National Breastfeeding Month
August is National Breastfeeding Month. A big decision new parents must make for their little one’s nutrition is breast vs. formula. Breast milk is the best first food that helps our babies grow and thrive. Breastfeeding provides optimal nutrition for infants and children.
Breast milk is good for your baby in many ways:
- It provides natural antibodies that help your baby resist illnesses, such as ear infections.
- It’s usually more easily digested than formula.
- It may lower the risk of sudden infant death syndrome in the first year of your baby’s life.
- Breast milk may even help your child in later years, by reducing the risk of being overweight, and of developing asthma, type 1 and type 2 diabetes, and high cholesterol.
Breastfeeding is good for moms, too. Women who breastfeed have a reduced risk of:
- Breast cancer
- Diabetes
- Heart disease
- Osteoporosis
- Ovarian cancer
Breastfeeding does have challenges, but the best ways to reach your breastfeeding goals is to gather information and to foster a strong support system. Having support from your partner, friends, family, and healthcare providers can help you achieve success. Many hospitals and birthing centers have access to lactation consultants who can help you from right after the baby is born and in the months that follow.
For more information on breastfeeding and local breastfeeding resources visit the Southern Nevada Breastfeeding Coalitions website.
