Benefits of Breastfeeding Outweigh Any Cons

During pregnancy, you may have decided to breastfeed your baby because of all the benefits for both you and baby that breastfeeding provides. However, the closer your due date gets, the more anxious you may feel.

Chances are, other well-meaning but possibly irritating mothers might have told you all their breastfeeding horror stories and now you’re starting to get the jitters. I know I did.

My mother in law told me numerous times about the yeast infection she got in her breast while she was breastfeeding and it scared the you-know-what out of me!

Even though there can be complications that arise when it comes to breastfeeding, all the benefits make it all worth it. I managed to get a clogged milk duct but it didn’t last long and it was easy to remedy. It wasn’t terrifying like so many moms made it out to be.

Here are just some of the reasons why more and more moms are “braving it” and choosing to breastfeed:

• Babies require fewer hospitalizations
• They develop fewer respiratory, urinary tract, and ear infections among others
• Babies are at a lesser risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)
• They suffer from fewer bouts of allergies and asthma as they age
• They’ll have higher I.Q. scores
• Obesity and cancer risk will drop in later years

Moms are benefiting from breastfeeding too. Here are a few reasons why:

• Less bleeding and quicker recovery after childbirth
• Menstrual cycle is suppressed so you may experience lighter or fewer periods, or none at all for months
• Chances of developing ovarian and breast cancer are reduced
• It’s free
• Weight loss is significantly more efficient during breastfeeding

With all these benefits, it’s easy to overlook any of the cons of breastfeeding. In my next post, I’ll be talking about some of the complications you can experience during breastfeeding and how to avoid them. Make sure to subscribe to my RSS feed so you don’t miss it.

You can read more about breastfeeding during the first few days as well as how to deal with engorgement after your milk comes in.