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Breast milk is the perfect food for your baby. Many health organizations—Health Canada and the World Health Organization (WHO)—recommend that mothers breastfeed their newborn babies.

What are the advantages of breastfeeding?

Health benefits for baby: Breast milk naturally contains all the nutrition your baby needs. The nutrients in your breast milk also change over time to fulfill your baby’s changing nutritional needs. Breast milk is easier to digest than formula. It is full of antibodies that help protect your baby from infections. In addition, studies suggest that breastfed children may have higher intelligence scores than those who are not breastfed.

Breastfed babies may be less likely to have:

• Ear, urinary or respiratory tract infections (such as colds)
• Skin problems
• Tooth decay and infections in the mouth
• Diarrhea, constipation and gas
• Intestinal diseases
• Asthma
• Allergies
• Diabetes
• Obesity
• Childhood cancers, such as leukemia and lymphoma
• Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)
• Anemia (low blood iron)
• Heart attack and stroke in adulthood

Health benefits for you: Breastfeeding helps your uterus shrink to the size it was before pregnancy. It can also help you lose some of your pregnancy weight because your body naturally burns calories to produce breast milk. Your periods won’t return for several months (though you shouldn’t count on breastfeeding as birth control). Prolactin, the milk‑making hormone, seems to produce a special calmness in mothers. Breastfeeding mothers also may have less stress (and miss less work if they’re working) because their babies are sick less often.

In addition, mothers who breastfeed may be less likely to have:

• Type 2 diabetes
• Breast cancer
• Ovarian cancer
• Iron-deficiency anemia
• Depression after pregnancy
• Osteoporosis (brittle bones)

Mother-baby bond: The time you spend breastfeeding is a quiet, enjoyable time for interacting with your baby. The physical contact comforts both of you and makes your baby feel more secure.

Convenience: There’s no waiting when your baby is hungry. You don’t have to mix formula or clean and sterilize bottles and nipples.

Less expense: Breast milk is free. You’ll buy only a few things — nursing bras, nursing pads and perhaps a breast pump if you plan to “express” milk to give to your baby. It’s estimated that breastfeeding can save you thousands of dollars a year, depending on the brand of formula that would have been used instead.

Environmental benefits: You won’t have formula cans to throw away or use water and energy washing bottles, for example.

I need to go back to work: Can I still breastfeed my baby?

Yes. If possible, try to find a caregiver who is close to your workplace so you can visit your baby at least once during the day to breastfeed. You can also pump and store your breast milk during the workday. (You can buy or rent an electric or hand-operated breast pump.) Then, your baby’s caregiver can feed him or her bottles of your breast milk when you’re not together.

If you want to continue breastfeeding your baby after you return to work, try to plan ahead. Talk to your employer about the time you’ll need during the day to visit your baby or pump. If you’re planning to pump, you will need a private room equipped with electricity (for an electric pump).

What about supplementing breast milk with formula?

You should contact your healthcare provider or another breastfeeding expert before you start supplementing. Adding formula to your baby’s diet can decrease your breast milk production. Or, your baby may start to prefer drinking from a bottle, which can be easier than sucking at your breast.

Can I use a breast pump instead of breast feeding?

If you prefer, you can use a breast pump to get your breast milk and feed your baby breast milk from a bottle. This is useful if you are working but can be done anytime.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

Loving Care Booklets
https://novascotia.ca/dhw/lovingcare/