As a lactation consultant, my ultimate goal is to enlighten women about the benefits of breastfeeding and to help them achieve the goal of breastfeeding their baby with ease.
Many people, whether or not they choose to breastfeed, are aware that breastfeeding is beneficial in ways that bottle-feeding with formula simply can’t match. But beyond that, the details can become a bit fuzzy.
Here are some breast milk facts, as outlined by the United States Breastfeeding Committee (www.usbreastfeeding.org) in their publication Benefits of Breastfeeding.
Breastmilk…
- contains an ideal balance of nutrients that the infant can easily digest
- changes over time, and even over the course of a day, to meet the changing needs of the growing child
- contains substances essential for optimal development of the infant’s brain, with effects on both cognitive and visual function
- supplies growth factors that combine to mature the infant gut
- provides the infant with immune factors manufactured to fight allergens and illnesses specific to the mother’s and infant’s environment.
Quite miraculous when you think of it!
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