Breastfeeding is one of the healthiest things a new mom can do for her baby. It is also one of the greatest bonding experiences ever. I remember my babies looking up into my eyes as if to say thank you. I knew from the day I found out I was expecting a baby that if at all possible I would breastfeed. Due to an infection it was not easy with my first son. I was only able to breastfeed him for about 3 months. Breastfeeding for only three months still brought great health benefits. The first milk that is produced is considered to be the healthiest of all. The first milk is called colostrum. This milk protects a baby from infection. Having this first milk also helps the babies gut to develop properly. Research shows that even a small amount of nutrition other than breast milk will alter a babies gut. If not for the La Leche League I would not have made it three months. La Leche League is a support group consisting of mothers that are breastfeeding or have breastfed their babies. When my second son came along things went smoother and I was able to feed him for the first year of his life. The health difference I have noticed between the two is that my oldest son has allergies. My second son seems to not have any allergies at all. http://www.llli.org/

When you are exposed to germs your body produces antibodies to protect you from the germs. These antibodies are released into your breast milk. Therefore the antibodies against that particular germ is released into your breast milk and passed onto your baby.

Breastfeeding your babies offers a life time of benefit for them. It protects their immune system for the rest of their life. They will be less likely to develop diabetes, celiac disease, chrons disease and some cancers.

The other alternative to breast milk would be formula. Baby formula was never intended to be used as sole nutrition for an infant. It was intended to be used as a fill in when for some reason a mom had to be away. Baby formula is highly processed and actually increase a child’s chance of developing diabetes and other diseases.

Breastfeeding offers financial benefits. There is no expensive formula to buy. You need very few bottles, so less expense there. However, you will need to invest in a breast pump. These are not very expensive either. A breast pump is needed to pump the moms milk and put into a bottle. These bottles of milk can be frozen and used when needed. Pumping also gives the dads the opportunity to feed baby.

Breastfeeding also offers health benefits to mom. The health benefits to mom stays with her for a lifetime. Breastfeeding decreases a woman’s chance of developing breast cancer and cardiovascular disease. Breastfeeding offers natural birth control and helps a new mom lose that baby weight.

Why would a loving mom not breastfeed? Even if you can only breastfeed for a few days please consider doing it. Those first few days of breast milk is priceless to a babies health. It offers many health benefits for baby and for mom and saves a family money.

Resources:
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=breastfeeding-benefits-mothers

http://www.gynob.com/breastfed-baby-healthy-baby.html