Here at Hale County Hospital, we are proud to offer top-notch pediatric services to our local community. We take pride in being able to provide care for our youngest and most vulnerable community members. As August is National Breastfeeding Awareness month, we wanted to use this opportunity to discuss the importance of breastfeeding and its positive impacts on the health of both mother and infant.
When possible, infants should be exclusively breastfed for the first six months of their life. Exclusive breastfeeding means that the infant is only given breast milk, no other food or drink, even water. Breast milk is 80% water and so breastfeeding will keep an infant hydrated, while also providing all the nutrients that an infant needs to stay healthy and grow. Below are a few of the benefits that breastfeeding provides for both mother and child.
Benefits of Breastfeeding for an infant:
Breast milk provides an infant with all the nutrients needed for both physical and mental development
Helps boost the infant’s immune system and protects them from getting sick
Reduces the baby’s risk of developing obesity, allergies, asthma, and type 1 diabetes
Breast milk is easily digestible and won’t bother their stomachs
Benefits of Breastfeeding for mother:
Reduces the mother’s risk of ovarian and breast cancer as well as type 2 diabetes
Helps mother more quickly recover from childbirth
Breastfeeding burns calories and can help mothers lose pregnancy weight
Can help build a bond between mother and child
Choosing to breastfeed is an important decision that can improve the health of both mother and child. Even knowing this, breastfeeding can be difficult and confusing. Resources on learning how to breastfeed can be found online at the Office of Women’s Health and we at Hale County Hospital are ready and available to provide top-notch care to both mother and child. Call to schedule an appointment with us!
