Benefits of Breastfeeding

Breast milk is the best start for babies

Every mother produces her own unique milk with composition of its nutrients and calories constantly adapting to meet their babies changing needs. It is important that each mum follows a healthy diet and drinks enough water and liquids. Here are some of the benefits of breast milk:

• Breast milk provides naturally developed, complete nutrition for the first 6 months of a baby’s life. It contains all the key nutrients, in just the right amount for optimal growth and development.
• Breast milk does not require sterilisation and has anti-infection properties.
• Breast milk is served at exactly the right temperature and once established needs very little preparation.
• Breast milk changes and evolves as your baby changes and evolves, so it will provide what your baby needs in the right quantity and quality.
• Breast milk is more than just food. Breastfeeding soothes your baby with the smell and taste of mum; skin to skin contact enhances the emotional bond between mum and baby, and provides warmth, love and affection.
• Because food flavours pass through breast milk, your baby will experience some of the flavours of the foods you eat. These flavours teach your baby about what the family eats, even before they have a chance to taste them directly.

Research has shown the following health benefits of breastfeeding

• Reducing the risk of developing health conditions such as obesity, type 1 and 2 diabetes, and some cancers.
• Reduced incidence and duration of diarrhoeal illness.
• There is some evidence breastfeeding protects against Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).
• Providing resistance to infections and is associated with less respiratory illness in first year of life.
• Possible protection against Necrotising Enterocolitis (NEC), enterocolitis, bacteraemia, meningitis, botulism and Urinary Tract Infection (UTI).
• Brain and visual development.

Breastfeeding benefits for baby:

The benefits of breastmilk as nature’s perfect food for your baby is countless, here are just a few reasons why breast milk is the best start for your baby:

• Breastmilk evolves as your baby’s nutritional needs change. For the first 3 to 4 days, your breasts produce a thick, yellow milk called colostrum, or first milk. It’s concentrated with antibodies and proteins to protect your baby’s newborn intestines and provide a type of natural immunisation.
• Breastmilk naturally has the perfect proportions of proteins, carbohydrates and fats to meet your baby’s energy needs.
• Provided mum has good sources of fat in her diet, the fat in breastmilk is rich in omega fatty acids, such as DHA, which helps support healthy brain and eye development.
• It provides plenty of fluid your baby requires to stay hydrated.
• The abundance of nutrients in breastmilk foster the healthiest environment for your baby’s digestive system.
• Unlike proteins found in regular cow’s milk and most formulas, the proteins in breastmilk are naturally gentle and easy to digest.
• Breastmilk contains antibodies and other components that help reduce the risk of infection such as ear infections and pneumonia.
• Breast milk contains unique prebiotics called Human MilkOligosaccharides which support baby’s immune system – their natural defence system.
• Healthy bacteria (bifidobacteria and lactobacilli)—called probiotics—in breastmilk supports your baby’s digestive system.

Being easily digested and absorbed is a huge benefit of breast milk:

Another benefit of breast milk is that it offers protection:

Breastfeeding benefits for mum:

A breastfeeding mother benefits in numerous ways too:

• Breastfeeding stimulates special hormones which helps the uterus contract and return to pre-pregnancy size, to cut down your recovery time.
• Producing breast milk burns off lots of kilojoules which helps mum return to pre-pregnancy weight more quickly.
• Breastfeeding assists with bonding with your baby, snuggling, cuddling and skin to skin contact releases feel good hormones which helps you get through those tough moments.
• Breastfeeding has a calming effect. It gives you a time to relax and rest. Put your feet up and escape the hustle and bustle of the day.
• Breastfeeding delays the return of fertility, but you should never rely on this as a form of protection against becoming pregnant.
• Breastfeeding reduces the risk of several types of cancer later in life such as premenopausal breast cancer and ovarian cancer.
• Breastfeeding has been associated with decreased risk of developing Type 2 diabetes, and osteoporosis.
• Breast milk is inexpensive, convenient and naturally made. Being readily available means it saves energy, time and money compared to bottle feeding. You only need your baby and your breast.

Breastfeeding places you on the same sleep cycles as your baby, helping you to cope with the baby waking during the night – provided you sleep when your baby sleeps that is!