4.

Breastfeeding protects babies from allergy or lessens the effects of allergies in

children. One reason for this is the colostrum that forms a protective lining in the
babys intestines. Babies who are fed cows milk or soya milk tend to have more
allergic reactions compared to breastfed babies. This is because cows milk is harder
to digest. The undigested proteins cross the babys gut and causes allergic reactions
and other health problems.

5. Breastfeeding lowers the risk of SIDS (Sudden Infant Death) in babies.

Breastfeeding exclusively or partially lowers the risk of SIDS according to a German
study published in 2009. Bottle feeding increases the risk by two of five times.

6. Breastfeeding helps ensure that the child is given ample time by the mother
through the regular feedings. Breastfeeding helps make sure that the mother in
spite of her busyness will spend time with her baby. The frequent feedings that a
mother cannot delegate (when breastfeeding directly) helps promote mother-child
bonding. Aside from this, the mother doesnt need to be away from her baby when
she gets sick with colds for example. She can continue to breastfeed her baby
because the baby receives antibodies from her that protect the baby from colds.

7. Breastfeeding gives the child a strong sense of security. The constant

togetherness that is brought about by breastfeeding helps communicate the
message to the child that his mother is usually there to answer to his needs.
Breastfeeding helps build a secure environment for the child from infancy and early
childhood, something that is crucial in a childs early development. Physical contact
is very important to newborns. In fact, one of the techniques recommended for
helping newborns gain weight is more skin-to-skin contact.

8. Breastfed babies are more intelligent. One reason for this is the frequent and
regular interactions between the mother/caregiver and the child that paves the way
for more brain connections to be made. Since breastmilk is easily digested, a
breastfed baby gets hungry more frequently. This results in more interactions with
the babys mother or caregiver.
Another reason is the components of breastmilk itself. One key component of
breastmilk is the brain-boosting fat called DHA. This is an essential nutrient for the
growth, development and maintenance of the brain tissue. It was discovered that
the brains of breastfed babies compared to formula-fed babies have higher
concentrations of DHA and that breastfed babies who were breastfed longer have
highest levels of DHA. This was based on the autopsy analysis of the babies brain

tissue. Breastmilk also contains a lot of cholesterol which provides the basic
components in the manufacture of nerve tissue in the growing brain. Moreover,
DHA, cholesterol and other breastmilk fats make way for the manufacture of myelin.
Myelin provides insulation to nerve fibers making it possible for the nerves to carry
information from one part of the brain or body to another. Another component of
breastmilk is lactose. Lactose is broken down into simple sugar by the body such as
glucose and galactose. Galactose is needed in brain tissue development. Studies of
anthropologist showed that the more intelligent species of mammals have more
amounts of lactose in their milk and human milk is one of those with the highest
concentration. Cows milk has some lactose in input not as much as the lactose in
human milk. Soy-based milk and lactose-free milk contain table sugar only and corn
syrup. Breastmilk also contains brain and body-building protein components.
Prolonged and exclusive breastfeeding significantly improves cognitive development
according to a research done on more than 17,000 babies who were followed from
birth to six and half years of age. Another study involving 4,000 children showed
that babies who were breastfed had significantly higher scores on a vocabulary test
at 5 years of age compared to the children who were not breastfed. It also showed
that babies who were breastfed longer had higher scores.

In Giving, We Receive: Benefits for mothers

1. Breastfeeding lowers the risk of being overweight among breastfeeding mothers.
According to the booklet that I read, a breastfeeding mom can lose an average of
0.44 kg in weight for every month that she breastfeeds. A mom, therefore, who
breastfeeds longer loses more weight after delivery as she continues to breastfeed.
I read from La Leche League Internationals website that milk production requires
200 to 500 calories per day. A formula-feeding mom would need to swim at least 30
laps in a pool to burn this much to calories. A breastfeeding mom uses this much to
breastfeed her child. This is one of the benefits of breastfeeding that I experienced
in both of my pregnancies. I was able to get back to my pre-pregnancy weight and
shape faster even without regular exercise. Fitting into my old clothes which I used
to wear before getting pregnant was one of my joys! It saved me thousands of
pesos since I didnt have to overhaul my wardrobe after giving birth to my sons.

2. Breastfeeding lowers the risk of breast and ovarian cancer in mothers. Mothers
who breastfed longer and breastfed more children had lower risk of ovarian cancer.
The innate immune system in breastmilk provides protection for maternal breast
tissue. Studies found out that the longer mother breastfed, the greater is their
immunity to these two kinds of cancers. This could be because lactation suppresses
the amount of estrogen that the body produces.

