Did you know that there are so many great benefits to breastfeeding your baby? Breast milk provides a baby with ideal nutrition and supports growth and development. Breastfeeding can also help protect baby and mom against certain illnesses and diseases. We’ve put together 10 great benefits below of breastfeeding for Baby and Mum and some of the fears and solutions surrounding breastfeeding.
Here are the 5 main benefits of Breast milk for baby:
- It has the ideal mix of vitamins and minerals, proteins and fats required for healthy development and growth!
- It contains antibodies to help protect him/her from illnesses and allergies!
- It is easier to digest!
- Higher IQ – yes that’s right - breastfeeding has been linked to higher IQ scores!
- Helps create a stronger bond and sense of security through skin-skin physical contact!
Here are the 5 main benefits of Breastfeeding for Mum:
- Burns extra calories!
- Releases the ‘feel good hormone’ Oxytocin!
- Oxytocin also enables the uterus to contract quicker!
- The convenience! No bottles to prep!
- Lowers risk of ovarian cancer!
What are the 3 major fears surrounding breastfeeding and their solutions:
- Separation anxiety/ dependence on Mum.
Your baby can be trained to be more independent if you express your breastmilk and get Dad or other members of the family to feed your baby (there are many expressing gadgets on the market)
- “Will it be difficult to wean baby completely off my breast”
Babies are all trainable and this is no difference than potty training. A gentle and gradual decrease in breast milk feeds can be undertaken whilst ensuring supplementation with other milk/ food forms.
- Embarrassment in feeding in public
Society has come a very long way in accepting breastfeeding as the norm, as it should be! There are very many mother and baby feeding rooms in malls and other large establishments! Its amazing how times have moved on from 10 years ago. There are many fun and lightweight muslin cloths on the market to protect your modesty if at all required. The more we feed our babies, the more accepted a practice is…so please don’t be embarrassed…. It’s a wonderful part of nature with immense benefits!
In conclusion:
Embrace this special feeding time and enjoy the benefits…. You can see from the above, that there are so very many!