Why Breastfeed?

Best for baby
BEST FOR YOU

An excerpt from LLLI's "The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding," 6th revised edition, pages 6-7

When you breastfeed your baby, you're providing him with the best possible infant food. No product has ever been as time-tested as mother's milk. Human milk contains all the nutrients your newborn needs and is more easily digested and assimilated than any other infant food. As reassuring as this is, superior nutrition is only one of the many advantages you and your baby gain from breastfeeding.

Putting your newborn to the breast within minutes after delivery causes the uterus to contract and reduces the flow of blood. It also results in the uterus getting back to shape more quickly than it would if you were not breastfeeding.

With his small head pillowed against your breast and your milk warming his insides, your baby knows a special closeness to you. He is gaining a firm foundation in an important area of life -- he is learning about love.

As his tiny mouth eagerly milks your breast, your baby is performing an exercise that promotes the proper development of his jaw and facial structure. Breastfeeding also encourages a normal weight gain for your particular baby, which is good insurance against a future tendency toward obesity.

There is no better safeguard for your baby against the onset of allergies than breastfeeding. A diet of your milk alone for about the first six months of life readies his body for other foods. It protects him against infection as well as allergies. Living substances that are unique to your milk inhibit the growth of harmful bacteria and viruses in his still maturing system. With fewer health problems, you can look forward to having a happier baby.

Brain development is essential for the human infant and human milk contains all of the right components to aid the development of baby's brain and nervous system. One study showed that premature infants who had been given human milk scored significantly higher on IQ tests at age 7 1/2 and 8 years of age than children who had received formula.

Breastfeeding was meant to follow pregnancy and childbirth. The milk-producing breast represents a healthy progression in the natural sequence of reproduction that includes pregnancy, birth, and lactation. Nursing mothers find that breastfeeding is a naturally pleasurable experience.

The mother who is totally breastfeeding -- not giving formula supplements or solid foods -- will find that her menstrual periods will probably be delayed for six months or more after her baby's birth, especially if baby nurses often. During this time, a mother will have very little chance of becoming pregnant.

Breastfeeding uses up extra calories and a breastfeeding mother's metabolism changes, which enables most mothers to loose weight gradually without dieting.

Breastfeeding also protects a mother from certain health problems. Studies show that mothers who breastfeed for even a few months are less likely to develop breast cancer than women who have given birth but never breastfed. Breastfeeding also protects against ovarian cancer, urinary tract infections, and osteoporosis.

Breastfeeding results in an appreciable saving of time, effort, and money when compared to formula feeding. Minutes and hours of a mother's time are not diverted to the preparation of baby's milk. Feeding the baby is a time to relax. Day and night, automatically and accurately, milk is made and stored in the breasts. The temperature is always ideal; the supply is pure and practically unlimited.

Breastfeeding helps us appreciate the different yet complementary ways that men and women can participate in raising a child. If you have older children, breastfeeding the baby contributes toward their sex education. For a parent, it is an educational process itself, of a rank and value equal to a course of study at any prestigious institution of learning.

Breastfeeding is the best start in life for a baby. Unlike so much that is considered "best" and is often beyond one's wildest dreams, in this instance, the best is yours to give.

About LLLI's The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding

Filled with time-tested parenting information, along with personal stories from mothers, and fully backed by health care professionals, The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding is the definitive guide to breastfeeding for new mothers who want to understand and satisfy their babies' needs. Newly revised and updated, this classic book contains the latest scientific research on the health benefits of breastfeeding and offers support, encouragement, and guidance to new parents.

The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding is modestly priced and available for purchase at most Group meetings, as well as through the La Leche League International Online Catalog. It's also a perfect gift for new mothers!