Health Benefits of Breastfeeding for Mothers

Breast milk is the ideal food for infants and young children AND breastfeeding and breast milk provides a multitude of health benefits for mom. This is especially true the longer you provide breast milk/breastfeed your baby (often 6 months or more).1 Here are just a few of the benefits for you:

  • Decreased Risk of Health Conditions: Decreased risk for the following health conditions because of no menstrual cycle during breastfeeding (lactational amenorrhea) and/or the hormone changes during breastfeeding:
    • Type 2 diabetes2
    • Reproductive cancers (e.g., ovarian, cervical)3
    • High blood pressure1
    • Heart disease4
    • Osteoporosis5
    • Rheumatoid arthritis6
    • Endometriosis7
  • Decreased Risk of Postpartum Hemorrhage: Oxytocin released when your baby breastfeeds right after birth causes the uterus to contract and return to its pre-pregnancy size, decreasing the risk of excessive blood loss in the breastfeeding mom.1
  • Decreased Risk of Postpartum Depression: Oxytocin and prolactin production promotes stress reduction, and can decrease the occurrence and severity of postpartum depression.8

Benefits of Breastfeeding You May Have Also Heard About:

  • Breastfeeding may help with losing weight you gained during pregnancy. Note that weight loss should not be your primary goal after delivering your baby. Please give yourself grace during this time.9
  • Research has shown breastfeeding can assist with mom/baby attachment and increase self-confidence.10
  • Breast milk is warm and ready-to-go whenever you need to feed your baby.
  • Breastfeeding and breast milk is free. Even though this is technically true, your time and effort is very important and valuable – you are amazing!

It is important to have support during your breastfeeding journey. Please reach out to a lactation consultant to assist you to meet your breastfeeding goals.

What If I Have Questions?

If you are interested in learning more, these Aeroflow classes expand on some of the topics discussed above:

  • Ultimate Breastfeeding Prep
  • Pumping 101
  • Lactation Q&A

To register for these classes, log into your portal or click here.

Want More Info?

For a directory of Aeroflow’s other Care Guides offering information on pregnancy, baby care, and more, browse our comprehensive list of titles:

https://www.hersourcehealth.com/aeroflow-care-guides/ ‎

Our classes and accompanying materials are intended for general education purposes and should not replace medical evaluation or consultation. Please seek advice from your own healthcare providers for individualized recommendations.

References

  1. https://publications.aap.org/pediatrics/article/150/1/e2022057988/188347/Policy-Statement-Breastfeeding-and-the-Use-of?autologincheck=redirected 
  2. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26595611/
  3. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32239218/ 
  4. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35014854/ 
  5. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27577724/ 
  6. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/art.20621
  7. https://www.bmj.com/content/358/bmj.j3778
  8. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34964664/
  9. https://www.acog.org/womens-health/infographics/breastfeeding-benefits#
  10. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10631302/