Since the beginning of time, mothers have breastfed their babies. Physiologically for women, the process of lactating is the normal continuum of the childbearing year. Babies were designed to breastfeed, and breast milk is the only nutrient totally suited to their delicate gastrointestinal systems. Research on human milk has exploded in the past 10 years or so, and breastfeeding clearly outweighs any formula when it comes to advantages for both baby and mother. Breastfed babies have improved eyesight and score seven to eight points higher on IQ tests than formula-fed infants.
Breastfed babies smell nicer.
And there is no danger of mixing breast milk incorrectly or overheating it. Besides helping women lose pregnancy weight and regain their figures more quickly, breastfeeding helps protect women from postpartum hemorrhage, ovarian cancer, osteoporosis, and breast cancer. In fact, a new study just published in the International Journal of Epidemiology found that breastfeeding at least once in your life reduced the risk of breast cancer by 20 percent in women ages 20 to 49, and by 30 percent in women ages 50 to 74. Breastfeeding stimulates the production of prolactin and oxytocin in both mother and baby. These hormones promote feelings of warmth, love, cuddliness, and well-being.