Breastfeeding Benefits

September 11, 2018 201 Comments

When I was pregnant with my son I decided I was going to breastfeed upon his arrival. I talked to other mothers, read several books and prepped myself as much as I possibly could. The first time I attempted to feed him from my breast, I was unsuccessful. He would not latch property and I had to summon the hospital lactation consultant more times than I would like to admit.

I would love to say that when Benjamin first latched I was elated. Don’t get me wrong, I was extremely happy, but those thoughts came a few minutes after I finished writhing in pain. It felt like a baby dinosaur with razor-sharp teeth just chomped down on one of the most sensitive parts of my body…and there was blood.

After a couple days, I was so proud when me and my baby had breast feeding down to a science. While my nipples did feel similar to that of a hard pencil eraser, the pain was gone and the fascination set in. I was creating food for my child… and he liked it!

Making the decision to breastfeed is a choice that every new mother makes…and that choice is theirs and theirs alone. Everyone’s situations are different, but below are 5 benefits to breast feeding should you so choose.

• Bonding: When you breast feed you literally have your baby attached to you. This is a very natural time to intimately bond with your little one. Nobody else on Earth has the ability to make this connection with your child.

• Protection: Breast milk is full of antibodies that can help protect your baby by fighting off bacteria and illness. Since you created this being…you have a similar makeup. Your body will naturally produce the defenses to protect yourself, therefore protect your baby through your breast milk.

• Promotes healthy weight: Feeding from mama’s breast allows babies to eat when they are hungry and to stop when they are full. This helps to regulate milk intake, which aids in the development of healthy eating patterns.

• Money saver: While mama’s who breastfeed do require an increase in calories (which could slightly increase your grocery store bill) …breast milk is free!

• Convenience: When breast fed babies need to eat, mama simply removes some clothes and its meal time! There is no need to worry about bottles, formula, finding a water source, cleaning the bottles after feeding, and so on. This is especially convenient when baby wakes up hungry 3 times in the middle of the night.

Whether you choose to bottle feed or breast feed your little one is up to you! As long as baby is healthy and happy…I am happy!

 

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