By Suzana Advantages of Breastfeeding For the Mother
As well as breastfeeding being advantageous for the baby, there are many advantages of breastfeeding for the mother. Regarding breastfeeding, mothers often think about what is best for their baby, however below are the main advantages to the mothers themselves.
The hormones involved with breastfeeding enable the womb to more quickly return to its original size and the normal bleeding after childbirth (lochia) stops sooner.
The mother burns off more fat, 500 k calories per day, providing the milk, and so gets back to her pre-pregnancy weight and shape more quickly.
It is convenient and always available where ever you are. No equipment is necessary by way of bottles, teats etc. and no sterilizing procedure is necessary.
It is more convenient during the night not having to get up to prepare and warm bottles of formula milk.
Wherever the breastfeeding mother and her baby are, the milk is there at the right time and at the right temperature.
The knowledge and satisfaction for the mother knowing that she is providing her baby with what nature intended.
It can help to space pregnancies as when a mother is fully breastfeeding she is less likely to ovulate and have periods.
Breastfeeding is associated with a reduced risk of breast cancer and some reduction in the rate of ovarian cancer. This effect increases with an increase in the total time in life, that the mother spends breastfeeding.
It is an ideal way for the mother and baby to bond. The baby at birth can only focus on things 10 inches away from himself, which is in fact the distance between the mother’s eyes and the baby’s eyes whilst he is being breasfed. Nature has got it right!
For women who are concerned about the environment, breastfeeding reduces the demands made on it by the reduction of waste and pollution.
It is generally more economical as it can be unnecessary to purchase formula milk and bottles. The calories used in producing breast milk usually come from the reserves that the mother has laid down during her pregnancy, though she may need to eat more.
If breastfeeding gets underway successfully, and with the right knowledge and support most mothers can breastfeed, then these are the many advantages of breastfeeding for the mother.