Benefits of Breastfeeding for a Nursing Mother
As a lactation consultant, I have noticed that the topic of the benefits of breastfeeding for a woman is often overlooked. We, mothers, are often ready to do a lot to give our children the best. And breastfeeding lays a huge foundation for the health of the baby. But what about us, women? Is there any benefit from lactation for nursing mothers?
If I start listing all the points, you may not forgive me for such a long article. Therefore, I will shorten it to 5 points.
1. Reduces the risk of several diseases in later life for a breastfeeding woman.
First and foremost. Cancer. Ovarian cancer and breast cancer. Breastfeeding reduces the risk of these two types of cancer. Breast cancer is one of the most common types of cancer in women. Many may be encouraged by the fact that breastfeeding reduces the risk of breast cancer in women without a genetic predisposition, as well as in those who have a genetic predisposition in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes.
The next health issue that lactation can affect is diabetes. If a mother has relatives with diabetes in her family or if she herself was diagnosed with gestational diabetes during pregnancy, then breastfeeding or feeding with expressed breast milk can reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes in the future for both her and her baby. Of course, you should not neglect healthy diet, physical activity and monitoring your weight.
Cardiovascular diseases are among the top causes of death. And here, breastfeeding protects both the nursing mother and the baby, reducing the risks of these diseases.
Impressive? But that's not all.
2. Breastfeeding reduces postpartum haemorrhage.
This is due to the release of the hormone oxytocin during breastfeeding, which is also responsible for the contraction of the uterus. Thus, the recovery of the uterus size and the woman's recovery after childbirth is faster. Nature has thought of everything!
3. Another helpful bonus of breastfeeding is losing weight and getting back to your pre-pregnancy weight.
If you're looking for diets and ways to get in shape after giving birth, lactation can help. It does not require gruelling workouts and dietary restrictions. All you need to do is breastfeed your baby on demand!
Scientists have calculated that feeding a baby 600-900 ml of breast milk per day is equivalent to moderate running for an hour or ‘- 400-600 kcal’ per day.
However, it is worth considering that it takes time to regain weight. Studies show that weight loss from 1 to 12 months postpartum was significantly higher in women who breastfeed than in women who formula feed. At the same time, breastfeeding increases weight loss in the postpartum period if breastfeeding continues for at least 6 months.
4. Breastfeeding reduces the risk of postpartum depression.
Depression affects not only the mum's emotional wellbeing, but also the mental development of the baby and the whole family. Severe maternal depression, unfortunately, can threaten not only the health but also the life of the baby.
The mechanisms of the protective effect of lactation are still being studied. Most likely, they are of both hormonal and psychological nature. The body of a woman who does not breastfeed her newborn perceives this as a signal that something has happened to the baby. Perhaps the child is no longer there, since there is no breastfeeding? This happens deeply on the unconscious level. We see the baby, take care of him, but the processes intended by nature do not occur in the body. This is why often after an abrupt cessation of breastfeeding in the early stages after childbirth, a woman is overcome with grief and sadness. This is the body's reaction. It is natural for a woman to feed her baby. And if this does not happen, then a failure occurs and postpartum depression may appear.
In case of suspicion of depression please consult a specialist!
5. The next effect of breastfeeding on the mother's body is that breastfeeding improves postpartum bone mineralization.
During lactation, when calcium is needed not only by the mother, but also in milk production, an amazing adaptation of the body takes place. Calcium for the baby's needs is taken from mum's bone tissue and compensated from food.
That is, the mother replenishes the losses through her diet. Studies have found a higher metabolism in the bones of nursing women compared to non-nursing mothers. And what is surprising is that despite the increased calcium consumption, because calcium is needed by both mother and baby, bone mineralization after the end of lactation is higher than before pregnancy. That is, a nursing woman has strengthened her bones during breastfeeding due to special compensatory mechanisms and changes in metabolism. What does this give, besides the fact that the body copes with the need for increased calcium absorption in bones? For example, that these processes occurring in bone tissues have a long-term effect. Don't want to break bones often in old age or have bone diseases? Breastfeeding is helping again. The study showed that the longer the duration of breastfeeding, the lower the risk of fractured neck of femur.
As we can see, lactation has both short-term and long-term positive effects on a breastfeeding mum's body. Of course, I have not listed all the effects, but only the most essential ones.
What if we shift our focus and look at it from a different perspective? It's not lactation giving us some bonuses that are optional. On the contrary. Lack of breastfeeding increases a number of health risks for mum and baby. The positive effects of breastfeeding are inherent in us, both in the behaviour and health of children and women.
I wish you that your experience of breastfeeding is as positive as possible! And if there are any pitfalls along the way, I will help you deal with them. Do not hesitate to contact me for advice and help!
Sources:
Anderson, 2014. Reproductive risk factors and breast cancer subtypes: a review of the literature.
Borra, 2014. New Evidence on Breastfeeding and Postpartum Depression: The Importance of Understanding Women’s Intentions.
Carranza-Lira & Mera, 2002. Influence of number of pregnancies and total breast-feeding time on bone mineral density.
Cumming & Klineberg, 1993. Breastfeeding and other reproductive factors and the risk of hip fractures in elderly women.
Danforth, 2007. Breastfeeding and risk of ovarian cancer in two prospective cohorts.
Dewey, 1993. Maternal weight-loss patterns during prolonged lactation.
Dewey, 1993. Maternal weight-loss patterns during prolonged lactation.
Feltner, 2018. Breastfeeding Programs and Policies, Breastfeeding Uptake, and Maternal Health Outcomes in Developed Countries. Comparative Effectiveness Review, No. 210.
Yamagata, 1996. Changes in bone mass as determined by ultrasound and biochemical markers of bone turnover during pregnancy and puerperium: a longitudinal study.
Jonas, 2008. Short- and long-term decrease of blood pressure in women during breastfeeding.
Lovelady, 2000. The effect of weight loss in overweight, lactating women on the growth of their infants.
McKinley, 2018. Weight loss after pregnancy: challenges and opportunities.
Polatti, 1999. Bone mineral changes during and after lactation.
Author of the article: Aleksandra Ņekrasova
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