Benefits of Breastfeeding for Moms

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There are numerous benefits of breastfeeding for mom. Breastfeeding has numerous physical and mental benefits for both mom and child.

I remember when I was breastfeeding, the benefit that I knew most was that I would lose weight and come back to my pre pregnancy self.

Let’s begin with the physical benefits. So as I said earlier, it promotes faster weight loss after birth. So, mom will burn about 500 extra calories a day to build up and maintain her milk supply. Breastfeeding will stimulate her uterus to contract and return to its normal size.

Breastfeeding moms have less postpartum bleeding, fewer urinary tract infections, and less risk of postpartum depression and, you know, have more of a positive mood.

The emotional benefits for mom, again, are the mood breastfeeding produces the hormones oxytocin and prolactin, and these promote stress reduction and positive feelings in the new mom. Breastfeeding increases confidence and self-esteem. Breastfeeding mom will be calmer and breastfed babies overall will cry less and have fewer incidences of child illness.

Breastfeeding also makes traveling easier. Breast milk is always clean and at the right temperature, so you don’t have to think of storage or anything. It’s just ready to express.

The physical and emotional bond between mom and child is increased. Breastfeeding promotes more skin to skin contact and that actually means the naked baby is held against your bare skin. So, it’s very beneficial to release hormones and more connecting for you and the baby.

Breastfeeding also gives you benefits for life, including lower risk of breast cancer, lower risk of ovarian cancer, lower risk of arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis and lupus, less endometriosis, less osteoporosis. With age, less diabetes, less hypertension, and it decreases your blood pressure and less cardiovascular disease. And this is all because when we’re nursing, our body releases hormones and these hormones are increased with this connection.

My mother breastfed her kids for one month each and this at her time and and in her age, this was what was in Vogue. So breastfeeding was actually not in Vogue. And when I had my daughter, I wanted to go beyond that because I knew it was beneficial.

Although I didn’t know all these benefits, I knew it was good for her health. I didn’t know the benefits for myself. So I breastfed for about six months and I wish I did longer.

I really do recommend if you’re, you know, struggling with breastfeeding, if you have challenges and you’re thinking of stopping, really look and research the benefits and make a decision for yourself.