Breastfeeding has many positive effects on the mother s health. One of the most important is lactational infertility. This is the period of time after giving birth that the mother does not become pregnant due to the hormonal effects of breastfeeding. Studies show that this effect is greater when the infant suckles more frequently and is exclusively breastfed. Increasing the interval between births has benefits for the mother and her children.
Fewer pregnancies reduce the mother s risk of maternal depletion and maternal death.
A related effect is lactational amenorrhea, the period of time after giving birth that the mother does not menstruate due to the same hormonal effects of breastfeeding. Lactational amenorrhea also reduces the amount of menstrual blood loss, which helps to prevent anemia by conserving the mother s iron stores. There are many other benefits of breastfeeding for the mother. Breastfeeding immediately after delivery stimulates contraction of the uterus. This may help reduce loss of blood and risk of hemorrhage, a major cause of maternal mortality.