As parents, we want to make sure we are making the best decisions for our children. With my first daughter, I breastfed her for 5 months, so I plan to do the same with my newborn, but I plan to breastfeed for longer. Breastfeeding has so many healthy benefits for both you and your baby!
My son was in NICU for over a week, and the doctors in his unit strongly encouraged that I breastfeed because breast milk is often the solution to many problems that are wrong with babies. Breastfeeding helped me by taking off the unwanted baby weight. My child is 12 days old today, and I have already lost 24 of the 50 pounds I have gained while pregnant. Your body burns calories by producing milk and pumping or the baby latching on and sucking helps your body burn calories also. I literally have done nothing but pump milk, and I have lost half of my pregnancy weight. Sounds like a win/win right?
Not only is the weight loss a benefit of breastfeeding, but there are so many positive health benefits for your baby also. Breast milk helps to fight off infections after birth. Studies show that there is a less risk of long-term health problems in mothers. Breastfeeding helps mothers to reduce the risk of Type 2 diabetes, cancer, and ovarian cancer. Another benefit is that is lowers the risk of coming down with postpartum depression after birth. Not only that, it helps you to bond with your baby. Every mom loves to cuddle and be next to her baby, and breastfeeding helps with that.
I personally prefer to use a breast pump because I like to monitor how much my baby is eating. When they latch on, you have no way of knowing how much they are taking in, so pumping milk and giving them a bottle helps give me a piece of mind when it comes to wondering if my baby is eating enough or not. The only thing I dislike about breastfeeding is how large, heavy, and full my breast get if I do not pump on schedule. I have waken up to leaky breasts before, and it is not fun. Just make sure you pump before the milk starts to leak out, and you will be good to go.
I hope this helps you to decide to breastfeed if you have been on the fence about it. Why not use God's natural way of feeding for your sweet little newborn. Just make sure you are keeping up a healthy diet while nursing so that your baby can have all the nutrients they need.
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