The Benefits of Breastfeeding for Both Mothers and Babies
If you’re considering breastfeeding your baby, you can be assured that you are making a good decision. Not only is it perfect for babies, but it also has wonderful benefits for moms. So if you are able to breastfeed, here are some of the health benefits you and your baby can get.
How breastmilk benefits your baby
It is widely agreed that breastmilk is the most natural, most nutritious source of food for your baby. Your breastmilk helps your baby grow strong and healthy right from the start.
Your first milk, called colostrum, is the thick milk you produce during pregnancy and just after you give birth. Also called liquid gold for its deep yellow color, colostrum is very rich in nutrients and also includes antibodies that can help protect your baby from infections.
Colostrum also helps your baby’s digestive system to grow and function properly. Because their stomachs are small, your little one gets only a small amount of colostrum with every feeding.
Your breastmilk also changes as your baby grows by the third to fifth day after you give birth. This mature milk has the right amount of fat, sugar, water, and protein to help your baby grow. In appearance, it looks thinner than colostrum but it has all the right nutrients and antibodies the small one needs for healthy growth.
These nutrients include:
- Free water
- Proteins
- Fats – Essential fatty acids and long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids
- Carbohydrates – Particularly lactose, the principal carbohydrate of human milk
- Minerals, vitamins, and trace elements – including calcium, iron, and Vitamins A, C, and D
Breastfed babies also have:
- Stronger immune systems
- Less diarrhea, constipation, gastroenteritis, gastroesophageal reflux, and preterm necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC)
- Fewer colds and respiratory illnesses like pneumonia and whooping cough
- Better vision
- Fewer ear infections
- Fewer case of bacterial meningitis
- Lower rates of infant mortality
- Lower rates of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)
- Less illness overall and less hospitalization
Health benefits of breastfeeding for mothers
You may know that when you breastfeed, it causes the body to release oxytocin, a calming chemical often referred to as the “love hormone”, which also helps your uterus contract back to its normal size. But aside from that, breastfeeding actually has a lot of lesser-known benefits that may improve your health. Health benefits for breastfeeding moms include:
- Better pain management
If you’ve had a C-section, a 2017 study found that breastfeeding may help you manage the pain while you’re recovering. It found that moms who breastfed for 2 months or more after a C-section were 3 times less likely to experience constant pain at the site of the incision.
- Lower risk of Postpartum Depression (PPD)
In the Philippines, an estimated 126,826 cases of postpartum depression were reported in 2004, though it is believed that the statistics are alarmingly lacking. Postpartum Depression affects new moms, bringing feelings of sadness, fatigue, loss of appetite, difficulty sleeping, and trouble bonding with their newborns.
But a 2012 study found that breastfeeding can reduce a woman’s risk for PPD. In the study, it was found that women who breastfed for the first four months had a reduced risk of developing PPD. It is understandable of course, that women who are suffering from PPD may already find breastfeeding to be challenging.
- Lower risk of cancer
Breastfeeding alters hormones, which is why many new moms have period-free months after pregnancy. But this hormonal change has a bigger benefit: a decreased risk of cancer. Research shows that breastfeeding (particularly for more than a year) may reduce breast cancer risk. It also showed that the longer you breastfeed, the lower the risk for ovarian cancer.
How to ensure breast milk is best for baby
If you opt for breastfeeding, your diet may affect the quality of breast milk. Aside from making food choices that help boost milk production, you may also ask your OB-Gyne about DHA and EPA maternal supplementation.
Omega-3 fatty acids are essential fats, with EPA and DHA, found in fish, being the most critical. Both EPA and DHA are important, but DHA is particularly important throughout pregnancy and during the early stages of an infant’s life.
DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) is a long-chain omega-3 fatty acid essential for the health of your body systems including your brain and your nervous system. It contributes to mental health, vision, and a healthy heart. This nutrient is key in the growth and development of your little one’s brain and nervous system, especially since babies’ brains grow quickly in their first year. It also plays a major role in the development of a baby’s eyes.
DHA is naturally found in breast milk. This nutrient is so important that it is also added to most milk formulas in the market. However, it is not known if DHA in formula is as beneficial to babies as the naturally-occurring DHA in breast milk.
On the other hand, EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) is also part of cell membranes and is important for its anti-inflammatory properties in the body.
If you need more information to help you decide on breastfeeding, it is important to discuss this thoroughly with your OB-Gyne. Your OB-Gyne can help guide you through techniques for feeding, indicators of good milk supply, and how to foresee and manage breastfeeding problems.
Sources:
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/06/170604115807.htm
https://www.llli.org/breastfeeding-info/benefits/
https://www.senate.gov.ph/lisdata/71755788!.pdf
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22978082/
https://www.breastcancer.org/risk/factors/breastfeed_hist
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24998548
https://www.hindawi.com/journals/tswj/2012/202473/
https://americanpregnancy.org/first-year-of-life/omega-3-supplements-baby/
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