Breastfed babies are shown to have a lowered risk of the following diseases:
- celiac disease
- diabetes
- multiple sclerosis
- sudden infant death syndrome
- childhood cancer
- autoimmune thyroid disease
- appendicitis
- osteoporosis
- cardiovascular disease
- juvenile rheumatoid arthritis
- obesity
- tonsillitis
- allergies and asthma
And breastfeeding isn't just good for babies/children... it benefits moms as well! Women who have breastfed have been shown to have reduced risks of postpartum depression, osteoporosis, breast and ovarian cancers, and type 2 diabetes. Women who breastfeed were also shown to return to their pre-pregnancy weight more quickly. (Breastfeeding and Maternal and Infant Health Outcomes in Developed Countries, prepared for the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services)
Breastfeeding is also an invaluable mothering tool. Nothing can calm a toddler tantrum or lull a baby to sleep or make an owie feel better like mama's milk!! And again, it's not just calming for little ones... the oxytocin reduced during breastfeeding helps to calm anxiety and elevate mood in the mama too!
One of the most important steps you can take towards successful breastfeeding--whether you're newly pregnant or you're a new mom struggling to get comfortable with breastfeeding--is to find your nearest La Leche League and attend a meeting. You can find a list of topics and answers to frequently asked questions here: http://www.llli.org/nb.html. If you don't have internet access and need to get in touch with a La Leche League leader, you can call 1-800-LALECHE any time.
Here are some other great resources for breastfeeding support:
- The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding
- Adventures in Tandem Nursing
- Nursies When the Sunshines
- http://kellymom.com/
- http://bestforbabes.com/
- http://paa.la/
- The funniest blog post on the benefits of breastfeeding ever written, by MODG
