Benefits Of Breast Feeding For The Whole Family

The benefits of breast feeding to babies whose mothers are able to nurse them are numerous. Babies receive essential nutrients as well as antibodies that have not been successfully reproduced in any formula from their mother’s breast milk. Babies also have the correct jaw development through the process of breast feeding, which benefits them throughout life.

Benefit To The Mother

The benefits of breast feeding apply not only the nursing baby, but also the nursing mother. First, mothers have much less to spend their time on when breast feeding. They do not have to sterilize and mix bottles for the baby. They do not have to spend money on expensive baby formula, which is a financial benefit.

Another benefit of breast feeding is that the mother has an easier time losing the pregnancy weight. Mothers who are lactating burn more calories than those who are not. Also, breast feeding is a benefit to the mother in encouraging the uterus to contract, eventually returning to its pre-pregnancy size.

When considering the benefits of breast feeding to the mother, it is important to consider the benefit of rest after birth. Many mothers find it difficult to take the time they need to reset and recuperate after the exhausting job of birthing a baby, but nursing forces the mother to at least sit down for a few moments and spend time with her new baby. Some mothers resent this, as it cuts into their very busy schedules, but this time of rest is necessary to allow the body to heal after labor. Nursing forces mothers to take the time to rest.

Breast feeding totes the benefit of being a very natural form of birth control. Of course, nursing is not a 100 percent effective form of birth control, but nursing moms are very unlikely to ovulate, making it much more difficult for a nursing mom to get pregnant too soon after delivery. Those who do not want to get pregnant should ensure that they don't by using an alternative form of birth control, and there are many hormonal birth control options that are safe for nursing moms and babies.

Benefits To Both

Studies are being done currently on the psychological benefits of breast feeding for both mother and baby. Breast feeding demands that a baby be held close and warm while being fed, and the distance from a mother’s face to the nursing baby’s eyes is the exact distance they can see at birth. Nursing provides a crucial opportunity for mother and baby to bond. The mother who may suffer some baby blues must put aside her feelings in order to feed her baby, which is a fundamental instinct for most mothers, no matter how depressed they are. This helps to deter the onset of postpartum depression for a lot of mothers. Babies are comforted by their mother’s presence, and the mother is encouraged in her ability to care for her new baby.