For Mommy Too
Breastfeeding is the biological norm for you too!
Breastfeeding your baby is the best way for mom and baby to transition from the womb to the world in many physical and emotional aspects. After birth breastfeeding provides a gradual post partum hormonal shift that can make transition to motherhood more gradual and soother. Suckling at breast will release the hormone oxytocin which relaxes baby and is part of the physical closeness of breastfeeding or nature’s plan to create and strong mother-baby relationship.There is a dose dependent relationship between the maternal benefits of breastfeeding and its length and duration. Mothers who breastfeed are at decreased risk of excessive or prolonged bleeding postpartum. Uterus shrinks more rapidly. Mothers who breastfeed also experience decreased risk of developing ovarian cancer and have a lower incidence of breast cancer. So, all-in-all, breastfeeding is not only healthy for your baby, but also for you.
References:
- AAP Pediatrics 2012;129:e827-841
- Ip S et al: Breastfeeding and Maternal and Infant Health Outcomes in Developed Countries, April 2007. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Rockville, MD.
- http://www.ahrq.gov/clinic/tp/brfouttp.htm
