Why should I breastfeed?

Five great benefits of breastfeeding

Nutrition

Breast milk is the best source of nutrition for most babies. As the baby grows, the mother’s breast milk will change to meet the baby’s nutritional needs.

Protection

Breastfeeding can help protect babies against some short- and long-term illnesses and diseases. Breastfed babies have a lower risk of asthma, obesity, type 1 diabetes, and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Breastfed babies are also less likely to have ear infections and stomach bugs.

Antibodies

Breast milk shares antibodies from the mother with her baby. These antibodies help babies develop a strong immune system and protect them from illnesses.

Convenience

Mothers can breastfeed anytime and anywhere. Mothers can feed their babies on the go without worrying about having to mix formula or prepare bottles. When traveling, breastfeeding can also provide a source of comfort for babies whose normal routine is disrupted.

Mother’s Health

Breastfeeding has health benefits for the mother too! Breastfeeding can reduce the mother’s risk of breast and ovarian cancer, type 2 diabetes, and high blood pressure.

Recommendations to Breastfeed:

American Academy of Pediatrics

Updated AAP guidance recommends longer breastfeeding due to its many benefits.

Human milk in the second year of life continues to be a significant source of macronutrients and immunologic factors for growing toddlers.

Studies and meta-analyses also have confirmed the impact of breastfeeding longer than 12 months on maternal health, in decreasing maternal type 2 diabetes mellitus, hypertension, breast cancer and ovarian cancer rates.

The AAP policy statement approaches infant feeding from a public health perspective. It states that breastfeeding is about far more than the nutrition provided to the growing child. It is also about the relationship between parent and child.

AAP Policy Statement: Breastfeeding and the Use of Human Milk 2022

World Health Organization

  • Breastfeeding is one of the most effective ways to ensure child health and survival. However, contrary to WHO recommendations, fewer than half of infants under 6 months old are exclusively breastfed.
  • WHO and UNICEF recommend that children initiate breastfeeding within the first hour of birth and be exclusively breastfed for the first 6 months of life – meaning no other foods or liquids are provided, including water.
  • Infants should be breastfed on demand – that is as often as the child wants, day and night. No bottles, teats or pacifiers should be used.
  • Breastmilk is the ideal food for infants. It is safe, clean and contains antibodies which help protect against many common childhood illnesses.
  • Breastmilk provides all the energy and nutrients that the infant needs for the first months of life, and it continues to provide up to half or more of a child’s nutritional needs during the second half of the first year, and up to one third during the second year of life.
  • From the age of 6 months, children should begin eating safe and adequate complementary foods while continuing to breastfeed for up to two years of age and beyond.
  • Inappropriate marketing of breast-milk substitutes continues to undermine efforts to improve breastfeeding rates and duration worldwide.

Prenatal Breastfeeding Education

Prenatal breastfeeding education increases women’s knowledge of breastfeeding. Mothers who are knowledgeable about breastfeeding and take a positive approach to it tend to initiate and continue for a longer period.

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