Breastfeeding Info

Benefits of Breastfeeding
For Baby
- Natural nutrition at just the right amount to fit your baby’s needs
- Antibodies passed from mom to baby to prevent infection
- Reduced risks of:
- Asthma
- Childhood leukemia
- Childhood obesity
- Ear infections
- Eczema
- Diarrhea and vomiting
- Lower respiratory infections
- Necrotizing enterocolitis, a disease that affects the gastrointestinal tract in preterm infants
- Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)
- Type 2 diabetes
- Increased skin-to-skin contact
- Breast milk is easier for baby to digest than formula, which is made of cow’s milk
For Mom
- It’s FREE!
- Decreased risk of:
- Type 2 diabetes
- Certain types of breast cancer
- Ovarian cancer
- The skin-to-skin contact boosts your oxytocin levels. Oxytocin is a hormone that helps breast milk flow and can calm the mother.
- May help with weight loss
- Mothers who breastfeed miss less work to care for sick infants than mothers who feed their infants formula
- Better for the environment- no bottles and formula cans or plastic
Resource: womenshealth.gov
Risks of Not Breastfeeding
Risk for Mom
- Increased risk of certain cancers (breast and ovarian)
- Increased risk for type 2 diabetes
- Vascular changes connected with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease
- Slower recovery after childbirth
Risks for Baby
- Increased risk of allergies and asthma
- Increased risk of ear infections and respiratory illness
- Increased risk of diarrhea
- Increased risk of childhood and adult obesity
- Increased risk of type 2 diabetes
- Increased risk of some childhood cancers
- Increased risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome
Risks for Family and Society
- Increased cost to manufacture, advertise and distribute formula and bottles
- Increased costs for bottles and formula, time for preparation
- Increased landfill waste
- Increased work days missed for parent due to more infant illness
- Increased healthcare costs and insurance claims because of illness