Every woman's journey to motherhood is different, but one of the first decisions a new mom makes is how to feed her child.
When you choose to breastfeed, you make an investment in your baby's future. Breastfeeding allows you to make the food that is perfect for your baby. Your milk gives your baby the healthy start that will last a lifetime.
Breastfeeding also:
- Protects your baby
- Benefits your health
- May make your life easier
- Benefits society
What health benefits does breastfeeding give my baby?
The cells, hormones, and antibodies in breastmilk protect babies from illness. This protection is unique and changes to meet your baby's needs.
Research suggests that breastfed babies have lower risks of:
- Asthma
- Childhood leukemia
- Childhood obesity
- Ear infections
- Eczema (atopic dermatitis)
- Diarrhea and vomiting
- Lower respiratory infections
- Necrotizing (neck-roh-TEYE-zing) enterocolitis (en-TUR-oh-coh-lyt-iss), a disease that affects the gastrointestinal tract in pre-term infants
- Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)
- Type 2 diabetes
Besides giving your baby nourishment and helping to keep your baby from becoming sick, breastfeeding may help you lose weight. Many women who breastfed their babies said it helped them get back to their pre-pregnancy weight more quickly, but experts are still looking at the effects of breastfeeding on weight loss.
