THE BENEFITS OF BREASTFEEDING

benefits of breastfeeding

🖊 Batoul Khalifeh  🕓 2022-08-08  🗀 Motherhood,   20 minutes

What is motherhood? What does it really take to be called a mother?These questions are as challenging to answer as they are simple. Yes, the mother is the one who biologically gives birth; and absolutely yes, a mother is the one who is tender enough to adopt children and raise them as her own; But being a mother is also about much more than that, isn’t it? There’s some large, overwhelming, and beautiful piece at the center of motherhood that is so hard to put words to. Motherhood is an intense feeling and not a logical scientific explanation. Maybe that piece is best-called love! If so, it is truly a unique love reserved for the mother/child relationship. And when you’ve felt it, you know it. However, Ladies, when you give birth, you can give your baby something that no one else can. Your breastmilk!

There are several benefits of breastfeeding


As you approach the end of your pregnancy, your body starts preparing itself to breastfeed. Breast milk is the perfect food for your baby, as it contains the best combination of ingredients for a strong immune system and overall growth and development. There are numerous benefits of breastfeeding, not only for your baby but also for you.


Breast milk provides all the nutrition your baby needs for the first six months of life. No additional food or water is recommended, as it makes feeding your baby easier. Your breast milk contains the perfect blend of nutrients, fat, and protein for your baby to grow at just the right rate.

There are many more natural benefits of breastfeeding that both you and your baby can enjoy.

It has been proven that Breastfed babies have a lower risk for developing certain medical conditions, including diabetes, obesity, asthma, and ear infections.
As time passes and your baby grows, your milk changes to meet the new nutritional components your baby requires.

Your baby will likely start natural breastfeeding not long after they’re born, often within the first few hours. At first, your milk supply will be made up of something called colostrum, a protein-rich, often thick, liquid, that helps your baby stay hydrated. It’s full of antibodies that also help guard your newborn against infections.
Your milk provides abundant and easily absorbed nutritional components, antioxidants, enzymes, immune properties, and live antibodies from the mother. A mother’s more mature immune system makes antibodies to the germs to which she and her baby have been exposed. These antibodies then enter her milk to help protect her baby from illness.
It is also important to mention that feeding colostrum in the first hour increases the likelihood that babies will continue to be breastfed which gives them a head start in the “race against malnutrition”.

Colostrum is the sticky yellow-white substance yielded by the mother’s breast soon after birth. It is rich in antibodies and essential nutrients. Yet, in many cultures, ignoring its important health benefits, the majority throw it away as per the usual customs. Giving newborns water or other liquids denies them a “good start in life”, says the World Health Organization (WHO).
Does this mean breastfed babies never get sick? No, they can and will. However, the illness is generally less severe and less lengthy than if the baby was not receiving their mother’s milk.

Other benefits of breastfeeding include the mother-baby bond. As Breastfeeding provides time to interact with your baby one-on-one, Physical contact comforts both of you and makes your baby feel more secure.

The early initiation of breastfeeding – putting newborns to the breast within the first hour of life – safeguards infants from dying during the most vulnerable time in their lives.
Immediate skin-to-skin contact and starting breastfeeding early keeps a baby warm, builds his or her immune system, promotes bonding, boosts a mother’s milk supply, and increases the chances that she will be able to continue exclusive breastfeeding.

In addition, Breast Milk is safe as it is at the right temperature, requires no preparation, and is available even in environments with poor sanitation and unsafe drinking water.

Not To forget, It is less expensive. Breast milk is free. There are only a few things you may need to buy. These include nursing bras, nursing pads, and a breast pump if you plan to pump milk to give to your baby.

For how much you breastfeed your baby?


Finally, how long you decide to breastfeed your baby is up to you, yet healthcare providers recommend using breast milk for the first six months of your child’s life, either by breastfeeding or pumping your milk and using a bottle. If you can, you should continue to use breast milk throughout your baby’s first year, even if you add new foods to their diet. After that, the benefits are less significant for your baby and they will be transitioning to a solid food diet. Always remember that you need to do what works best for you. Some moms really enjoy breastfeeding and feel comfortable continuing past their baby’s first birthday, while some moms have a great deal of difficulty breastfeeding. The choice is yours as it is up to you ONLY to decide what to do with your body, yet always Remember that the first six months are the most important to the life of your child. If you have concerns and fears from some rumors, you once heard, get based on actual facts and talk to your healthcare team about the pros and cons of breastfeeding and its best timeline.

As a first-time mother it is normal to be afraid of the experience, Relax as Breastfeeding is a learned skill and needs practice, but trust me, the health benefits you gain for yourself and your baby are worth it. Help with breastfeeding is available and It’s important to remember that there are no stupid questions when it comes to caring for your child!