3. Studies showed that the bone density of mothers who breastfed their children go
back to pre-pregnancy level or become higher after they wean their kids. There is
also lower incidence of hip fractures in moms who breastfed especially after
menopause. The recovery of bone mineral density in breastfeeding moms start as
soon as their babies eat solid food and not only when they wean.

5. Breastfeeding for more than 12 months reduces womens risk of rheumatoid

arthritis. The shorter the length of breastfeeding the higher the risk of rheumatoid
arthritis.

6. Breastfeeding lowers the risk of post-partum depression in mothers.

Breastfeeding lowers the stress level of mothers. The reasons for this is the release
of the hormone oxytocin while breastfeeding. Oxytocin calms mothers and helps
their milk flow. This is the same hormone that helps the uterus contract to go back
to natural size and helps limit post=partum bleeding. I think another factor that
contributes to this is that moms are able to pacify their babies faster by offering the
breast. It can take a longer time for a mom to prepare formula for her baby even if
the milk has been proportioned. The milk needs to be dissolved in the water
completely. The mom needs to check if its temperature is just right. And while the
mom does all these, the hungry baby keeps on crying which can stress not only the
mother but also the other adults arounds.

7. Breastfeeding lowers high blood pressure and sugar level. It also lowers the risk
of heart problems in mothers. It should be noted that heart attacks are the leading
cause of death in woman.

8. Breastfeeding delays the return of menstrual periods, which protects the mother
from iron-deficiency anemia and helps her space pregnancies. It usually takes
months before my menstruation would come back after I give birth. With my second
child, it was already almost a year before I had my menstruation again since Im
breastfeeding him exclusively until now. I think it was already after a year that my
menstruation became regular. I read in another website that there are women

whose menses do not come for years and that this is due to the very frequent
breastfeeding sessions they have with their kids. I learned that these women not
only use their breasts to feed their babies but also to soothe and pacify them. Ive
read that the temporary cessasion of menses in the mother after giving birth is
called Lactational Amenorrhea (LAM). LAM is the most effective during a babys first
six months of life when the baby does not take any other food or drink but
breastfeeds exclusively from the mom and the moms menstrual period has not
returned since she gave birth (bleeding after giving birth during the first eight
weeks does not count here). This makes breastfeeding a natural contraceptive.
Although it is said that LAM is most effective during the babys first six months of
life and when all the conditions I mentioned earlier are present, some women really
do not conceive while breastfeeding. This was my experience. I did not get pregnant
in the two years that I was breastfeeding our eldest son. I only got pregnant after I
weaned him. That was two months after I stopped breastfeeding him. My husbands
and I do not use any artificial contraceptive. We use the natural family planning
methods only.

I recently discovered that this was also the experience of the people in the bible. An
example can be found in Hosea 1:8 (GW) It said After Gomer had weaned Lord
Ruhamah, she became pregnant again and had a son
9. Breastfeeding saves time because its convenient. When a mom breastfeeds her
child directly, she doesnt need to get a lot of things to feed her child. She only
needs her breast and she can instantly provide food for her baby. Compared to
bottle-feeding, parents need to use bottles, nipples, formula, water and sterilizer.
The hands of those who prepare the milk need to be washed and cleaned to make
sure that no germs get into the milk. The breastmilks temperature is always ready
for feeding unlike with formula wherein sometimes you need to cold the water or
milk first because hot water was used.
10. Breastfeeding helps families save thousands of pesos since parents do not buy
milk formula and hardly spend on medicines and hospitalization because kids are
not sickly. The money that we could have used to buy formula if our kids were not
breastfed was used instead to pay for their vaccines.
11. Breastfeeding empowers moms, given them a sense of fulfillment and
confidence. It also protects moms from feelings of guilt when their kids get sick
since they know that they have done their best to give the best protection from
diseases to their babies through breastfeeding. Breastfeeding helps mom know and
appreciate their bodies more. Moms feel good knowing that they have contributed
to their kids good health. This also leads to greater peace of mind since moms need
not worry about diseases as much as moms who formula-fed their babies.

12. Breastfeeding helps create a special and strong bond between mothers and
their children. I think this is the most precious gift that breastfeeding gives to
mothers. Breastfeeding, especially extended breastfeeding, promotes a unique
closeness that goes beyond physical closeness between the nursing mothers her
child. The constant togetherness, the good feelings associated with nursing brought
about by the hormones, and the knowledge of being able to nourish her own child at
her breast increases the mothers attachment to her children. These are things that
bottle-feeding (especially if done by other caregivers) moms are deprived of.