Secret Breastfeeding Benefits – What Infant Formula Companies Don’t Want You to Know

Posted by admin on September 26, 2009

You’ve read the breastfeeding books and browsed the breastfeeding websites. You know that breastfeeding is good for your baby and for you. But don’t think you know all the breastfeeding benefits just yet. Below are little-known breastfeeding benefits that infant formula companies hope you never learn about.

1. Exclusively breastfed babies have pleasant-smelling poop

Think changing your baby’s diaper is awful? Try changing the soiled diaper of a formula-fed baby! The difference is enormous and you will realize that your exclusively breastfed baby’s poop isn’t bad at all. The breastfed baby’s poop and spit up wash out much more easily, too.

2. Traveling with a breastfed baby is much easier

First of all, you don’t need to pack bottles and rubber nipples or worry about sterilizing them or bringing enough infant formula. So not only do you worry about fewer things but you can travel much more lightly. Secondly, it’s easier to soothe a breastfeeding baby who becomes cranky and fussy while traveling. For example, if baby has stuffy ears in an airplane, simply breastfeed and the ears will clear up right away.

3. More sleep for Mommy

It’s a myth that breastfeeding Mommies are more sleep-deprived than formula-feeding Moms. Breastfeeding Moms who know how to nurse while lying down and keep their babies close hardly need to wake up in the middle of the night. When baby wakes up, the breastfeeding Mommy only has to lift up her shirt, latch baby on, and both go back to sleep. Sometimes Mommy wakes up so lightly that she doesn’t remember waking up at all.

4. Mother and baby have to stay together

Believe it or not, this is a benefit. Mother and baby belong together and breastfeeding makes sure that this happens more often than if the mother is formula feeding. If the family is serious about making breastfeeding successful, they can come up with creative ways to keep Mommy and baby together. For example, they can find ways for Mommy to stay at home or delay going back to work. Or they can figure out how to bring baby to Mommy’s workplace or bring Mommy’s work to the home. These are just some ways that Moms have made breastfeeding possible in their own special circumstances. And as long as Mommy and baby are together, then…

5. The breastfeeding Mommy and her baby are disaster-proof

Did you hear about the family whose car got stuck in the snow for days? Their infant survived on Mommy’s breastmilk alone until rescuers found them. In an emergency, even if the mother is traumatized or starving, she can continue breastfeeding her child. In contrast, formula-fed children who do not receive a steady supply of formula will starve. If clean water and sterilizing equipment are not available – and they usually are not – then the formula-fed baby will be prone to life-threatening diseases.

There are breastfeeding benefits that few people know about. Above are five little-known benefits of breastfeeding. These benefits show how breastfeeding can make life so much more pleasant, convenient and safer than formula-feeding. Remember these breastfeeding benefits when considering how you will feed and nurture your baby.

Alexis Rodrigo is a Mom of 3 and certified childbirth educator. Currently breastfeeding her third child, she is passionate about helping other Moms breastfeed successfully. Learn the secret benefits of breastfeeding beyond one year and other breastfeeding tips at http://www.naturalmomsblog.com

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Author: Alexis Rodrigo