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breast feeding
Human milk and infant formula are different. Not only does human milk provide all the protein, sugar, fat, and vitamins your baby needs to be healthy, but it has special benefits that formulas cannot match. It helps protect your baby against certain diseases and infections. Because of the protective substances in human milk, breastfed children are less likely to have the following:
Ear infections (otitis media)
Allergies
Vomiting
Diarrhea
Pneumonia, wheezing, and bronchiolitis
Meningitis
Research also suggests that breastfeeding may help to protect against Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).
Other reasons why human milk is good for your child include the following:
It is easier for babies to digest.
It does not need to be prepared.
It costs nothing to make and is always in supply.
It is even good for the environment since there are no bottles, cans, and boxes to put in the garbage.
Breastfeeding also provides physical contact, warmth, and closeness, which help to create a special bond between a mother and her baby.
There are also many health benefits for you because breastfeeding does the following:
Burns more calories and helps you get back to your prepregnancy weight more quickly.
Reduces the risk of ovarian cancer and, in premenopausal women, breast cancer.
Builds bone strength to protect against bone fractures in older age.
Delays the return of your menstrual period, which may help extend the time between pregnancies. (Keep in mind that breastfeeding alone will not prevent pregnancy.)
Helps the uterus return to its regular size more quickly.
The longer you breastfeed, the greater the benefits will be to your baby and you, and the longer these benefits will last. The World Health Organization (WHO) and many other experts encourage women to breastfeed for as long as possible, 1 year or even longer, because human milk provides the best nutrition and protection against infections.
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08-17-2002 11:35 PM
