Benefits of Breastfeeding

Benefits of Breastfeeding The arrival of a newborn brings about a myriad of decisions. Cloth or store-bought diapers, co-sleeping or crib, and what parent gets what particular shift during the night are just a few. However, one of the most important and personal choices is how the little one will be receiving his or her required nourishment. The options are few until the baby can reach an age to consume and properly digest mass produced dairy products. This usually leaves mothers with a decision between a formula based diet or breastfeeding. Not only does breastfeeding positively impact the lives of both mother and child, the benefits of breast milk over formula are numerous: they include health, emotional, and financial benefits along with the convenience of non-preparation. There are many health benefits to breastfeeding for the child as well as for the mother. In the first hours after birth, the mother’s body makes colostrum which is often referred to as “liquid gold.” Colostrum is very thick and is only available in small amounts, which is all that a newborn baby can handle. The colostrum is present about two weeks after giving birth; it is very concentrated during the first three to four days and then gradually decreases as the mature milk comes in (What is Colostrum?). While breast milk changes to meet the developmental requirements, the manufacturers of formula do not offer a change until the baby reaches twelve months of age. In Kathleen Huggins’ book The Nursing Mother’s Companion, she informs her readers that colostrum protects the baby’s intestines from bacteria and illness (38). Huggins also explains, “Colostrum stimulates the baby’s early bowel movements. The black, tarry first stools, called meconium, contain bilirubin, the substance that causes newborn jaundice” (38). Since colostrum aides in ridding the body of bilirubin, the more often the baby drinks the mother’s milk, the chance of having a severe case of jaundice is reduced

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