What Every Woman Should Know About Breastfeeding
There are so many reasons to breastfeed. The joyful closeness and bonding with your baby, your breastmilk can help your baby as their immune system develops, the cost savings, and health benefits for mother and baby are just some reasons.
The American Academy of Pediatrics, WHO, and UNICEF recommend that infants be exclusively breastfed or chestfed for about the first 6 months months of life.
Breastfeeding takes patience and practice. For some women, learning to breastfeed can be frustrating and uncomfortable. It may also seem more difficult, especially if your baby was born early or you have certain health problems. The good news is that it can get easier, and support for breastfeeding mothers is available.
Research shows that breastfeeding provides many health benefits for you and your baby. 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 and it’s up to the families to lead that decision. As a new mom, you deserve support no matter how you decide to feed your baby. Elite Women’s Health is committed to providing you with the resources you need.
10 Reasons To Breastfeed
Breast is best. Human milk is nutritionally complete. All your baby needs to grow and develop is breastmilk for the first six months of life.
Reductions in the amount of illnesses such as diarrhea, ear infections, breathing problems, blood poisoning, food poisoning, allergies, urinary infections, and meningitis can occur because your milk contains substances designed to protect your baby.
Exclusively breastfeeding your baby for at least 2 months can decrease the risk of your baby developing Type I diabetes and childhood obesity. Also, women who had gestational diabetes can slow the development of type 2 diabetes in themselves by breastfeeding.
And, your milk has substances not found in formula that improve your baby’s IQ, vision, and digestion.
Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) does not happen as often when you breastfeed as it does when babies are formula fed.
Too many cows are producing waste (47lbs./cow/day)! Formula is made from cow’s milk. Breastfeeding produces no waste and is kind to our environment. It also saves families the high cost of formula, bottles, nipples, etc.
For women who work and continue to breastfeed, less time off from work to care for sick babies is an important benefit for her employer. Breast pumping should be encouraged by your employer by allowing you time to do so.
Even chronic stomach problems like ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease can be decreased when you breastfeed.
Especially premature babies benefit from human milk because they absorb it better than formula and it has the special nutrients a premature baby needs to grow and develop.
Devastating diseases such as breast and ovarian cancer and bone mass loss after the change of life can be reduced when you breastfeed.
Do You Have Questions About Breastfeeding?
Breastfeeding can be challenging at times, especially in the early days. Rest assured that your Elite Women’s Health provider is here to help!
Elite Women’s Health has two convenient locations in Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania to serve the Fredericskburg, Spotslyvania, and Stafford communities. We now also offer convenient telemedicine appointments for existing patients for certain types of visits.