Breastfeed: How It Benefits Both The Mother As Well As The Baby
Breastfeeding is the most potent and natural source of nutrients to the baby at the same time beneficial to the feeding mothers as well. This article explains the importance of breastfeeding to mother and baby. It is an undisputed fact that the mother’s milk is a complete diet for the baby during the initial days of his/her childhood.
Many scientific studies and health institutions like World Health Organization, UNICEF, American Academy of Paediatrics and other national and international bodies have strongly advocated for the breastfeeding at least for the first six months of the baby’s childhood. A semi-solid food can be introduced after the first six months in addition to the breastfeeding.
Related: When to Introduce Solids and Semi Solids Food to Baby
Why Breastfeed Is Important To Your Baby?
The mother’s milk is the first, primary and the most potent diet for the baby at least for the first six months while others advocate for at least for the first one complete year. The breastfeed contains all the nutrients like protein, vitamins, minerals and fat- all the necessary things, a baby’s body needs to grow in terms of both the physical as well as mental health. The breastfeed contains the necessary DHA which is very important for your baby to grow rich in cognitive skills.
Related: Role of DHA in Baby’s Brain Development and Cognitive Health
The breastfeed is the lightest and the most nutritional food which you can offer to your baby which is easily digested by the child. The breastfeed protects your baby from the Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) which is a fatal one for the baby in his/her first few months of life. Another dangerous thing, the diarrhoea is also avoided if your baby is offered to breastfeed. Additionally, when breastfed, your child feels secure and protected which enhances a physical as well as an emotional bond between you and your baby. Besides, in comparison to the formula milk, the babies if breastfed exclusively have optimum & healthy weight.
Why Breastfeeding Is Beneficial To Mothers?
After, childbirth, the mothers have a common health issue, the weight and how to reduce or manage the same. The breastfeed helps you to burn extra calories which further helps you to reduce your weight which you caught up with during your pregnancy. Various scientific studies have concluded that breastfeeding lowers the chances of breast and ovarian cancers in mothers. The breastfeeding helps your child to connect you physically as well as emotionally which is a nature’s blessing to your motherhood.
It has been found that breastfeeding mothers have lesser chances of postpartum depression than the ones who don’t breastfeed their babies. So, breastfeeding is essential and beneficial for both the baby as well as the mother. The heart disease and diabetes type 2 are among the serious health problems which the breastfeeding keeps at bay. So overall, the breastfeed protects the mothers from serious health issues and is beneficial to them in all terms.
Many mothers face some issues while breastfeeding. One such issue is less feed production or less milk production, a concern for the health of the mother and her baby at the same time. There are various natural or home remedies to increase the quantity of breastfeed/mother’s milk. We have also written a guide for the benefit of those mothers who are facing this issue.
Related: A Guide on Herbs to Increase Breast Milk Supply
References:
American Academy of Pediatrics. (2012). Breastfeeding and the use of human milk. Pediatrics, 129(3), e827–e841. Retrieved April 27, 2012, from http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/129/3/e827.full.pdf+html
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2018). About Breastfeeding: Breastfeeding is an Investment in Health, Not Just a Lifestyle Decision. [online] Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/breastfeeding/about-breastfeeding/why-it-matters.html
UNICEF. Led by UNICEF and WHO, the Global Breastfeeding Collective is a partnership of 20 international agencies with the goal of increasing investment in breastfeeding worldwide.. [online] Available at: https://www.unicef.org/nutrition/index_98470.html
Who.int. WHO | Infant and young child feeding list of publications. [online] Available at: http://www.who.int/nutrition/publications/infantfeeding/en/
Who.int. WHO | Nutrition. [online] Available at: http://www.who.int/maternal_child_adolescent/topics/child/nutrition/en/
World Health Organization. Early childhood development begins with a mother’s breast. [online] Available at: http://www.who.int/mediacentre/commentaries/2016/childhood-development-breastfeeding/en/