The health-enhancing qualities of breastmilk are widely publicised in today’s world; from better immunity and gut health to lower risks of respiratory diseases and obesity.
Human milk is custom made to meet all the nutrition needs of human babies’. It helps to achieve best individual outcomes in terms of their physical, emotional and cognitive development. But by nature’s intelligent design, breastfeeding serves many more purposes than just “feeding”.
While breast milk is the optimal sustenance for babies, breastfeeding is the optimal way of delivering it. Certainly, when feeding directly from the breast is not possible, expressed breast milk is the best alternative. However, direct breastfeeding allows the mother and baby to enjoy a wider range of advantages.
Here are seven uses of breastfeeding other than as food:
1. Medicine
It’s a well-known fact that breast milk protects the baby’s immunity and helps to reduce illness, but did you know that it also changes composition to meet the baby unique and changing needs as the baby gets older, for example, or in response to infections when the baby is sick?
When a baby nurses on the breast some backwash occurs and some of the baby’s saliva enters the nipple (sounds kind of gross, but it’s very beneficial). The breast then responds by changing the composition of the milk. For example, if the baby is sick, the milk will contain more white blood cells (leukocytes) to help fight the infection.
If that’s not amazing, I don’t know what is!
2. Comfort
You often hear people saying that a baby is just “nursing for comfort” like it’s a bad thing. But comforting a baby is never bad and breastfeeding is often the quickest and the most natural way to do it.
Little people are dealing with big changes all the time, but the mother’s loving arms and the warm sweetness at her breast are the things that stay constant and help them to process those big emotions. This is true for newborns and for toddlers. Breastfeeding can be a great tantrum stopper!
3. Pain relief
Breast milk also acts as natural pain relief. This is handy when the bub is teething or during mildly painful medical procedures such as immunisation jabs. It also helps to deal with bumps and bruises once the baby or toddler becomes more mobile.
How does it work? Well, the comfort of the physical closeness to the mother and the familiarity of nursing probably play a big part, but breast milk also contains endogenous opiates – like a baby-safe dose of morphine. Again – amazing!
4. Normal oral development
Suckling directly from the breast requires certain effort from the baby and engages the face muscles in a different way to bottle-feeding. It helps the jaws and palate to develop normally and is linked to better dental health and fewer orthodontic problems like crooked teeth. It also reduces the risk or severity of respiratory problems. The later is potentially a factor in why breastfeeding reduces the risk of SIDs.
5. Better sleep for mother and baby
Breastfeeding can be an easy and gentle way of soothing a baby to sleep and for resettling during night wakings – and there’s more to it then the physical comfort of being at the breast.
The composition of breastmilk changes throughout the day. Research shows that certain chemicals (like melatonin, tryptophan, and nucleotides) are present in higher levels in night-time breastmilk and have been linked to having a sleep-inducing effect. Melatonin has also been linked to reducing colic.
One study found breastfed babies slept an average of 40-45 minutes longer during the first three months of their lives than formula fed ones.
Breastfeeding mothers also tend to get more sleep than their formula-feeding counterparts. This is possibly due to the hormone prolactin, which is secreted in higher quantities during the night to aid milk production. It helps the mother to feel relaxed and sleepy, resulting in better quality sleep despite night wakings
7. Health benefits for mum
Breastfeeding helps to reduce postpartum bleeding, reduces the risk of breast, ovarian and cervical cancer and potentially osteoporosis. It also helps with weight loss after pregnancy.
Frequent breastfeeding can delay ovulation and therefore menstruation. While this may not be the most reliable form of natural contraception (as you don’t know for sure when ovulation will start again), you may enjoy having one less thing to worry about (periods) while caring for your baby.
From an emotional health perspective, breastfeeding reduces stress and can decrease the risk of postpartum anxiety and depression.
8. Convenience
When breastfeeding, you spend less time warming or sterilizing bottles and more time bonding with your baby. It’s also easier to do on the go. And even when your tiny squish becomes a busy toddler, breastfeeding can be a godsend when you just need a minute of quiet. It can also be done in parallel with work or relaxing activities, from answering emails to watching movies.
Did I miss any? Let me know what your favourite thing about breastfeeding is!
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article sponsered by Northern Michigan certified lactation consulting and Mother Hubbards Country Cupboard
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