Female Speaker: What are the benefits of breastfeeding my baby?
Sandra Cole: The benefits of breastfeeding are extensive. Research has shown that breastfeeding decreases the incidents and severity of infections. This means your baby will have less diarrhea, less ear infections, less respiratory infections and less urinary tract infections. Breastfed babies also have an enhanced immune response, meaning they are less likely to get sick and will reach better to their immunizations.
There is a decreased incidence of allergies and asthma, type 1 or 2 diabetes, obesity and some types of cancers. Also breastfed babies may have a higher IQ up to 7% to 10% more than formula fed babies.
As for mom, there is less postpartum blood loss, meaning you'll bleed less after having your baby. There is a better mother infant bond. There is a decreased incidence of variants in premenopausal breast cancers.
Also as a bonus moms return to their pre-pregnancy weight faster when they are breastfeeding as compared to formula feeding and there is the cost benefits. Formula can cost up to $2000 a year and breastfeeding is free. With less infections that means, less doctors visits and less hospital admissions. There by decrease in your health care expenditures and mom and dad are absent from work less.
So what do you do if you can't physically breastfeed your baby, due to separation from work or your baby is in the neonatal intensive care or you just has a C-section. Well, talk to you nurse and lactation consultant about setting you up with a pump. They'll properly instruct you how to use one. By the way we'll be talking about pumps later in this video.