BREASTFEEDING

Why is breastfeeding my baby so important?

There are many reasons breastfeeding is good for both you and your child. The following information is provided by the California Department of Human Services:

• Human milk is uniquely suited for human infants
• Human milk is easy to digest and contains all the nutrients that babies need in the early months of life.
• Breast milk helps protect infants from a wide variety of illnesses.
• Fatty acids, unique to human milk, may help in the proper growth and development of your baby's brain and sight.
• In several large studies, children who had been breastfed had a small advantage over those who had been bottle fed when given a variety tests, including measures of IQ.

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How can breastfeeding help save my baby's life?

• Lack of breastfeeding is a risk factor for sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).
• Human milk may protect premature infants from life-threatening gastrointestinal diseases.

How can breastfeeding help my baby?

• Infants who are only breastfed for at least 4 months, are less likely to have ear infections in the first year of life.
• Breastfeeding helps lessen and reduce many bacterial infections, including meningitis.
• Breastfeeding protects against many illnesses, such as diarrhea and infant botulism (food poisoning).
• There is some evidence that if you only breastfeed your baby for at least two (2) months, it helps protect children from Type I insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (DDM).
• Breastfeeding may reduce the risk of bowel disease, multiple sclerosis and childhood lymphoma.

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How can breastfeeding help me?

• Breastfeeding can help in child spacing among women who do not use contraceptives (the Lactation Amenorrhea Method).
• Breastfeeding reduces the risk of breast and ovarian cancer.
• Breastfeeding may reduce the risk of osteoporosis.
• During lactation, total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and triglyceride levels decline while the bood HDL cholesterol level remains high.
• Breastfeeding helps mothers recover from childbirth.
• Breastfeeding helps the uterus shrink to its prepregnancy state and reduces the amount of blood lost after delivery.
• Mothers who breastfeed for at least 3 months may lose more weight than bottle-feeding mothers.
• Breastfeeding mothers usually start their menstrual cycles 20 to 30 weeks later than bottle-feeding mothers.

How can breastfeeding save me money?

• The cost of artificial baby milk (formula) has increased 150% since the 1980's.
• Breastfeeding reduces health care costs.

How is breastfeeding good for the environment?

• Unlike artificial baby milk (formula), breastfeeding doesn't require fuel in it's manufacture or preparation.
• Breastfeeding reduces the pollution created in producing and packaging formula.
• Breastfeeding reduces the amount of trash that goes into our landfills.