The Advantages of Breast Milk: Nine Perks of This Perfect Food

Breast milk is the best food to give to your baby, starting from the time they’re born until they’re around two years old. Not all moms can breastfeed their children that long, but the bottom line is that the longer you nurse your baby, the better off they’ll be in numerous ways. In many ways, breast milk can be considered a perfect food, and if you’re interested in learning some specific advantages of breast milk, below are a few of them.

 

1. It Has the Perfect Combination of Nutrients

Breast milk has the right amounts of protein, vitamins, water, sugar, carbs, and fats, which means that it provides all babies with the exact nutrients they need regardless of what those nutrients are. It also doesn’t matter what the baby’s gender, age, or ethnic background is because all breast milk is the perfect food for all babies. Naturally, moms have to eat right in order to get the best results, but most of the advantages are in the milk naturally.

 

2. It Has Excellent Antibodies for the Immune System

Breastfed babies have fewer incidents of diarrhea, ear infections, and respiratory problems due to the amount of antibodies found in breast milk. In fact, when it comes to allergies and infections in general, breastfed babies don’t have nearly the number of problems as formula-fed babies do. Even the best and highest-quality formula on the market will not provide these antibodies, causing non-breastfed babies to suffer with more ear infections, pneumonia, and other illnesses.

 

3. It Is Very Easily Digestible

Since breast milk is natural, it is super easy for babies to digest, meaning that they also have much fewer tummy troubles. When the milk is digested, babies tend to fall asleep faster and sleep better throughout the night. On the other hand, breastfed babies may be hungrier more often simply because the milk is digested so easily, but this is a small price to pay for knowing that your baby is getting the perfect food that is great for their digestive system and sleep patterns.

 

4. It Is Thought to Ward Off Certain Diseases

Study after study has suggested that breastfed babies tend to have a much lower chance of experiencing certain illnesses and diseases. These include ovarian and breast cancer, diabetes, obesity, certain skin conditions, leukemia, sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), osteoporosis, eyesight problems, and asthma. It doesn’t mean that a breastfed child can’t get these illnesses, but they are much less likely to happen.

 

5. It Helps Keep the Mother in Good Shape

Every time a mom nurses, the hormone oxytocin is released, which contracts the uterus and makes it smaller. Nursing also burns tons of calories, which means that Mom can lose pregnancy pounds much more quickly than moms who feed their babies formula. So, when you nurse your baby, both you and the baby are getting excellent care that you need to thrive and stay healthy.

 

6. It Helps Make Babies Smarter

This is one area that excites parents quite a bit. Many different studies have suggested that breast milk is better than formula when it comes to proper brain development, which has resulted in breastfed kids doing better on intelligence tests and even have much fewer problems when it comes to their behavior. It isn’t considered conclusive proof, but each of the studies in this area seems to be a little more promising than earlier ones.

 

7. It Helps Keep the Baby’s Weight at a Healthy Level

While it isn’t impossible, it is very difficult for babies to gain too little or too much weight while they’re being breastfed. With the perfect amount of nutrients in this all-natural product, babies who are breastfed typically have a perfect weight regardless of how long they’re nursed. This doesn’t mean, of course, that you can neglect your own diet; keep in mind that just like pregnancy, your baby eats what you eat while you nurse, which means that eating healthy is a must.

 

8. Babies Can Live on Nothing but Breast Milk for the First Six Months

For the first six months of a baby’s life, they can live on nothing but breast milk and thrive and be healthy. After six months, they’ll need to be introduced to solid baby food to get everything they need, but you can breastfeed exclusively for the first six months of a baby’s life and they’ll be healthy and happy the entire time. Many moms choose to nurse until the child is a year old and ready for milk products, but that is up to the mother.

 

9. It Saves Mothers Both Time and Money

Formula is expensive, but breast milk is not. When you nurse, you can save up to $200 or more per month on formula alone, not counting the bottles, nipples, bottle brushes, and bottle warmers. If you’re out running errands, you can stop and nurse anytime you need to because there’s no need to search for a place to warm up the bottle and lug all of those bottles around in your diaper bag. A hungry baby can eat immediately, and all you have to do to start is find a discreet place to nurse.

This also means that you can nurse on demand regardless of where you are because breast milk is free and available at the perfect temperature all the time. If you’re a busy mom who’s always on the go, dealing with formula can be a real hassle, but nursing helps make feeding time easier.