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101 Reasons to Breastfeed Your Child
Backed by Research
1. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends it.
"Human milk is the preferred feeding for all infants, including premature and sick newborns...It is recommended that breastfeeding continue for at least the first 12 months, and thereafter for as long as mutually desired." A.A.P. Breastfeeding Policy Statement: Breastfeeding and the Use of Human Milk (RE2729)
2. Breastfeeding promotes bonding between mother and baby.
Breastfeeding stimulates the release of the hormone oxytocin in the mother's body. "It is now well established that oxytocin, as well as stimulating uterine contractions and milk ejection, promotes the development of maternal behavior and also bonding between mother and offspring." Uvnas-Moberg, Eriksson: Breastfeeding: physiological, endocrine and behavioral adaptations caused by oxytocin and local neurogenic activity in the nipple and mammary gland. Acta Paediatrica,1996 May, 85(5):525-30
3. Breastfeeding satisfies baby's emotional needs.
All babies need to be held. Studies have shown that premature babies are more likely to die if they are not held or stroked. There is no more comforting feeling for an infant of any age than being held close and cuddled with while breastfeeding. While many bottle-feeding parents are aware of the importance of cradling their babies while offering the bottle, some are not. Even for parents with good intentions, there is always the temptation to prop up a bottle next to the child, or, when the baby is a little older, to let the child hold his/her own bottle and sit alone. This is emotionally unsatisfying to baby, and can be dangerous physically (because a child can choke and it can also lead to tooth decay if prolonged).
4. Breast milk provides perfect infant nutrition.
"Human milk is uniquely superior for infant feeding and is species-specific; all substitute feeding options differ markedly from it. The breastfed infant is the reference or normative model against which all alternative feeding methods must be measured with regard to growth, health, development, and all other short and long-term benefits." A.A.P. Breastfeeding Policy Statement: Breastfeeding and the Use of Human Milk (RE2729)
Breastfeeding and the Use of Human Milk (RE2729)
