This week on TalkMum, we're talking about food and nutrition - what's best for you and your baby? TalkMum blogger Cath kicks things off with her top ten reasons to breast feed.
1. It protects your baby from diseases, viruses, stomach pain, and infections, and lowers their risk of allergies, asthma and heart disease.
2. It is the most nutritional way to feed a baby as it provides everything your baby needs, in the right quantities, for the first sixth months of its life.
3. The milk is always at the correct temperature so you can feed straight away – no need to wait for bottles to be warmed whilst you try and soothe a screaming, hungry baby. It makes those night feeds much easier when you can feed instantly!
4. Breast feeding can help you to lose your pregnancy weight – breastfeeding and milk production burns an additional 500 calories each day.
5. Breast milk is more easily digested than formula milk as babies are able to digest 100% of breast milk which in turn leads to a more contented baby.
6. It’s free! No need to buy formula milk.
7. There’s no waste – the baby can take exactly as much or as little milk as they need and there is no need to throw away half-drunk bottles of formula milk.
8. Breastfeeding releases the hormone oxytocin, which can help your uterus heal and shrink back to its pre-pregnancy size.
9. Breast feeding can help to lower your risk of getting breast and ovarian cancer.
10. It’s what breasts are there for!
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