Written by my contributing writer, Rachel
Most nights (and days) were exhausting in the early months of breastfeeding my daughter. On those days when I really wanted to throw my hands up in defeat, it helped to remind myself of the benefits of breastfeeding.
In no particular order, here are 7 benefits of breastfeeding that I found most encouraging and many times impressive.
1. Just what baby needs. As long as your baby is gaining weight and has normal diapers, you can rest assured that they are getting exactly what they need from you. Keep feeding yourself well, and drink, drink, drink your water! If you don’t do these things, the only person who will be left wanting will be you.
2. Keeps sickness at bay. Breast milk is a wonder liquid. In a lot of cases it can prevent your child from getting sick. Your body’s own immunities pass through your milk to your little one. Recently my husband and I had a terrible 24 hour stomach bug. Thankfully, neither of my children got it! (I am tandem nursing. A new thing for me that I may write about it in an upcoming post.)
3. Helps mommy! Sometimes we suffer from supermom syndrome, which has us running all around the place, trying to care for our new little one, take care of ourselves and our home. Nursing forces you to sit down. When your baby is nursing, your body releases the hormone oxytocin. During labor, this progressed your contractions. When nursing, the release of this hormone will relax you.
4. Get more acquainted. That same hormone that relaxes you (oxytocin) will also aid in the bonding process between you and your new baby. Those first few months of welcoming a baby into the family has its challenges. Making time to simply focus on your baby may be one of those challenges. I have found this to be especially true with my second child. I am having to balance my time with a toddler, newborn, housework, myself, and most importantly my husband. Nursing is the most one-on-one time I get with my little baby boy.
My precious baby boy <3
5. Free! One way I contribute to the budget of our one income family is by breastfeeding! It does not cost anything but my time. Women’s Health states that women who breastfeed exclusively can save between $1,200 – $1,500 on formula!
6. Insta-soother. It is incredible how babies find comfort when at their mama’s bosom. They can sense your calmness, or lack thereof, when nursing. My daughter was 5 months old when our car was rear ended at a stop light. Praise God that neither one of us were injured, but she was pretty startled. A kind couple let us sit in their car and nurse while we waited for my husband to arrive. My daughter’s beautiful eyes searched my face as she nursed and instantly stopped crying. She knew she was safe. Even now during her toddler meltdowns I can nurse her and it changes her mood instantly.
7. Easy. I have not had to deal with preparing or cleaning bottles in order to feed my children. I simply find a place to sit and they begin eating right then and there.
For more great breastfeeding information, visit the World Health Organization’s website.
What are the reasons you breastfeed/breastfed or are considering to do so?
I am excited about getting to breastfeed our little one come July! Thanks for this great post, Rachel, and for sharing it Sandra!
You’re welcome, Lydia! Breastfeeding is a wonderful experience, but it is hard when you first start. The good news is that once you get over that little hump, it gets a lot easier.
I’m still breastfeeding my almost 26 month old daughter. 🙂
I have heard it can be difficult but to stick with it. Thankfully both my mom and mother in law breastfed so I have some expertise out there.
That is awesome and crazy about your daughter. Not something that I have thought a whole lot about is weaning. Lots of things to think about before that point. 🙂
That is great Lydia! Congratulations! Glad you are already getting informed about breastfeeding. I had no expectations before my first child was born except that it was going to be free. It was a bit more work than I anticipated, but like Sandra said, once I got over the first hump (2-3 months) it became second nature. Good luck!
Ah, 2-3 months seems like a long time! I will stick with it. I am determined to make it work, just hoping it isn’t too much work!
I know nursing really helped me to slow down and not overdo it. I found nursing to be a special time for my babies and myself.
It is such a special time, Shelly. I’m going to try to let Elisabeth nurse until she weans herself.
Thanks for sharing, Shelly. I love when my babies stare into my eyes, searching my face and my presence when they are nursing. It is so precious and it is the only time my toddler sits still, so I really appreciate that she is still nursing 🙂
Hi! I breastfed son for 1 year & am breastfeeding my 4.5 month old. It is best for them in so many ways! If I decided to have children, I also decided to make sacrifices for them. Breastfeeding is a sacrifice! It is not pleasant for me, but it is worth it for my children. God created us with everything we need to feed babies when they are first born. I also lost more than the baby weight in about 2 months! See? God designed it to be beneficial for us too! But it is your choice! No judgement – God also created intelligence in man to invent formula!
Hi Sonia! I agree that breastfeeding is a sacrifice worth making for our children. 🙂 Congratulations on the birth of your precious baby!
Sonia, congrats on the new baby! My son is about the same age! I agree, too, that is an incredible sacrifice on many levels. I had no clue how much so until I started breastfeeding. There are days when I have to convince myself to keep going and remember all the benefits that outweigh the difficulty I may be having at the time. God’s design is incredible. He is the masterful Creator.
I am also grateful that He created man to invent formula. It is a literal life-saver for those that can’t breastfeed for one reason or another. Every mom has to make choices for themselves and their families, and “formula or breast milk?” is just one of the many choices we face.
Thank you for sharing your breastfeeding experience!