During pregnancy, a baby’s immune system readies itself for that unique food source his or her mom produces: breast milk. Breast milk has hormones and the right amount of protein, sugar, fat, and vitamins to help your baby grow and develop. Breast milk has antibodies that help protect your baby from many illnesses. Antibodies are cells in the body that fight off infection.

There is a wide range of benefits for babies who drink breast milk. Babies who breastfeed are less likely to develop:

• Asthma
• Allergies
• Eczema
• Upper & lower respiratory diseases
• Digestive diseases such as acute diarrhea, long-term Crohn’s disease, and colitis
• Diabetes types 1 and 2
• Childhood leukemia

Additionally, babies who drink breast milk are also at reduced risk for sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) and are less likely to be overweight or obese.

Nursing right after delivery helps improve postpartum recovery by bolstering many natural processes, including:

• Expelling the placenta
• Slowing postpartum bleeding (and thus decreasing the likelihood of postpartum hemorrhage)
• Reducing the size of the uterus (to revert to pre-pregnancy size and shape)
• Burning calories (to lose the weight gained during pregnancy)
• Beyond physical benefits, breastfeeding may also promote good mental health, as nursing has been linked to lower incidences of postpartum depression in new mothers.

Breastfeeding also helps with longer term health outcomes. Women who breastfeed have lower rates of developing:

• Certain cancers including breast cancer, ovarian cancer and endometrial cancer
• Osteoporosis
• Heart disease/high blood pressure
• Diabetes

Keep baby with you

Essentially, the more time you spend with your baby, the easier it becomes to distinguish the many different needs of the baby and ensure good nursing.

Get the right information from experts

Lactation experts can direct women to good information and provide hands-on help at the hospital. If parents aren’t able to meet at the hospital, nurses are also available to answer questions over the phone or by email.

Go to a prenatal breastfeeding class

These classes cover the benefits of breastfeeding, basics of milk supply, how to maintain milk when mom and baby are apart, how to understand baby behavior and gauge when a baby is well-fed, and positions for a good latch. Classes are often interactive and include a variety of teaching methods such as videos and baby models to accommodate all kinds of learners.

Find a local support group

Many hospitals coordinate support groups for breastfeeding women, where mothers can share stories, learn from each other’s experiences and practice breastfeeding in a group setting. There are also many other organizations that are dedicated to helping parents successfully breastfeed/chestfeed.