Oftentimes the health of babies and children is the focus when the benefits of breastfeeding are discussed. However, breastfeeding holds many wonderful benefits for mothers as well. Breastfeeding provides several different short-term and long-term physical health benefits for mothers. In the short-term, breastfeeding burns 300 to 500 calories a day, which can help mothers to lose the weight they gained during pregnancy. Some possible long-term benefits from breastfeeding include a decreased risk for breast and ovarian cancer later on in life.
The hormonal effects of breastfeeding benefit mothers in several different ways. A primary example of this is the release of the hormone oxytocin during the act of breastfeeding. Oxytocin helps a woman to heal after she has delivered a baby because it causes the uterus to contract. These contractions help the uterus return to its normal size more quickly and also serve to reduce post-delivery blood loss. The release of oxytocin also facilitates attachment and bond building between mother and baby.
An additional hormonal benefit from breastfeeding is that it can serve as a natural contraceptive method. This is because the hormone prolactin suppresses the hormone estrogen, which prevents a woman from ovulating and means that she cannot get pregnant. This form of contraception is called the Lactational Amenorrhea Method (LAM). In order for this to be an effective method, the mother must be certain to follow certain conditions such as breastfeeding her baby regularly and frequently throughout the day and night, in addition to refraining from feeding her baby formula. By properly employing LAM, a woman could effectively delay the return of her menstrual periods for the first six months of her child’s life.
The mental and emotional health benefits of breastfeeding are also very important. Sometimes these benefits are overlooked because they are difficult to quantify or measure. However, it is essential to discuss them when considering breastfeeding. One example of this is the fact that breastfed children are much less likely to develop severe illnesses. The stress of caring for a very sick child can be overwhelming for a mother. However, breastfeeding lowers the potential for a child to become sick, thus lowering the potential for a mother to have to endure a difficult situation involving illness.
It is also important to consider the time, money and energy saved by breastfeeding. Formula is expensive and must be prepared and properly heated. Not only that, but bottles have to be cleaned and sterilized very carefully. By breastfeeding, mothers can completely avoid those issues and focus on their new babies instead. In addition to all of these benefits, breastfeeding can be a very empowering and fulfilling act for a woman by giving her the knowledge that she herself is able to nourish and provide for her child’s nutritional needs.