Did you just give birth and now you are wondering if you should breastfeed your little one or not?
Well, you certainly are in the right place and at the right time — this article will tell you some of the most amazing benefits that come with breastfeeding. This is most especially true if you choose to breastfeed exclusively for 6 months, meaning that you give your baby nothing but your breast milk.
Got family members and friends who are also new moms like you? Then make sure that you repost this later on so that they, too, may know that breastfeeding brings the following really impressive things.
It Provides Your Baby With All the Necessary Nutrients
What’s so truly fantastic about breast milk is that it consists of the right blend of nutrients that your baby needs. Needless to say, you can be spared from having to guess which among the numerous infant formulas on the current market is best for your baby — your breast milk is the best for him or her.
Did you know that the nutritional components of your breast milk also change as your newborn grows and develops? Your body knows exactly which nutrients your baby needs in every step of the way.
According to health authorities, the only nutrient that’s lacking in breast milk is vitamin D, and this is exactly the reason why vitamin D drops are often administered during the first 2 to 4 weeks.
But worry not because opting for a diet rich in vitamin D can help boost your breast milk’s vitamin D content. Some of the best food sources of it are milk, cheese, beef liver, egg yolks, fatty fish and food products fortified with it. Of course you can also get your stash of vitamin D from the sun.
It Strengthens Your Little One’s Immune System
Other than all the essential nutrients, your breast milk is also packed with antibodies — components of the immune system that attack invading microorganisms that can cause all kinds of illnesses and diseases.
This is exactly the reason why breastfeeding can help considerably lower your baby’s risk of ending up with all kinds of health-related concerns as a result of invading bacteria and viruses. Because your little one’s immune system is not yet fully developed to have his or her tiny body safeguarded, he or she needs all the antibodies that your breast milk can provide.
Middle ear infections, respiratory tract infections, gut infections, allergies — these and many other serious problems can be kept from striking simply by having your newborn’s immune system bolstered with the help of your breast milk.
It Lets You Lose Weight and Also Dodge Depression
Breastfeeding can certainly help your little one to gain weight, which is definitely good for him or her. Did you know that breastfeeding on the other hand can help you shed off baby weight naturally?
So if you cannot wait to wear again your trendy clothes before having a bun in the oven, consider having your newborn breastfed — both of you can benefit tremendously from such.
However, it’s not just accelerated weight loss that you may enjoy from breastfeeding. Experts say that it’s also something that can help you steer clear of postpartum depression, which is a form of depression that is commonly experienced by a lot of women after childbirth.
Mental health authorities say that postpartum depression can be blamed on many different factors. They include hormonal changes within and also the stress and fatigue that being a new mom brings. Breastfeeding is believed to help lower postpartum depression risk as a result of restored hormonal imbalance and also production of oxytocin, a hormone that can help fend off depression and anxiety.
