The advantages of breast-feeding are unbelievable, but doctors opine that you should choose whatever mode of feeding you prefer, breast feeding or formula feeding. However, if baby were asked would choose to be breast-fed.
Here are some of the advantages of breast feeding.
Prevents Infections
Breast milk contains antibodies, which when passed on to the infant during breast feeding, prevents infections of the ear, diarrhea, meningitis and respiratory tract.
Helps Build a Strong Immune System
A breast fed infant’s immune system will be much stronger than a formula fed infant. It will have fewer hospital visits than a formula fed baby.
Breast Milk is Easy to Digest
Breast milk is supposed to be the best food for a newborn infant. That is because; the lactose, protein, and fat present in it are very easily digested by the baby’s simple digestive system.
Breast Milk is Unique
Mother’s milk has still not been successfully replicated by formula milk, which is why formula milk may not suit the baby and cause it diarrhea or constipation.
Develops Taste for Different Foods in the Infant
As a nursing mother, you will be advised to eat a variety of healthy foods to ensure the baby’s nutritional requirements are fulfilled. The milk acquires the taste of what you have eaten and so the growing baby gets ready for foods of differing tastes and varieties, as it feeds on your milk.
Easily Available
A mother’s milk also has the advantage of being readily available, even at odd times of the night. It is also always at the right temperature.
Prevents Obesity
According to recent research on pregnancy and breastfeeding, a baby that is breast fed when young has fewer chances of growing up into an obese adult.
Better IQs
Babies, who have been breast-fed for at least six months, grow up to have higher IQs than babies who have been formula fed.
Bonding
Breast-feeding causes skin to skin contact and ensures a healthy mother-child bonding.
Beneficial to Mothers As well
Not only children, but mothers also enjoy the advantages of breast-feeding. Emotionally, you revel in your new found status of motherhood, physically; your uterus is pulled back into shape by certain hormones released during breast feeding, and finally, breastfeeding helps burn calories and prevents certain cancers as well. For more information visit pregnancy period.
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