Importance of Breastfeeding for Your Baby
- Breastfeeding decreases infant death rates in the first year of life.
- Breastfed infants have much lower chances of dying from sudden infant death syndrome. Exclusive breastfeeding (only feeding mom’s milk) for the first six months decreases those chances to half the risk of formula fed babies.
- Breastfed babies have fewer infections, visit the doctor less often, are hospitalized less often and need fewer prescription medications.
- Breastfed babies have lower chances of developing childhood cancers like leukemia.
- Formula provides no disease protection
- Formula comes from dairy or soy sources that can lead to allergies and diabetes
- Breastfeeding protects against obesity
- Breastfeeding develops a strong bond between mother and baby
- Breastfeeding decreases stress hormones in your baby and helps your baby feel relaxed
- Babies who are breastfed have higher intelligence scores
- Mother’s milk contains everything your baby needs to grow and develop the healthiest body possible.
- Your milk changes as the baby grows to give baby the nutrition he needs! Since the nutrients come from a human source, it perfectly matches the baby’s digestion and is digested rapidly and easily.
Importance of Breastfeeding for Mothers
- Women who breastfeed have less breast and ovarian cancer, diabetes, osteoporosis, rheumatoid arthritis, and depression
- Women who breastfeed following a pregnancy have lower rates of disease in blood vessels. Those diseases increase risks of stroke and heart attack.
- Breastfeeding decreases stress hormones in you and helps you feel more relaxed
- Women who breastfeed after pregnancy have lower risk of death before age 65 than women who do not breastfeed after a pregnancy.