How is breastfeeding good for babies?

Question

I know that it is good for a mother to breast feed at least for the first 6 month. I want to know what does it help with and are there any consequence's for the mother?

Answer 1

BENEFITS FOR THE BABY:

-Breast milk is the most complete form of nutrition for infants. A mother's milk has just the right amount of fat, sugar, water, and protein that is needed for a baby's growth and development. Most babies find it easier to digest breast milk than they do formula.

-As a result, breastfed infants grow exactly the way they should. They tend to gain less unnecessary weight and to be leaner. This may result in being less overweight later in life.

-Premature babies do better when breastfed compared to premature babies who are fed formula.

-Breastfed babies score slightly higher on IQ tests, especially babies who were born pre-maturely.

BENEFITS FOR MOM:

-Nursing uses up extra calories, making it easier to lose the pounds of pregnancy. It also helps the uterus to get back to its original size and lessens any bleeding a woman may have after giving birth.

-Breastfeeding, especially exclusive breastfeeding (no supplementing with formula), delays the return of normal ovulation and menstrual cycles. (However, you should still talk with your doctor or nurse about birth control choices.)

-Breastfeeding lowers the risk of breast and ovarian cancers, and possibly the risk of hip fractures and osteoporosis after menopause.

-Breastfeeding makes your life easier. It saves time and money. You do not have to purchase, measure, and mix formula. There are no bottles to warm in the middle of the night!

-A mother can give her baby immediate satisfaction by providing her breast milk when her baby is hungry.

-Breastfeeding requires a mother to take some quiet relaxed time for herself and her baby.

-Breastfeeding can help a mother to bond with her baby. Physical contact is important to newborns and can help them feel more secure, warm and comforted.

-Breastfeeding mothers may have increased self-confidence and feelings of closeness and bonding with their infants.

BENEFITS FOR SOCIETY:

-Breastfeeding saves on health care costs. Total medical care costs for the nation are lower for fully breastfed infants than never-breastfed infants since breastfed infants typically need fewer sick care visits, prescriptions, and hospitalizations.

-Breastfeeding contributes to a more productive workforce.
Breastfeeding mothers miss less work, as their infants are sick less often. Employer medical costs also are lower and employee productivity is higher.

-Breastfeeding is better for our environment because there is less trash and plastic waste compared to that produced by formula cans and bottle supplies.

Answer 2

Besides the fact that breastfeeding is a wonderful bonding experience for the mother and her baby, there are also tons of other advantages. The mother's milk contains certain antibodies that are passed onto the baby. They can guard against things like asthma, influenza, diarrhea, respiratory infections, and lots of other things. It can help your child from suffering from certain allergies. There is now even proof that breastfeeding can boost your child's IQ! And aside from all of that, it's free and convenient. (Oh, and formula-fed babies' diapers smell worse than breastfed.) There are no consequences -- just some pain like sore nipples, but that's from incorrect latching, and then when you stop breastfeeding, your breasts are going to hurt... but nothing that a woman can't deal with.

Answer 3

There are so many incredible benefits to breastfeeding:

It's nutritionally superior to formula. Breastmilk is made for babies. It's highly complex and always changing to meet an infant's changing dietary needs.

Breastmilk helps strengthen a baby's immune system, passing on many immunological properties directly from mom to baby, which is important since the immune system is not fully developed until age 2. As a result, breastfed babies typically get fewer colds, ear infections, etc.

Study after study has shown that breastfed babies on average end up to be smarter than formula fed babies. This is likely due to the complex make-up of breastmilk. Researchers are always identifying new properties within breastmilk and trying to replicate them for formula, but they've not identified them all.

Breastfeeding creates an incredible mother-child bond. The skin to skin contact is very sweet and it gives mom an incredible feeling to be able to nourish baby so well.

Breastfeeding is much much cheaper than formula, with no bottles to mess with and no heating - the nourishment is always there, ready and at the perfect temperature, and you'll literally save money not having to buy expensive formula.

Breastfeeding changes in flavor based on what mom eats, giving a baby an ever changing taste treat, which will also influence food preferences later in life. Formula always tastes the same.

Breastfed babies have poop that doesn't stink - literally. The poop of a breastfed baby is not at all unpleasant, while the poop from a formula fed baby is, well, poopy.

Breastmilk is much easier for a baby to digest than formula, with less issues with gas and indigestion than are encountered with formula.

