Breastfeeding

Best for Baby

A mother's milk has just the right amount of fat, sugar, water, and protein that is needed for a baby's growth and development. Most babies find it easier to digest breast milk than they do formula. Breast milk has agents called antibodies in it to help protect infants from bacteria and viruses and to help them fight off infection and disease. Antibodies are proteins made by certain white blood cells in response to a foreign substance (antigen). Antibodies neutralize or destroy antigens. Human milk straight from the breast is always sterile.

• Breast milk has everything your baby needs for the first 4 to 6 months of life.
• Breastfeeding helps your baby grow up healthy and strong.
• Breast milk is easy for your baby to digest.
• Breast fed babies get sick less often.
• Breast fed babies have fewer allergies.

Best for Mom

Breastfeeding saves times and money. You do not have to purchase, measure, and mix formula, and there are no bottles to warm in the middle of the night. Breastfeeding also helps a mother bond with her baby. Physical contact is important to newborns and can help them feel more secure, warm and comforted. Nursing uses up extra calories, making it easier to lose the pounds gained from pregnancy. It also helps the uterus to get back to its original size more quickly and lessens any bleeding a woman may have after giving birth. Breastfeeding also may lower the risk of breast and ovarian cancers.

Important Things to Remember

• Over-the-counter and prescription medicines are usually safe when you are breastfeeding. But it's always best to tell your doctor and health-care providers about any medicines you are taking...just to be sure.
• If you drink more than 2 servings a day of beverages such as coffee, tea, soda or cocoa, it is best to choose caffeine-free beverages. Try to drink no more than 2 servings a day of beverages that contain caffeine.
• Nicotine from cigarettes passes into your breast milk. If you smoke cigarettes, have you thought about quitting? If you can't quit smoking, your baby can still nurse if you:
  • Cut back smoking as much as you can.
  • Avoid smoking when the baby is near.
  • Smoke just after nursing stead of before or during a feeding.
  • Switch to low-tar or low-nicotine cigarettes.
• Alcohol passes into your breast milk. It is best to avoid drinking beer, wine, mixed drinks, and liquor because the amount of alcohol that could hurt your baby is unknown.
• If you use street drugs you should not breast feed and you should stop using drugs right away. For help, visit with the Drug and Alcohol Health Services Program.
• If you or your partner are HIV-positive or have AIDS, you should NOT breast feed. If you think you might be infected with the AIDS virus, you should be tested before you breast feed.

For more information about breastfeeding, click here . For The Easy Guide to Breastfeeding, a publication that provides information and encouragement to women on breastfeeding, click here .

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