If you are pregnant or have just had a newborn baby, you might be wondering whether or not you would like to breastfeed your child.
It is, and always has been, a big point of discussion and a lot of people have different views on the matter.
Before we start discussing it here, it’s important to mention that not all mothers will be able to breastfeed for medical reasons and that is ok. You shouldn’t feel any guilt or shame for this, and it is important to know it isn’t your fault and nothing awful will happen to your baby if you don’t breastfeed. The point of this article is simply to highlight the benefits to people who are physically able to do so and who are so far on the fence with their decision.
As long as that sits ok with everyone, let’s continue.
If you are thinking about whether to breastfeed or not, there are lots of advantages and benefits to be aware of before you would decide not to do it.
In my opinion, it is a great opportunity for your child in terms of health and wellness and it is something that shouldn’t be missed out on if at all possible.
According to the NHS, these are just some of the health benefits in-store when you choose to breastfeed:
- Protection for your baby from infection and disease
- Decreased risk for baby of diarrhoea and vomiting
- Decreased risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)
- Decreased chance of future obesity
- Lowered chances of cardiovascular disease
Your breast milk is specifically and naturally designed for your baby and so it makes complete sense that it would have such positive health benefits for them. Of course, it is important to remember that your child won’t be hopelessly ill if you decide not to or aren’t able to breastfeed, this is all about decreasing the chances of certain illnesses. Breastfed children can still get unwell and non-breastfed children are perfectly capable of being well.
Aside from the health benefits for your baby, there are even more benefits in store for both of you if you decide to breast-feed, these include:
- Strengthening of the bond between mother and child
- Ease and accessibility: breast milk is available all the time and costs nothing
- Increased health and vitality of the mother
- Release of hormones in mother
- Reduced chance of cancers in mother, including breast and ovarian cancer
- Decreased possibility of mother become obese after birth
As you can see, breastfeeding is not only an advantage for your baby, it holds a lot of power and benefit for mothers too.
If it is something that is possible and safe, research and data would suggest that breastfeeding is the best way to go for mothers and their newborn children.
What do you think?
If you have any comments or feedback about this topic, drop us a comment in the comment section below and let us know your thoughts.
It’s always interesting and valuable to get a range of opinions on topics such as these.
