Mother’s Milk: The Best Food Money Cannot Buy

Human breast milk contains at least 100 ingredients that can’t be found in any other milk.

When it comes to feeding a baby, even top-notch manufacturers have yet to duplicate or even come close to what Mother Nature has to offer through a mum’s breast milk. Both baby and mummy are able to derive great benefits from breast feeding which is why it is nature’s true gift. Read on…

The best nutrition for your baby

Your breast milk is exquisitely tailored to meet the nutritional needs of a newborn human and for the first six months of your baby’s life, an exclusively breast fed baby will be in no real need of anything else in terms of nutrition. Everything needed for growth, disease-fighting and development is made by a mum and fed to her baby via her breast milk. The advantages of breast milk to your baby include:

Protection from infection:

Breastfed babies are far less likely to suffer from ear infections, respiratory tract infections, urinary tract infections, and other common infant and childhood diseases. This is largely because their immune system is bolstered by antibodies and other immune-boosting factors that are passed from the mom through her milk.

A less flabby baby:

a chubby baby is admirable but these days, parents are much more aware about the consequences of an overly flabby baby. Carrying extra weight as a baby is linked to obesity later in life. Nursing reduces the risk of excess poundage on your munchkin. Breastfed babies tend to be leaner than formula-fed babies and their weight gain is steady and appropriate.

Brainier babes:

Studies show a statistically significant increase in the IQ of breastfed babies compared with those fed with formula due to all those brain-developing goodies in mama’s milk. Another brainy benefit of breastfeeding — all those hours of skin-on-skin contact work wonders for baby’s cognitive and emotional development. Baby also feels safe and nurtured.

Build stronger features:

Rubber and silicone nipples offer flimsy resistance to a baby’s sucks compared with the breast. Working a little bit extra for their food will help build stronger, well-defined jaws. Breast fed babies also tend to have well-developed teeth and palates (in addition to fewer cavities later in life!).

Breastfeeding is good for mums too!

New mums are strongly encouraged to breast feed their babies for an array of positive reasons. It may be difficult to get used to breast feeding at first, and some mums may encounter problems and issues when breast feeding. Once these are overcome, you can rest assured that you’re offering the best for your baby’s health and well-being. While you have already been told how good your milk is for your baby, it’s now time to discover what breast feeding can do for you too, mama!

Helps ward off those extra pounds:

Breastfeeding is a natural way to drop those pregnancy pounds. Baby’s sucking also spurs the shrinking of your uterus! All those extra calories your baby is draining out of you means that even though you’ll be adding more calories to your diet to make milk, you won’t be piling on the pounds — and with a proper diet, you might start seeing that waistline of yours sooner.

Boosts your mood!

Breastfeeding boost the bonding of a mother and her baby and when your baby sucks on your breast, it triggers the release of oxytocin, the “feel-good” hormone which lends an affectionate, loving mood.

Sheer convenience:

Going out with baby? When you’re breast feeding, you can pack up the baby and hit the road without having to pack up and lug around baby bottles, nipples, cleaning supplies, a bottle warmer, and so on. Your breasts are all you need to keep baby well-fed and happy everywhere you go! However, for your own privacy and modesty, do pack along a nursing cover or poncho so that baby can be fed discreetly, anytime, anywhere!

Reduced risk of cancer.

Women who breastfeed reduce their risk of developing breast cancer by as much as 25 percent. The reduction in cancer risk comes in proportion to the cumulative lifetime duration of breastfeeding. This means, the more months or years a mother breastfeeds, the lower her risk of breast cancer.

Another cancer-fighting effect of breastfeeding is that estrogen levels are lower during lactation, so there is less of it to stimulate the lining of the uterus, lowering the risk of these tissues becoming cancerous.

Lessens osteoporosis.

Non-breastfeeding women have a four times greater chances of developing osteoporosis than breastfeeding women and are more likely to suffer from hip fractures in the post-menopausal years.

Helps in child spacing.

Since breastfeeding delays ovulation, the longer a mother breastfeeds the more she is able to practice natural child spacing, if she desires. How long a woman remains infertile depends on her nursing pattern.