October 06th, 2023

Breastfeeding is the best way to feed a baby. It has many benefits for both babies and mothers.
Benefits for babies:

• Breast milk is perfectly tailored to meet a baby's nutritional needs. It is easily digested and contains all of the vitamins, minerals, and proteins that a baby needs to grow and develop.
• Breast milk contains antibodies that help protect babies from infections.
• Breastfeeding can reduce a baby's risk of developing certain diseases, such as asthma, obesity, type 1 diabetes, and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).
• Breastfeeding can also help promote cognitive development and emotional well-being.

Benefits for mothers:

• Breastfeeding can help mothers lose weight after childbirth.
• Breastfeeding can help reduce a mother's risk of developing certain diseases, such as breast cancer, ovarian cancer, and type 2 diabetes.
• Breastfeeding can also help promote emotional well-being and bonding with the baby.

Other benefits of breastfeeding:

• Breastfeeding is convenient and affordable. Breast milk is always available and does not require any preparation.
• Breastfeeding is environmentally friendly. It does not produce any waste, unlike formula feeding.

How long should I breastfeed for?
The World Health Organization recommends exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of life, followed by continued breastfeeding with complementary foods until at least two years of age.
Any amount of breastfeeding is beneficial, but to achieve the healthiest gut microbiome for your baby, its best to exclusively breastfeed for as long as possible, or supplement with donor breastmilk as opposed to formula.  
Even if you are unable to breastfeed exclusively or for as long as you would like, any amount of breastfeeding is beneficial for your baby.
If you are having trouble breastfeeding, talk to your doctor or a lactation consultant. They can help you overcome any challenges you are facing and support you in your breastfeeding journey.
For working mamas, like myself, sometimes pumping while away from baby can help build a stash of breastmilk that can be fed in your absence.  I have found that having convenient ways to store milk while pumping throughout the workday helps to streamline this process.  See this link for an excellent option for breastmilk storage.