Breastfeeding Benefits

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Breastfeeding Benefits (Text Version)

[A woman breastfeeds her baby]

For Mom

Breastfeeding may make it easier to lose the weight you gained during pregnancy.
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Women who breastfeed longer have lower rates of type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure.
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Women who breastfeed have lower rates of breast cancer and ovarian cancer.
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Breastfeeding triggers the release of oxytocin that causes the uterus to contract and may decrease the amount of bleeding you have after giving birth.
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For Baby

Breast milk has the right amount of fat, sugar, water, protein, and minerals needed for a baby’s growth and development.
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Breast milk is easier to digest than formula, and breastfed babies have less gas, fewer feeding problems, and less constipation.
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Breast milk contains antibodies that protect infants from certain illnesses, such as ear infections, diarrhea, respiratory illnesses, and allergies.
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Breastfed infants have a lower risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).
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If your baby is born preterm, breast milk can help reduce the risk of many of the short-term and long-term health problems.
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PFSI023: This information is designed as an educational aid to patients and sets forth current information and opinions related to women’s health. It is not intended as a statement of the standard of care, nor does it comprise all proper treatments or methods of care. It is not a substitute for a treating clinician’s independent professional judgment. For ACOG’s complete disclaimer, visit www.acog.org/WomensHealth-Disclaimer.

Copyright October 2020 by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, posted on the internet, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission from the publisher.