Benefits Of Breastfeeding To A New Mom By Philips Avent

We all know about how beneficial breast milk is to babies – how it keeps them healthier, keeps them protected and strengthens their bones. But did you know that breastfeeding is also highly beneficial to moms? It has been proven that breastfeeding helps not only newborn babies, but also new mothers.

Read on to know the many benefits breastfeeding gives to new moms.

1. Helps Reduce Postpartum Weight

Yes, you read that right! Every new mom would be keen to shed the extra kilos piled on during pregnancy, and now it has been proven that breastfeeding actually helps in reducing the belly fat. It has also been proven that breastfeeding burns upto 300-500 calories per day. So, you’ll soon be getting back to your pre-pregnancy weight!

2. Lessens The Risk Of Cancer

Women who breastfeed have been found to have a reduced risk of breast, uterine and ovarian cancers. The lesser risk of breast cancer, according to studies, is related to the cumulative time spent breastfeeding. Also, during lactation, your estrogen levels are lower, which significantly lessens the risk of your ovarian and uterine tissues turning cancerous.

3. Benefits Child Spacing

Breastfeeding encourages natural child spacing. According to WHO reports, breastfeeding is supposed to benefit child spacing, since breastfeeding delays ovulation and thus, helps in naturally spacing your children.

4. Helps Overcome Postpartum Depression

Breastfeeding not just helps a mother’s body, but also keeps her mind healthy. Nursing your baby releases the hormone Oxytocin in the mother’s body, which helps with mother-child bonding and produces a warm and content emotional state. Studies have shown that women who breastfeed their newborns show less postpartum depression.

5. Reduces The Risk Of Osteoporosis

Mothers who breastfeed are four times less likely to develop osteoporosis than mothers who don’t. They are also much less likely to incur hip fractures in their post-menopausal years, because when a woman is lactating, she will be able to absorb calcium more efficiently, thus considerably lowering the risk of osteoporosis.

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