Breastfeeding

Breast milk provides all the nutrition your baby needs for the first six months of life. No additional food or water is recommended so it makes feeding your baby easy. Your breast milk contains the perfect blend of nutrients, fat and protein for your baby to grow at just the right rate. As your baby grows, your milk changes to meet their new nutritional requirements. For example, your first milk is high in fat with less water but at three months of age, your milk has less fat and more water.

Benefits of Breastfeeding

1. There is a strong connection between breastfeeding and a healthy immune system. You pass your antibodies to your baby through your breast milk, giving your baby a head start in fighting off infections such as ear infections, respiratory problems, asthma and allergies. Breast milk also makes a protective coating inside your baby’s stomach to keep germs from taking hold.
2. Breastfeeding your baby has health benefits for you, too. Mothers who breastfeed return to their pre-pregnancy weight sooner and have lower rates of breast and uterine cancer.
3. Breastfeeding helps your uterus return to normal and decreases blood loss after your baby is born. You may also experience a break from your period for as long as 12 months.

Start Early, Feed, Express and Pump Often

You can begin hand expressing your early milk right after your baby is born. This helps ensure your future milk supply. Our breastfeeding articles provide more information on how to start breastfeeding, how to pump and store breast milk, tackle any issues, and much more.