Breast feeding is also called  Lactation or Nursing. It is the most natural and inexpensive way of caring for the baby’s health and well being.According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Policy Statement on Breastfeeding, women who don’t have health problems should exclusively breastfeed their infants for at least the first six months of life.  The AAP suggests that women try to breastfeed for the first 12 months of life because of the benefits to both the mother and baby.Breastfeeding offers many benefits to both baby and mother.

Benefits to the BABY: 

  • Breast milk provides the right balance of nutrients to help an infant grow into a strong and healthy toddler. 
  • Breastfed infants, and those who are fed expressed breast milk, have fewer deaths during the first year and experience fewer illnesses than babies fed formula. 
  • Some of the nutrients in breast milk also help protect an infant against some common childhood illnesses and infections, such as diarrhea, middle ear infections, and certain lung infections.
  • Some recent NICHD-supported research also suggests that breast milk contains important fatty acids (building blocks) that help an infant’s brain develop. Two specific fatty acids, known as DHA and AA, may help increase infants’ cognitive skills. Many types of infant formulas available in the United States are fortified with DHA and AA, and all formula available for preterm infants is fortified with these fatty acids.

Benefits to the MOTHER:

  • In response to the baby’s sucking, the mother’s body releases a hormone that makes her uterus contract and get smaller.
  • Many mothers also get emotional benefits from breastfeeding because of the closeness of this interaction with the baby and from the satisfaction of helping to nourish their babies.
  • Some research suggest that mothers who breastfeed their babies have fewer episodes of post-delivery depression.
  • There is evolving evidence to indicate that certain types of cancer (such as breast, uterus, and ovarian cancer) occur less often in mothers who have breastfed their babies. 
  • Interestingly, there are also some cases whereby some women illness like breast abscess or breast hardening are relieved as breast feeding helps to “empty” the breast.

There are some of the following unique situations where experts advise mothers not to breast feed their babies:

  • A woman with certain health conditions, such as HIV or active tuberculosis, should not breastfeed because she risks giving the infection to her infant through her breast milk.
  • Women who actively use drugs or do not control their alcohol intake, or who have a history of these situations, may also be advised not to breastfeed. Certain medicines, including some mood stabilizers and migraine medicines, can also pass through the breast milk and cause harm to the infant.
  • Women with certain chronic illnesses may be advised not to breastfeed, or to take special steps to ensure their own health while breastfeeding. For example, women who have diabetes may need to eat slightly more food while they breastfeed, to prevent their blood sugar levels from dropping. If a mother stops breastfeeding before the child is a year old, then she should feed her infant iron-fortified, commercially available formula. Health care providers advise women not to give their infants cow’s milk until the child is at least a year old.

(Source:National Institute of Child Health and Human Development)