Kim@BirthingDays.com | 541-733-4002
Did you know breastfeeding benefits your health and well-being in many ways? And the many advantages of breastfeeding for mothers start from the very first feed.
1. Helps the Uterus Contract
The moment you have skin-to-skin contact with your newborn, your body experiences a rush of oxytocin. Nicknamed ‘the love hormone’ or ‘the cuddle chemical’, it helps promotes bonding, but it also helps your uterus contract. And all that contracting helps stop after-birth bleeding, heal your uterus, and shrink it back down to its pre-pregnancy size.
2. Reduces Cesearn Pain
According to a study done by the European Society of Anaesthesiology, moms who breastfed for up to two months after a c-section delivery are three times less likely to experience pain than moms who don’t breastfeed.
3. Decrease the Risk of Postpartum Depression
Research suggests that moms who breastfeed for up to four months are less likely to experience postpartum depression. This is due to the endorphins that are released when you nurse.
4. Post-Pregnancy Weight Loss
Moms who exclusively breastfeed their babies need an average of 400-500 more calories per day. Your body is working overtime to produce all that milk for baby, and this may help some mothers lose excess pregnancy weight more quickly. However, for some moms, their bodies will hold on to the extra fat reserves to produce milk.
4. Decreased Risk of Breast and Ovarian Cancers
Research suggests that one of the biggest benefits of breastfeeding for mama is that it reduces your risk of developing breast cancer later in life.
5. Heart Health
Moms who breastfeed are at lower risk of high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and heart disease. Breastfeeding also has a positive impact on your heart’s health.
6. Decrease the Risk of Diabetes
Breastfeeding also lowers your chance of getting diabetes (even if you had gestational diabetes) by helping to control insulin and lower blood sugar levels. Breastfeeding for longer than five months cuts your risk by more than half.
7. Decreases the Risk of Multiple Sclerosis (MS)
Women who breastfed one or more children for a total of 15 months or more were less likely to develop MS. Researchers say more research is needed to determine whether breastfeeding is directly responsible for reducing the risk of developing the disease.
8. Live Longer
Breastfeeding improves mama’s overall health in so many ways, one study suggests that one of the biggest benefits of breastfeeding is that it could actually help you live longer.