As far as consequences to mom for breastfeeding, here are some of the downsides (though they are minor compared to the benefits):

Mom is kept on a pretty short leash - she has to be near baby to feed, or has to stay to a pretty consistent pumping schedule if she's away at work or some other committment, and pumping is not fun or convenient.

Mom can get pretty tired, as she is constantly on call, especially at night. Yes, you can express milk and have dad feed from a bottle at night, but if you skip night feedings it will affect your supply, so you're better off doing it yourself to maintain production.

Mom has to watch alcohol and caffeine intake. Not a big deal, but apparently it bothers some.

That's about it. Breastfeeding is a wonderful experience and so good for baby. Give it a try!

Answer 4

Breastfeeding provides Antibodies to the newborn Colestrum or First milk Cleanses the tar like substance from the babies digestive tract, This is never removed if the baby is Formula fed, It also has been linked to preventing many early childhood illnesses, Like ear infections, colds, asthma, the list gos on and on, Breastfed babies tend to sleep better, have fewer or no Tummy problems, they dont spit up that discusting smelling formula, when they do if ever spit up it is, milky, and nearly smelless, also breast milk doesn't stain their clothes, it is Healthy and all a newborn needs to survive the first year.
There are really not many downsides to breastfeeding, I went through the classes the first time around through the hospital, They told me that my baby would need to eat every 2 hours being breastfed, This was not true with any of my kids, They would all go 3 to 5 hours between feeding, I also kept their bassenet next to my bed and just rolled them out onto me fed them while I was still sleeping, Never made a bottle, never got up in the night, My son was allergic to onions so I had to cut them out of my diet, not a huge deal. And the first month is the hardest! I used Lansinoh cream on my nipples this kept them from getting so sore. and I was glad I chose to breastfeed because I was back in my regular clothes sooner than I expected, There was a little cramping while feeding, this is your uterus going back to normal, It's like exercising while feeding your baby! I loved it and all my kids are super healthy, I only took them to well baby visits for the whole first year of their lives , no colds, ear infections, nothing! good luck in your decision!

Answer 5

It gives babies the immunities is needs to help prevent getting sick. When a baby does get sick it will fight it off more quicky. It's much easier to digest then formula. There have been numerous studies done to show that babies that are breastfed for 12 months have on average a higher IQ. Babies that are breastfed are less likely to wet the bed when they are older. It also helps the woman's uterus to contract back to it;s normal size faster.This list goes on and on. The only consequence to the mom is that is can be a hassle. I had to pump when we went out since I wasn't comfortable nursing in public. Also your nipples get sore for the first 2 weeks. It's so worth it though.

Answer 6

Breastfeeding helps with the baby will have less colds, ear infections , and the babys overall health will be great! I know I breast fed my 9 year old and he doesn't get sick at all!! The benefits for you, the mother is weight loss, lighter periods and bonding time with baby.

Answer 7

besides helping to feel in touch with your baby, breastfeeding allows for some of the antibodies from the mother's body to pass to the child. This helps the child against certain illnesses. below is link to a list of websites with more detailed info.

Answer 8

no concequesnces for the mom except longer nipples lol. Your milk and body know waht nutrients your baby need your body produces the right things to help develope your babys brain and his or her imune system without it your baby could get sick very easily. you pass some of your immunities to your baby to help him or her fight off the common cold or fevers. Animals dont have formula from a carton to give their babies thay and humans have been doing it since the begginning of time. Why would it be a bad thing?

Answer 9

It is specially formulated for your child it is eaiser to digest than fromula and it helps prevent form all type of childhood illness like flus, colds, and especially ear infections.Sometime after breastfeeding you breast can be bigger,smaller or saggier than before.

Answer 10

I breastfed my older 2 young ones till they have been each and each 18 months previous and Im presently nursing my purely approximately 6 month previous(no tooth yet!). Your toddler would bite a time or 2 while they are first reducing their tooth, just to test. What I constantly did grew to become into make eye touch, unlatch them from my breast, tell them gently yet firmly NO biting, and then permit them to proceed nursing. it incredibly is regularly all it took. in the event that they did it back. I repeated the approach, yet would set them down for a minute or no longer placed them suitable decrease back to the breast. babies do no longer use their tooth so as to nurse so it is going to no longer be a important concern or a mandatory ingredient to pass via. purely get the factor throughout that that is no longer ok and proceed on. =) sturdy success.