It contains the nutrients your baby needs in the right amounts and they are in a form that is very easily absorbed. Breast milk contains antibodies and other protective factors which are transferred from you to your baby to help him or her fight against infections. It also helps to build up long-term resistance to infections. Breast milk is easily digested and absorbed and is less likely to cause stomach upsets or diarrhoea. It will also help to avoid constipation in your baby.
Breastfed babies are less likely to get allergies like eczema, for example.
Breast milk contains growth factors and hormones to assist your baby's development. As one mother said, 'It was feeling close, and being together, that was what I liked', but there are other benefits too. Breastfeeding costs nothing. There's no need to prepare feeds or wash and sterilise bottles. Your baby isn't kept waiting for a feed.