Everyone knows that breastfeeding is the most nutritious way to feed your new baby. But, many do not know that breastfeeding also has tremendous benefits for mom. Breastfeeding releases oxytocin, it helps to shrink the uterus back to its regular size, among other things.
Check out five benefits of breastfeeding, according to todaysparent.com, below that cannot only help improve mom’s health in the short term, but in the long run as well.
Breastfeeding can help manage pain
A 2017 study concluded that mothers who breastfed their children for two months or more after a Cesarean were three times less likely to experience persistent pain.
Breastfeeding can reduce risk of PPD
Postpartum depression can affect a myriad of women, causing new moms to feel sad, fatigued, have no appetite, and have difficulty bonding with their babies. But, a 2012 research study in the International Journal of Psychiatry in Medicine, found that breastfeeding for the first four months can significantly reduce PPD.
Breastfeeding can help reduce risk of cancer
When you breastfeed, a new mother’s hormones are altered. Research has shown that this alteration of hormones, particularly if the mother breastfeeds for more than a year, can reduce breast cancer risk, as well as, lower the risk of ovarian cancer.
Breastfeeding can help to protect your heart
When Danish and US researchers looked at the connection between breastfeeding and heart health, they discovered that women who breastfed their children for at least four months, they had 20-30 percent lower risk of hypertension and heart disease.
Breastfeeding can help reduce the risk for diabetes
Type 2 diabetes is on the rise and breastfeeding can help protect new mothers against the disease. According to a study published in Jama International Medicine, breastfeeding for six months or more cut women’s chances of developing type 2 diabetes in half. This even held true for women who suffered in the past with gestational diabetes.
Breastfeeding definitely creates a special bond with mother and child. And it truly looks like there are more benefits than not!
