Why Breastfeeding Is Important?
- YOUR FIRST MILK IS LIQUID GOLD. Called liquid gold for its deep yellow color, colostrum is the thick first milk that you make during pregnancy and just after birth. This milk is very rich in nutrients and includes antibodies to protect your baby from infections. Colostrum also helps your newborn infant's digestive system to grow and function. Your baby gets only a small amount of colostrum at each feeding because the stomach of a newborn infant is tiny and can hold only a small amount.
- YOUR MILK CHANGES AS YOUR BABY GROWS. Colostrum changes into mature milk by the third to fifth day after birth. This mature milk has just the right amount of fat, sugar, water, and protein to help your baby continue to grow. It looks thinner than colostrum, but it has nutrients and antibodies your baby needs for healthy growth.
- FORMULA IS HARDER TO DIGEST. Breastmilk substitutes like formula may be harder to digest than breastmilk. Talk to your baby's doctor if you are afraid the baby is not getting enough milk, or to see if there is a medical need to supplement with formula. Besides giving your baby nourishment and helping to keep your baby from becoming sick, breastfeeding may help you lose weight. Many women who breastfed their babies said it helped them get back to their pre-pregnancy weight more quickly, but experts are still looking at the effects of breastfeeding on weight loss.
- BREASTMILK FIGHTS DISEASE. The cells, hormones, and antibodies in breastmilk help protect babies from illness. This protection is unique and changes to meet your baby's needs. Research suggests that breastfed babies have lower risks of:
- Asthma.
- Obesity.
- Type 1 diabetes.
- Ear and respiratory infections.
- Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).
- Gastrointestinal infections (diarrhea/vomiting).
- Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), a disease that affects the gastrointestinal tract in preterm infants.
