“Breastfeeding is a mother’s gift to herself, her baby and the earth“. (Pamela Wiggins)
I am so happy and excited to talk about Golden August, aka, breastfeeding awareness month!
Whether you are a new mom or an experienced one, I believe that’s the one thing we can agree on: breastfeeding is not always easy and romantic.
I remember watching movies and tv shows before I had my first child and thinking that pregnancy and nursing were the most beautiful things on earth. And, it some form, it is. But it is also exhausting, demanding, and “ugly” at times.
I count myself extremely blessed by my breastfeeding journey. But I am also extremely aware that it does not happen like that to everybody.
How I breastfed my newborn while continuing breasfeeding my toddler – Breastfeeding Awareness Month
When my second child was born, the first one was 19 months to the day. Still nursing around the clock and not even close to weaning. I tell you more in-depth here.
And while I managed to make that work somehow, I could not tell you how many times I laid in bed, tears and all, feeling the mental and physical exhaustion from that.
But, as always with motherhood, we always focus on the one thing that keeps us going: the well-being of our kids. And breastfeeding is a huge part of it.
Some of the benefits from breastfeeding are well-known, and others we only learn once we are on this journey.
The benefits of breastfeeding include:
- Ideal Nutrition, including all nutrients your baby needs until 6 months of age, as many other nutritional values for much longer than that.
- Antibodies your baby needs, such as immunoglobulin, which forms a protective layer in the baby’s nose, throat, and digestive system. When your baby is exposed to virus or bacteria, your body produces antibodies to fight that which are then given to them via breastfeeding!
- Reduces diseases risks, including SIDS, diabetes, allergy, respiratory tract infections, childhood leukemia, asthma, eczema, cavities, and more.
- Promotes baby’s healthy weight! Breastfed babies have higher amounts of beneficial gut bacteria, which may affect fat storage and significantly reduces the chances of unhealthy overweight and obesity.
- The healthline.com page says that “Breastfeeding may help baby ace those tests. Some studies suggest there may be a difference in brain development between breastfed and formula-fed babies. This difference may be due to the physical intimacy, touch, and eye contact associated with breastfeeding as well as nutrient content. Studies indicate that breastfed babies have higher intelligence scores and are less likely to develop behavioral problems have learning difficulties as they grow older”.
The benefits of nursing are lifelong! – Breastfeeding Awareness Month
Teens and adults who have been breastfed are less likely to develop rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, heart disease, multiple sclerosis, hypertension, ovarian cancer, osteoporosis, breast cancer… just to name a few.
It is truly liquid gold!
But not only that… breastfeeding is also extremely beneficial to us, moms. – Breastfeeding Awareness Month
It has been proven that breastfeeding is not only an amazing source of life for our babies, but it also brings us incredible benefits.
Women that breastfeed may experience:
- faster weight loss after birth, burning about 500 extra calories a day to build and maintain a milk supply.
- more productive uterus contraction and return to normal size.
- less risk of postpartum depression.
- lower chances of developing diseases, such as high blood pressure, arthritis, high blood fats, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease.
- less chance of anemia.
- less postpartum bleeding.
- increased confidence and self-esteem.
- physical/emotional bonding between mother and child.
- naturally soothing hormones release (oxytocin and prolactin) that promote stress reduction and positive feelings in the nursing mother.
For more information, please check some of the sources for this post: The Cleveland Clinic, healthline.com.
If you are not able to breastfeed…
Breastfeeding Awareness Month would not be complete without talking about the limitations some mothers experience during their journey.
Please tune in next Sunday for a special post on this. You are not alone, and you are NOT TO BE SHAMED for not breastfeeding.
I’ll talk to you soon!