Babies 0-12 Months | Your Baby's Wellbeing

The benefits of breastfeeding

What a bonus to know that breastfeeding is not only wonderful for baby, but benefits you just as much. You’ve done the research, but here’s a feel-good reminder of why nursing is the way to go:

Benefits to Baby
There are tons, so grab a cup of Rooibos before reading on

• The perfect package deal. Miraculously adapting itself as baby grows, your baby thinks that breast milk is a delicious, made-to-order, right-on-tap feeding solution. With the ideal balance of all the components necessary for bodily systems, it is a symphony of nutrients. So you can be rest assured that baby is getting all the carbohydrates, liquids, fats, vitamins and minerals that he needs.   Baby’s first drive-through experience!
• Protection against baddies. Research has shown that babies who are breastfed during those crucial first six months, have a lower risk of the following medical conditions (amongst many others) in both childhood and adulthood:  asthma;  pneumonia;  allergies;  vision problems;  German measles;  Hodgkins disease;  obesity;  rheumatoid arthritis;  osteoporosis;  high cholesterol;  multiple sclerosis;  tooth decay;  bacterial meningitis;  eczema;  influenza;  respiratory, ear and gastro-intestinal infections.  Wow, that’s incredible, isn’t it?  Amazingly, nursing moms also produce antibodies to diseases that may exist in their current environment, which means that breastfed babies have an ever-evolving disease-fighting army guarding them round the clock.  Even better news is that breast milk is the ultimate medication for your little one on those under-the-weather, snotty days too.
• The best building block. Breastfeeding is the best platform for your little superhero: It jumpstarts the immune system; facilitates dental, jaw and intestinal development; enhances the effectiveness of vaccines; optimizes hand-eye co-ordination; leads to enhanced social development; promotes better speech development than formula-feeding would, and boosts your bright spark’s  IQ.
• A chill-out zone of note. Could there be any better way for you and baby to bond? Not only do those endorphins that are swimming around in breast milk act as an on-site tranquilizer and mood-enhancer, but they provide natural pain relief for baby too.
• Pretty perks. Breastfed babies have gorgeous skin, smell good, smile more, sleep better, spit up less and offer less unpleasant nappy changes. So less eewww and more coochie-coo.

Benefits to You
You’ll be surprised

• Even better than Woolies. Breast milk is free, expertly made, tastes amazing, comes in beautiful packaging, is always at the ideal temperature, and is ready to be served, whenever and wherever your baby needs it.
• A little bit of ‘just you and me’ time. Just as those endorphins get baby to relax, feel groovy and block out pain, you get to share in the magic too.  What a bonus.  As for the opportunity to bond with your baby while nursing goes, nothing beats those moments when you get to stare contentedly into your little miracle’s eyes while giving him the very best start in life.
• The fast-track to recovery. Breastfeeding moms get rewarded in more ways than one.  For one thing, post-delivery recovery is much faster than in moms who choose to formula-feed.  For another, weight loss is much easier to achieve whilst breastfeeding due to the amount of kilojoules that breastfeeding consumes. Interestingly, unless a woman breastfeeds, it’s highly unlikely for the uterus to shrink back to its pre-pregnancy size.  This is because breastfeeding stimulates the secretion of the hormone oxytocin, which in turn causes contractions in and shrinkage of the uterus – in women who have had both Caesarean and vaginal deliveries. An added bonus is that happier babies sleep better, which means that you also get more sleep, the importance of which can’t be overstated!  Onset of menstruation is delayed during the nursing period too… just one more reason to smile.
• Health = Wealth. Breastfeeding substantially reduces your risk of ovarian, breast and endometrial cancers, prevents onset of post-natal depression, osteoporosis and rheumatoid arthritis, and promotes general good health on both psychological and physical levels.
• A lifetime’s worth of brownie points. Breastfed babies are healthier. Fact. Knowing that you have single-handedly nourished your gorgeous little child, providing priceless protection against illness and the best platform for happiness and health is reason enough to feel like a million bucks.  The fact that UNICEF, the La Leche League, the World Health Organisation, hundreds of celebrities and millions of health practitioners around the world agree with you, is just icing on the best cake in town.