Why is Breastfeeding Important?
Breast milk is more than just your baby’s first meal and early nutritional source. Safe and healthy breastfeeding is critical for the immediate and long-term health of the mother and the baby. According to UNICEF, improved breastfeeding rates could save the lives of 87% of children under six months of age, while potentially preventing 20,000 maternal deaths from breast cancer. Let’s learn more about why breastfeeding is so important.
Benefits for Babies
To begin, breastfeeding provides essential nutrition tailored for your baby. Breast milk contains vital immune cells crucial for the baby’s underdeveloped immune system. In the first days, breast milk coats the digestive tract, providing immediate immune protection. The baby will continue to receive immune support throughout the first months and even years of life.
Because the mother’s milk has antibodies that help fight infections and diseases, breastfed babies have a lower risk of ear infections, stomach bugs, diarrhea, respiratory illnesses, and diabetes. It’s also easy for babies to digest and absorb, which makes it more effective. Breast milk is readily available, just at the right temperature. As your baby grows, breastmilk changes to adapt to their body’s requirements.
More than that, breastfeeding is linked to higher intelligence in children and adolescents across various income levels. Moreover, it also impacts the early emotional and psychological development of the child who feels loved and secure.
Benefits for Mothers
As mentioned above, breastfeeding also has several benefits for mothers. Research shows that it can help prevent postpartum hemorrhage, depression, ovarian and breast cancer, heart disease, and type 2 diabetes.
Breastfeeding may help mothers recover more quickly after childbirth as well. Breastfeeding even offers a brief window of natural contraception, but that is subject to several conditions.
Moreover, it saves time and money that you would otherwise spend on formula and bottle-feeding supplies. It also means that breastmilk is eco-friendly and 100% natural, the ideal nutrition for newborns today.
Breastfeeding support at The Birth Center of New Jersey
Breastfeeding is an integral natural mechanism that offers several physical, emotional, and psychological benefits for mothers and their babies. That said, it does not always come easy. At the Birth Center of New Jersey, we provide support for mothers facing difficulties during this time. Contact us today to learn more about common issues that hinder the process, and what we can do about it.