The benefits of breastfeeding

During your pregnancy, you may be wondering “what’s the best way to feed my baby?” Although breastfeeding may not be a choice for everyone, it does have many benefits for both babies and mothers, during breastfeeding and later down the line.

Breastfeeding is recommended for the first 6 months of your baby’s life, but any amount of breastmilk is beneficial for yourself and your baby. Plus, the longer you breastfeed, the longer you will both be protected and receive these benefits.

Benefits of breastfeeding for your baby

First of all, let’s take a look at how breastfeeding can help your newborn, now and in the future too.

Nutritional values of breast milk

Your breast milk contains all the nutrients your baby needs to grow and develop happy and healthily, like sugar and water. In more detail, breast milk includes:

• Lactose which is a carbohydrate; this supports a healthy balance of bacteria in your baby’s stomach.
• Proteins and white blood cells that protect your baby from infections.
• Different fats that aid the development of your baby’s brain and nervous system.
• Different vitamins that support your baby’s growth.

All of these nutrients are balanced in a way that helps your baby. In fact, over time, this composition changes as your baby gets older to ensure their nutritional needs are met at all times. It is easy for their tummy and intestines to digest, plus it contains natural substances that soothe them.

Protection against infections & diseases

As mentioned above, breastfeeding may help fight against a number of infections and diseases. Some examples from the NHS include:

• Diarrhoea and vomiting
• Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)
• Obesity
• Cardiovascular diseases in adulthood

Promotes a healthy weight

Another example of a disease that breastfeeding helps prevent is childhood obesity. Due to the lactose in breast milk and how it supports a healthy balance of bacteria in your baby’s stomach, it can consequently affect fat storage.

As well as this, there is leptin found in breast milk which is a hormone that helps regulate appetite and fat storage. The convenience of breast milk helps babies self-regulate their milk intake so, by eating when they’re hungry and stopping when they’re satisfied, they are developing healthy eating habits early on in life that prevent obesity.

Benefits of breastfeeding for mothers

Here’s how breastfeeding can also benefit mothers, from convenience to health advantages.

Convenience & cost-effectiveness

The convenience of breastfeeding is beneficial for mothers too! You don’t have to worry about bringing along formula or bottles when you head out during the day because your milk will always be available.

Another benefit is that breastfeeding is more cost-effective than formula feeding in the long run. The amount a baby feeds depends on each individual baby, but stocking up on formula can become expensive.

Many different health benefits

Breastfeeding also has many health benefits for mothers. As well as lowering the risk of postpartum depression, breastfeeding lowers the risk of:

• Breast cancer
• Ovarian cancer
• Endometrial cancer
• Thyroid cancer
• Osteoporosis
• Obesity
• Type 2 diabetes
• Cardiovascular diseases
• High blood pressure
• High cholesterol

As a more short-term benefit, breastfeeding can actually help with a quicker recovery from childbirth too. During breastfeeding, the hormone oxytocin is produced which helps speed up the involution process of your uterus. After expanding during pregnancy, this process helps it return to its previous size and reduces blood loss after delivery.

Benefits of breastfeeding for both baby & mother

We’ve seen how breastfeeding can benefit both mother and baby separately, but here’s how it can benefit both at the same time.

Builds trust & a strong bond

The physical act of breastfeeding helps to build the emotional and physical connection between mother and baby. It establishes trust between you both by giving mother’s the ability to read their baby’s cues and encouraging babies to trust their caregivers.

By developing this connection early on in their lives, it can shape their early behaviour and also reduce any social or behavioural problems in the future.

Problems with breastfeeding

Of course, we understand that not every mother will be able or keen to breastfeed. Whether its low milk supply, certain medical conditions, your work schedule or other constraints, it sometimes isn’t possible for new mothers to breastfeed. There are still benefits to formula feeding too and your baby will still be able to get all the nutrients they need.

Some mothers choose not to breastfeed, but bottle feed their baby with their own milk to bring all the benefits. In this case, they also need to use a breast pump and breastfeeding materials.

At Milton, we are here to support you with your choice of breastfeeding or formula feeding journey. Our sterilising products are suitable for sterilising breastfeeding equipment, bottles and other baby accessories so you can guarantee that your baby always stays protected against harmful germs.

Shop the Milton range at Woolworths, Coles, Chemist Warehouse, BIG W, Baby Bunting, IGA and other major supermarkets.