The Benefits of Breastfeeding

Breastfeeding gives babies a healthy start in life and it benefits moms too!

Benefits for Babies

Your milk changes as your baby grows

milk

The first milk you make during pregnancy and just after birth is called colostrum. It is thick and golden yellow in color. This milk is very nutritious and has antibodies to protect your baby from getting sick. It also helps your newborn’s digestive system to grow and function well.

3-6-day

About 3 to 5 days after birth, colostrum changes into mature milk. Mature milk is white and looks thinner than colostrum. It has just the right amount of fat, sugar, water, and protein to help your baby grow.

Human milk helps protect your baby from illness

This protection is unique and changes to meet your baby’s needs.
Breastfed babies have lower risks of:
  • Asthma
  • Obesity
  • Type 1 diabetes
  • Ear and lung infections
  • Diarrhea and vomiting
  • Problems with their digestive system
“I decided to breastfeed for the health benefits — not just for me, but for my baby, too. Breastfeeding gives my baby all the nutrients he needs.”
– Danielle, new mom

Breastfeeding reduces the risk of SIDS

Babies who are breastfed or fed expressed human milk are at lower risk for sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) compared with babies who were never fed breastmilk. The longer you exclusively breastfeed your baby, the lower your baby’s risk of SIDS.

Breast milk is easier to digest

For many babies, human milk is much easier to digest. Unless your baby’s healthcare provider tells you to supplement with formula for medical reasons, it’s best to feed baby human milk.

Benefits for

Moms

Breastfeeding makes life easier

Breastfeeding may seem like it takes more effort than formula feeding, but it can make life easier once you and your baby settle into a good routine.

When you breastfeed:

  • You can satisfy your baby’s hunger right away
  • You don’t have to buy, measure, and mix formula
  • You don’t need to warm bottles in the middle of the night
  • You don’t have to make extra trips to the store for formula

Also, breastfed babies may be sick less often than formula fed babies. This means less:

  • Time off work to care for a sick child
  • Trips to the doctor
  • Money spent on co-pays and medicine

BREASTFEEDING HELPS MOM & BABY BOND

Human touch is important to newborns. It helps them feel secure, comfort, and love. Breastfeeding mothers also benefit from this closeness. The skin-to-skin contact helps your milk flow and can calm you as you breastfeed.

“Breastfeeding is beautiful. The bond it creates is stronger than I dreamed it could be.” – Anna, Breastfeeding mom

“Building trust with my newborn is the best feeling in the world.” – Rosa, Breastfeeding mom

“Breastfeeding is something that only I can provide for my growing baby. It’s such a special bond.” – Marianna, breastfeeding mom

  • Did you know?
    Your baby can smell you and knows the unique scent of your milk.

did you know?

Did you know?
Your baby can smell you and knows the unique scent of your milk.

Breastfeeding is good for mom’s health

Mothers who breastfeed recover from childbirth more quickly and easily. They also have a lower risk of:

  • Type 2 diabetes
  • High blood pressure
  • Ovarian cancer
  • Certain types of breast cancer
  • Many women who breastfed have said it helped them get back to their pre-pregnancy weight more quickly. Exclusively breastfeeding can burn up to 600 calories per day.

Breastfeeding may

Many women who breastfed have said it helped them get back to their pre-pregnancy weight more quickly. Exclusively breastfeeding can burn up to 600 calories per day.

Feeding a 6-7 Month Old

Feed solids with a spoon and from a bowl, never from a bottle.

Feeding a 10-12 Month Old

Breast milk is the most important source of nutrition for your baby, even after you start offering solid foods.

Feeding a 8-9 Month Old

Feed solids with a spoon. Never put cereal in a bottle.

Tips

Mom new born home

Breast milk and formula feeding:

Around 2-3 weeks, 6 weeks, 3 months, and 6 months of age, babies may experience a growth spurt when they feed more often.

As they grow babies can hold more milk, so feedings may become further apart and take less time.

To prevent choking, always hold your baby when feeding. Never prop up a bottle to feed.

Start offering whole milk when your baby is one year old.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months and that breastfeeding continue for at least 12 months and beyond.

feeding solid foods

Feeding solid foods:

Wait to offer solid foods until your baby:

  • Can sit up and hold up their own head.
  • Opens their mouth when they see food.
  • Can close their lips around a spoon.

To prevent choking, always hold your baby when feeding. Never prop up a bottle to feed.

Try one new food at a time. Wait 5 days before trying another new food to watch for allergies. Food allergies may include wheezing, rash, or diarrhea.

Introduce peanut butter around 6 months. Spread a small, thin smear of peanut butter or nut butter thinly on a cracker.  Watch your baby for any reaction for the next 2 hours.

Babies under one year should NOT have honey due to the risk of botulism. Also, babies should not have foods that can cause choking like nuts or whole grapes.

All babies are different. Talk with WIC or your baby’s healthcare provider about your baby’s needs.

Feeding Cues

Feeding a 4-5 Month Old

Before teeth come in, wipe gums with a soft, clean wash cloth after each feeding, especially before bed.

Feeding a 0-3 Month Old

Newborns have tiny tummies and need to be fed often. In the first few weeks, you may need to wake your baby to feed if they sleep longer than 4 hours.

Growth Spurts

Many babies are fussy during a growth spurt and will want to nurse longer and more often. This is called cluster feeding. This is your baby’s way of helping you increase your milk supply so that you can keep up with their needs. Remember, the more your baby nurses, the more milk your body makes.

Growth spurts can happen at any time, and every baby is different.

They often happen at these ages:

two-three-weeks

2 to 3 Weeks

6 Weeks

three-months

3 Months

six-months

6 Months

What foods can I get?

Authorized Food List
Authorized Food List

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