Breastfeeding Benefits

Breastfeeding is a mother's gift to herself, her baby, and the earth.-Pamela K. Wiggins. In the recent years breastfeeding has been on the rise! In 2014, 79.2% women had ever breastfed in America. However, only 26% has breastfed until 12 months. There are so many hidden benefits of breastfeeding, why only give your child these benefits for a limited trial. Researchers in Brazil have followed nearly 6,000 babies from birth for the past three decades, enabling them for the first time to get an idea of the long-term effects of breastfeeding (The longer babies breastfeed, the more they achieve in life – major study) g. Nearly 3,500 of them, now 30-year-old adults, accepted an invitation to be interviewed and do IQ tests for the purpose of the

One main reason a mother will choose not to breastfeed is that it is hard and uncomfortable. Breastfeeding is one of the most precious gifts a mother could give her child. Everything in life comes with a price, and nothing is easy. At first breastfeeding might be uncomfortable, but it just takes the time to learn about it and get used to it. Although being uncomfortable, breastfeeding helps a mother lose weight. Breastfeeding requires an extra 500 calories a day, and mothers who eat a normal diet lose the weight they gained during pregnancy, rather than mothers who bottle feed their baby. In one study, mothers who breastfed exclusively or partially had significantly larger reductions in hip circumference and were less above their pre-pregnancy weights at 1 month postpartum than mothers who fed formula exclusively (D. L. al). Another reason a mother may choose not to breastfeed is because they don't have any time for breastfeeding. Adding some formula powder to a bottle with water for your baby's milk is faster than sitting down and breastfeeding your baby. However is it worth it? A baby is a little human being who needs all a mother's time. Breastfeeding also bonds a mother with her child. Every baby wants to be held by their mother. A baby who is cuddled next to his/her mother, suckling on her breast, is the happiest baby. Breastfeeding stimulates the release of the hormone oxytocin in the mother's

Firstly, breastfeeding saves the earth by saving money. Breastmilk is a valuable renewable natural resource that is the most ecologically sound food source available (Correa). A mother's breastmilk is a natural resource with the cost of $0. Many families struggle with buying formula when they have to pay for other expenses such as; diapers, bills, and baby clothes. However breastfeeding saves the money that is spent on formula. For example, the infant premium formula powder at Target is at a price of $25.99. These formula containers are very pricey and are a waste of money. Breastfeeding also saves the earth by saving the environment. Plastic is over piling inside land fields. Formula containers and bottles are made of plastic, and plastic doesn't go back into the earth. Therefore, by mothers using these items are wasting the use of plastic. Mothers can feed their babies with milk that comes from within herself. Breastfeeding can save the world by helping the use of plastic, and saving families a large sum of