental antigens.
How awesome is that?
Benefits of breastfeeding
Breastmilk and breastfeeding are a source of optimized nutrition that your newborn or even 2-year-old child will need. Also, breastmilk is easy to digest and readily available.
The World Health Organization (WHO) even suggests that breastfeeding should start as early as one hour after birth. This is because you can maximize its biggest benefits starting this period.
Learning the benefits of breastfeeding before a baby’s birth may help you decide if it best suits your family’s needs.
In general here are some benefits of breastfeeding:
- Your breastmilk is specifically designed for your baby
- Breastfeeding shields your baby from illness and infections.
- Also, breastfeeding provides health benefits for moms.
- Breastmilk will always be able for your baby when they need to feed, or during cluster feeding.
- The way of breastfeeding promotes a strong emotional link between you and your baby.
Meanwhile, formula milk may not be able to have the same protection from different illnesses and does not provide any health benefits.
Benefits of breastfeeding for baby
Breastfeeding benefits for your baby can last longer until their adulthood. The longer you breastfeed, the longer and better your baby can benefit from it.
To enumerate, these are the risks that benefits of breastfeeding for a baby can reduce:
Giving your baby nothing but breastmilk is advisable for the first 6 months of your baby’s life. After that, they may start with solid food alongside breastfeeding.
Astonishingly, your breastmilk adapts to the changes in your baby’s needs.
Image from Shutterstock
What are the benefits of breastfeeding to an infant’s health
The following are the benefits of breastfeeding for your infant’s health:
- Breastfeeding gives ideal nutrition
- breast milk contains important antibodies
- breastfed babies can fight disease risks
- breastfeeding develops the baby’s healthy weight
- Breast milk may make your baby smarter
Breastfeeding benefits to mothers
For moms who breastfeed their babies, you can also receive benefits from breastfeeding. It lowers the risks of different ailments and diseases, like the following:
- Breast cancer
- ovarian cancer
- endometrial cancer
- thyroid cancer
- postpartum depression
- osteoporosis
- cardiovascular diseases like high blood pressure and high cholesterol
- Type II diabetes
Additionally, these are the breastfeeding benefits for moms:
- In some cases, breastfeeding dramatically helps in faster weight loss after birth.
- Breastfeeding is less hassle because you may not worry about preparing bottles or mixing formula.
- Mothers who breastfeed learn their baby’s cues.
- It is expensive.
Ask your doctor for further information about the benefits of breastfeeding, or when to breastfeed or not.
Additional information by Nathanielle Torre
Here at theAsianparent Philippines, it’s important for us to give information that is correct, significant, and timely. But this doesn’t serve as an alternative for medical advise or medical treatment. theAsianparent Philippines is not responsible to those that would choose to drink medicines based on information from our website. If you have any doubts, we recommend to consult your doctor for clearer information.
