Breastfeeding—Good for Babies, Good for Moms!

Caroline Steele, MS, RD, CSP, IBCLC
Manager of CHOC Clinical Nutrition & Lactation Services
International Board Certified Lactation Consultant

Breastfeeding is the perfect food for babies!  It provides the best nutrition for babies, offers health benefits for both mom and baby, and is easily available when it is time to eat.

Help celebrate one of nature’s best inventions during World Breastfeeding Week!  World Breastfeeding Week is celebrated every year August 1st through 7th in more than 120 countries with the goal of encouraging breastfeeding and improving the health of babies.  It commemorates the declaration made by the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF in 1990 to promote and support breastfeeding worldwide.  The American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Dietetic Association, and the WHO all recommend exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months of life with the addition of baby foods in addition to breastmilk until the baby is at least one year old or beyond. 

Besides the nutritional benefits of breastmilk, here are some things you might not know about breastfeeding:

1. Helps mothers and babies develop a strong bond.
2. Reduces a child’s risk of developing a variety of illnesses and chronic diseases including respiratory and ear infections as well as diabetes, asthma, SIDS, obesity, and allergies.
3. Enhances brain development.  Breastfed babies have been found to have higher IQ scores later in life than those who did not receive breastmilk.
4. May help prevent having a picky eater.  The flavor of breastmilk changes based on what foods a mom eats.  This exposes a baby to many different flavors which can help her adapt to new foods later on.
5. Helps moms lose pregnancy weight.  Making milk burns an additional 300-500 calories each day.
6. Reduces a mother’s risk of certain types of cancer and type II diabetes.
7. Breastmilk is always fresh, clean, safe and at the right temperature, plus it’s free.
8. Prevents overfeeding.  A breasfeeding baby will stop nursing when he is full.

So join us and lactation consultants worldwide in celebrating nature’s best food.   Breastfeeding—it’s good for babies, good for moms!