Breastfeeding – What’s All the Fuss About?

Sure – it’s common knowledge that ‘breast is best’ for both mom and baby, but why exactly? Although each mom and family makes the decision to breastfeed for their own reasons, here are just a few of the fabulous benefits we can all expect from breastmilk feeding your little one.

For a Healthy Baby, Please See Attached
Research is constantly coming out to support the health benefits of breastfeeding for baby. It would be impossible to cite all of that here, but just a few include:

In addition, breastmilk is said to be the perfect food for infants[v] for the reasons above, but also because it’s perfectly customized to your particular baby and his or her environment by the immunities that your body has already developed and is passing on to your little one[vi] .

For example, did you know that the breastmilk your body produces for a full-term baby is different than what your body would have produced had you had a preemie[vii] ? And your breastmilk changes as baby grows in a way that perfectly meets baby’s nutritional needs at that stage in their development. Just as your body knew exactly what to do for those months you were pregnant, it continues to know the best thing to do after baby is born. Pretty amazing!

Sharing the Wealth with Mom
Although the benefits for your baby are probably the biggest part of why you’ve decided to breastfeed, you will also get some major positive results for yourself too. For example:

The list doesn’t stop there, but that’s just a small snapshot of why breastfeeding is fabulous for the health of all involved.

Have Food – Will Travel
The only thing worse than getting up for a 4:00 am feeding (after the 12:00am feeding, which was before the 2:00am feeding), is having to take an additional 20 minutes away from everyone’s sleep to make and heat a bottle. And doing all that one-handed. (The other hand, of course, being occupied with a crying and hungry baby.) Already the perfect formulation and temperature, breastmilk couldn’t be more convenient.

Kids Eat Free
The cost of formula for a year (depending on the type) is around $1600[xiii] ! Or if you think in terms like we do, about 32 pairs of really fabulous shoes, 420 non-fat decaf lattes, or a nice bit of change towards that college education. And that’s not the whole story - research shows that infants who were never breastfed would incur additional medical costs of $331 to $475 a year[xiv] . Which is on top of the time off that mom would have to take to get her sick baby to the doctor. Thinking only in terms of money saved, that’s a pretty nice side-effect to making the best choice for her baby’s health!

Fewer Leftovers After Meals
Bottles, bottle milk bags, formula cans, energy to heat bottles – you name it, the waste and environmental implications of formula feeding also add up. And speaking of waste, another benefit anyone who has ever changed a dirty diaper will REALLY appreciate is the…shall we say…"odor" benefits to breastfeeding. A breastmilk fed baby’s dirty diaper is nearly odorless, while a formula fed baby’s is quite the opposite, to put it gently!

We could go on and on with this topic, because the research is so extensive and incredibly supportive about the positive benefits of breastfeeding. But in the end, whether it's how lovingly and honestly your little one gazes up at you while feeding, because of the health benefits or the economic benefits, breastfeedmilk feeding your baby has a wonderful and long-term impact on you both. 

[i] Lucas A, Brooke OG, Morley R, et al. "Early diet of preterm infants and development of allergic ar atopic disease: randomized prospective study." Br Med J. 1990:300:837-840
Halken S, Host A, Hansen LG, et al. "Effect of an allergy prevention programme on incidence of atopic symptoms in infancy". Ann Allergy. 1992;47:545-553
Saarinen UM, Kajossari M. "Breastfeeding as prophylaxis against atopic disease: prospective follow-up study until 17 years old." Lancet. 1995;346:1065-1069
[ii] Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Med., July 1995
[iii]Mayer, EJ, Hamman RF, Gay EC, et al. "Reduced risk of IDDM among breast-fed children". Diabetes, 1988;37:1625-1632
[iv] Frank Al, Taber LH, Glezen WP, et al. "Breast-feeding and respiratory virus infection." Pediatrics 1982;70:239-245 Wright AI, Holberg DJ, Martinez FD, et al. "Breast feeding and lower respiratory tract illness in the first year of life." Br Med J. 1989;299:935-949
[v]A.A.P. Breastfeeding Policy Statement: Breastfeeding and the Use of Human Milk (RE2729)
[vi]Koutras, A.K., "Fecal Secretory Immunoglobulin A in Breast Milk vs. Formula Feeding in Early Infancy". J. Ped Gastro Nutr 1989.
[vii] Hamosh, Margit, PhD, Georgetown University Medical Center "Breast-feeding: Unraveling the Mysteries of Mother's Milk".
[viii] Dewey KG, Heinig MJ, Nommwen LA. Maternal weight-loss patterns during prolonged lactation. Am J Clin Nutr 1993;58:162-166
[ix] The Complete Book Of Breastfeeding M.S. Eiger. MD, S. Wendkos Olds. Copyright 1972, 1987 Comstock, Inc., Workman Publishing Co., Inc.
[x] Newcomb PA, Storer BE, Longnecker MP, et al. Lactation and a reduced risk of premenopausal breast cancer. N Engl J Med. 1994;330:81-87
[xi] Schneider, A.P. "Risk Factor for Ovarian Cancer." New EnglandJournal of Medicine, 1987.
[xii] Petterson B, et al. "Menstruation span- a time limited risk factor for endometrial carcinoma." Acta Obstst Gyneocol Scand 1986;65:247-55
[xiii] Formula prices below are based on an average daily consumption of 30 ounces per day. Prices from Publix Supermarkets, Orlando, FL (April 2005)
[xiv] April 1999 issue of the journal Pediatrics

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