Bebbenefits of breast HibreasWe know that breastfeeding benefits the mother as well as the child, as demonstrated by scientific findings. However, many women still feel the pressure to stop breastfeeding their babies after a short period due to many reasons, including misleading information and getting back in shape – 6 months or less.
Contents
Breastfeeding has many benefits for mothers and babies, and in this article, we are going to be looking at the benefits of breastfeeding for more than a year from both perspectives – mother and child.
You have to note that these benefits can only be achieved with a breastfeeding period of one year or more as this is the most delicate aspect of an infants life, and even though a breastfeeding period of six months or less would work wonders for the mother, it is best to stick to the one year plan for the sake of your baby.
Benefits of Breastfeeding for Babies
Breastfeeding for babies is something that is taken seriously, and the feeding period of a year or more is the striking point of this article. This is to say that many of these benefits would not be visible if the stated time frame or more is not taken seriously.
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Perfect Nutrition
The nutrients contained in breast milk is ideal for the development and health of babies. Breast milk is a natural and balanced meaning that is adequate for healthy and bright babies.
All the calories required for the first year of the baby’s development is in breast milk. Even with a poor diet on the mother’s side, breast milk helps with the growth and development of the baby’s digestive system, which makes it breastfeeding benefits mothers should not take for granted. -
Protection Against Infection
This is another breastfeeding benefit essential to the health of a baby. The milk produced by the mother is specific to the environment they find themselves, and when these babies come in contact with germs, the breast milk helps the child fight the germs and reduce the risk of developing illnesses.
Infants who are breastfed for up to a year have reduced episodes of diseases compared to those who are not. Children who are breastfed for more than a year, even up to two years, have lower tendencies to death and serious diseases. -
Provides Initial Immunization
Breastfeeding is beneficial to babies, and the first milk contains anti-viral agents that protect the baby against illnesses. The colostrum coats the GI tract and prevents harmful bacteria as well as allergy-triggering protein from getting into the blood of the infant.
The consumption of this milk aids in the development and improvement of the immune system. Once the baby is born and is breastfed, antibodies are passed through their cells, protecting them against microorganisms. -
Prevents Diarrhoea
One of the major causes of deaths amongst babies today is diarrhea. The importance of exclusive breastfeeding can not be understated because, according to findings, babies under the age of 2 months who have not been breastfed are more likely to die of diarrhea compared to those who are exclusively breastfed for a year.
Once you continuously breastfeed your baby, even when suffering from diarrhea, you help them reduce the duration and severity of the situation.
Breastfeeding benefits babies a lot more than you know, and looking at diarrhea as well as other diseases they are susceptible to at a tender age, you need to pass on the healthy antibodies you have over to them for them to enjoy life as much as they ought to. -
Easy digestion
The breastmilk fed from mother to child is naturally made for consumption and digestion. The digestive tract of the baby is immature, and the process of digestion can be tasking when other foods are consumed.
The breastmilk from the mother holds all the necessary nutrients for development and the growth of the child, and since this is the case, this would exclusively be the best choice till the baby is fully developed – one year or more.
Breastfeeding Benefits for Moms
We look at breastfeeding as a part of the mother-baby cycle as something which benefits the baby, with the mother doing this only out of necessity rather than the benefits attached to it.
I’m afraid that’s not right as breastfeeding benefits the mother as it does the baby. In this section, we are going to be looking at the benefit of breastfeeding mothers.
This would shed light on the significant benefits and make women practice exclusive breastfeeding more.
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Mother and Child Bonding
When women breastfeed, numerous hormones are released into the mother’s body, increasing the bond between mother and child. When a child is breastfed, the mother feels and enjoys the process of breastfeeding because she knows she is making the right choice for her child, and this causes the release of hormones, which strengthens the relationship. Breastfeeding is like an interaction between mother and child, and the health of the mother is established and improved because she knows she is enhancing her child’s health in the process.
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Weight Loss
One thing common with pregnancies is weight gain, and for most women, it is difficult to return to their previous weight or at least something close to it. Breastfeeding benefits mothers by helping them return to their weight before they became pregnant. With this, risks such as hypertension associated with weight gain, such as hypertension, would be less of a problem. This happens because during the production of milk before conception, fat is accumulated, and the only way to lose that weight is to breastfeed for an extended period of at least a year.
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Hormone Release
When a mother breastfeeds her child, there is a release of hormones such as oxytocin and prolactin, which calms the mother and helps her feel love and affection for her baby. Breastfeeding also benefits the mother through the release of oxytocin, which helps with the contraction of the uterus back to the normal size, which is a challenge for many women today. This would typically be a problem for women because the expansion of the uterus would most of the time lead to bleeding, which can be corrected by the simple process of breastfeeding.
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Reduced cost
This might not be one of the points you expected, but it is true. Breastfeeding a child from birth is one of the things doctors advise mothers to practice leaving out other foods since this is a balanced diet for your baby. Now, childbirth comes with a lot of expenses, and if exclusive breastfeeding for a year is the best and healthiest option for your baby, it should be an easy decision. You do not only have the confidence that your baby is on a path to full health, but you also have the capacity to use your funds for other child care necessities.
Conclusion
There are numerous ways in which breastfeeding benefit mother and child with some of the major ones highlighted here.
There are certain things we contemplate, and there are others that are not worth considering, and the issue of whether or not exclusive breastfeeding for a year or more is good for your baby is not a topic I think should be up for debate.
The bundles of joy we see today need a lot of care and love, and one of the best ways to do this is by breastfeeding them properly.
Sometimes, when things become excessively simple, it loses value in the sight of people. Economists point out that when things are less expensive than the competition, people get weary of the authenticity of what is brought to the table.
The truth still remains that breastfeeding benefits both mother and her child, and the particular time of one year is ideal for the process of childbirth to normalize for the mother and for the child to have a healthy foundation as well.
Without a good foundation, it is going to be hard for a child to remain healthy, and without good health, we would find children struggling for their lives when they ought to thrive.
You have to make the best choice for you and your infant, and that is to breastfeed them exclusively for up to a year or more.
This is a choice you need to make because if you do not, you can never turn back the hands of time to try and breastfeed them when they are much older; their systems would have taken shape by then, which is almost impossible to correct.
Medical practitioners always advise that mothers take this very seriously because many children who lack the nutrients to cope with life and all that comes with it would end up with many complications, something which could have been easily prevented with just a year of mother and child bonding.
For those who know the benefits, it’s great you do. For those expecting to have kids, this is your chance to give them a healthy and happy life they deserve to have.