The Positive Effects of Breastfeeding Breastfeeding is the conventional way of providing young infants with the nutrients they require for healthy growth and development (W, 2016). Every year, many new mothers make the conscious decision to breastfeed their newborns. Moreover, as of 2015, approximately 67.3 percent of mothers in the state of Alabama have preferred breastfeeding over bottle-feeding their infants. (C, 2015). By definition, breastfeeding is the method of feeding a baby with milk directly from the mother’s breast. Every mother, with thorough teaching and accurate information, is able to successfully carry out the natural feedings to provide for her little one. Furthermore, breastfeeding has been in the light of various controversial
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First, breastfeeding has become quite popular over the years, because it promotes maternal-infant bonding. Breastfeeding immediately after birth or within the first thirty minutes following the delivery initiates skin-to-skin contact. In addition to the primary budding relationship linking mother and child post-delivery, breastfeeding also decreases levels of stress for both participants. Similarly, breastfeeding enhances the bond between the two, increases their self-esteem, markets a speedy recovery from pregnancy for the mom and decreases the risk for post-partum depression; therefore, she is in less agony over the pain of childbirth, and more focused on making special memories with her child. For a mother, knowing that she can provide the perfect food for her baby, and the fact that it is a natural process, bring substantial satisfaction. In regards to the baby, breastfeeding allows a child to become more comfortable with his or her caretaker which is paramount when transitioning to life outside of the …show more content…
Parents should be presented with factual information about the nutritional and immunological needs of the newborn (Sommer, 2013). Breast milk, along with being easy to digest, also contains electrolytes and minerals that promote rapid brain growth due to large amounts of lactose. In addition, it furnishes protein and nitrogen for neurological cell building and improves the newborn’s ability to regulate calcium and phosphorus levels. Human milk protects infants from respiratory tract and gastrointestinal tract infections, necrotizing enterocolitis, urinary tract infections, otitis media, bacterial meningitis, bacteremia, and allergies (Davidson, 2012). Breastfeeding also minimizes the risk for infection by delivering IGA antibodies, lysozymes, leukocytes, macrophages, and lactoferrin that inhibits infections. Infants who are not exclusively breastfed for their first six months of life are more likely to develop a wide range of chronic and acute diseases, including ear infections, diarrheal diseases, asthma, sudden infant death syndrome, obesity and respiratory illnesses (Ravlic,
First, breastfeeding has become quite popular over the years, because it promotes maternal-infant bonding. Breastfeeding immediately after birth or within the first thirty minutes following the delivery initiates skin-to-skin contact. In addition to the primary budding relationship linking mother and child post-delivery, breastfeeding also decreases levels of stress for both participants. Similarly, breastfeeding enhances the bond between the two, increases their self-esteem, markets a speedy recovery from pregnancy for the mom and decreases the risk for post-partum depression; therefore, she is in less agony over the pain of childbirth, and more focused on making special memories with her child. For a mother, knowing that she can provide the perfect food for her baby, and the fact that it is a natural process, bring substantial satisfaction. In regards to the baby, breastfeeding allows a child to become more comfortable with his or her caretaker which is paramount when transitioning to life outside of the …show more content…
Parents should be presented with factual information about the nutritional and immunological needs of the newborn (Sommer, 2013). Breast milk, along with being easy to digest, also contains electrolytes and minerals that promote rapid brain growth due to large amounts of lactose. In addition, it furnishes protein and nitrogen for neurological cell building and improves the newborn’s ability to regulate calcium and phosphorus levels. Human milk protects infants from respiratory tract and gastrointestinal tract infections, necrotizing enterocolitis, urinary tract infections, otitis media, bacterial meningitis, bacteremia, and allergies (Davidson, 2012). Breastfeeding also minimizes the risk for infection by delivering IGA antibodies, lysozymes, leukocytes, macrophages, and lactoferrin that inhibits infections. Infants who are not exclusively breastfed for their first six months of life are more likely to develop a wide range of chronic and acute diseases, including ear infections, diarrheal diseases, asthma, sudden infant death syndrome, obesity and respiratory illnesses (Ravlic,