National Breastfeeding Month: Explore the benefits for mom and baby

If you’re already a mom or expecting a baby, you may know the importance of breastfeeding as your baby’s first food. During National Breastfeeding Month, read up on the many benefits it can offer your baby and you.

The American Academy of Pediatrics and other health organizations recommend exclusively breastfeeding babies for the first six months of life. After that time, parents can add solid foods to a diet of breast milk. They recommend this feeding strategy because breast milk offers babies the perfect blend of nutrients needed to sustain life and promote development, a blend that changes as they grow.

There are also many other benefits of breastfeeding to consider. The Lakeview Hospital team sheds some light on the topic below.

Why there’s a National Breastfeeding Month

August is National Breastfeeding Month, a health awareness month established by the U.S. Breastfeeding Committee in 2011. This special month is dedicated to highlighting the unique role of breastfeeding in nourishing and protecting babies, both now and in the future.

Each year, the month has a different theme. The 2024 theme is “Nourish, Sustain, Thrive,” focusing on how communities and health providers can provide moms with breastfeeding support.

Every community, including ours here in Covington and in Louisiana more broadly, is working to provide moms with the support they need to breastfeed successfully.

The many benefits of breastfeeding

Health experts recommend breastfeeding whenever possible because breast milk offers a unique and easily digestible blend of nutrients, including fat, sugar, milk, protein and minerals. This blend changes and evolves as babies grow.

There are other health benefits, too. Breast milk passes antibodies from mom to baby that protect your baby from illnesses, such as ear infections, respiratory infections, allergies and diarrhea. Other benefits for babies include a reduced risk of:

• Childhood leukemia
• Eczema
• Childhood obesity
• Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)
• Type 2 diabetes later in life

Being breastfed may also help boost your baby’s brain, improving cognitive development in the early stages of life.

Both mother and child benefit from the physical contact of breastfeeding. Skin-to-skin contact starting soon after birth helps stimulate bonding and boosts the mother’s production of oxytocin.

Oxytocin production benefits the mother in multiple ways. For one, this hormone can stimulate uterine contractions that return the uterus to its normal size and minimize postpartum bleeding. Oxytocin promotes feelings of calm, affection and positivity.

Other benefits of breastfeeding for moms include a reduced risk of:

• Breast cancer
• High blood pressure
• Ovarian cancer
• Type 2 diabetes

Women who breastfeed may also have an easier time losing weight after pregnancy.

Finding the breastfeeding support you need

If you’re looking to breastfeed, surround yourself with support. While nourishing your baby is a natural process, it doesn’t always come naturally. New and experienced moms can struggle with breastfeeding, including milk supply and latching. Seeking professional help and support, such as the services offered at Lakeview Hospital, can make a significant difference in your breastfeeding journey.

During your pregnancy, you can learn about breastfeeding basics through prenatal classes at Lakeview Hospital, including breastfeeding classes held every other month. You can also seek the assistance of specialized lactation consultants trained to guide moms and babies through the ups and downs of breastfeeding. Lakeview Hospital also offers inpatient and outpatient consultations.

It may be helpful to talk with other moms about their breastfeeding experience, asking for pointers and advice that may have helped them. Remember that you are not alone. For centuries, moms have been breastfeeding their babies and working to overcome breastfeeding challenges. Those around you are here to help—and you and your baby will enjoy the benefits.

Plan for your delivery. At Lakeview Hospital, we’re committed to caring for both mom and baby, through birth and beyond.