Many new moms hear about breastfeeding but don’t fully understand the gravity of it until they are in the thick of it. Before my son was born, I heard everyone talk about the unique bond breastfeeding creates and its health benefits for both mom and baby. However, it wasn’t until those days when I felt exhausted but still determined to nourish my child that I truly understood its value. And while it comes with its fair share of challenges (hello, sleepless nights and spit up), the connection and warmth I shared with my baby made it all worthwhile.
Breastfeeding is a natural way of feeding your newborn, but it’s not the only way. You can use formula milk, too, depending on your preferences. However, since it’s natural, breastmilk offers many benefits that help your baby grow and develop in the best way possible. The CDC recommends exclusively breastfeeding your child until the age of 6 months, but only 1 in 4 children meet that goal due to latch issues, poor supply, and other problems at no one’s fault.
Although breastfeeding is a unique experience for every mom, some facts resonate with everyone. Let’s explore these 13 facts about breastfeeding that prove it’s as valuable as gold.
1. The First Milk, Called Colostrum, is Highly Nutritious
Colostrum is the first milk moms produce right after giving birth. After three to four days, it converts to breast milk. This thick, yellowish fluid contains antibodies, proteins, vitamins, and minerals.
Colostrum is also loaded with white blood cells that make antibodies, which help strengthen the baby’s immune system and reduce the risk of infections. Better yet, it’s packed with vitamin A, magnesium, copper, zinc, and carotenoid, an antioxidant that gives it its yellow color.
But what makes colostrum distinct from traditional breastmilk? Colostrum contains immunoglobulins, has two times more protein and four times more zinc, and has less sugar and fat content, so your baby can easily digest it. No wonder why it’s often referred to as “Liquid Gold.”
2. Breast Milk Makes Baby Sleepy
Breast milk regulates your baby’s sleep-wake cycle. Newborns start developing their internal clocks at around 3-4 months, but until that time, your breast milk is a secret formula that helps them snooze.
The composition of breast milk changes with every feed. During the day, it releases cortisol, which keeps babies alert. In contrast, night milk has hormones and compounds that induce sleep. One important one is tryptophan, which turns into serotonin and then melatonin, the sleep hormones you frequently hear about. This natural sedative calms babies and allows them to fall asleep.
3. Your Baby Can Smell You
Babies have a strong sense of smell right from birth, which is important for bonding and feeding. Your baby can recognize your breast milk scent, which depends on your diet and helps the baby find the breast during feeding.
This familiar smell makes them feel safe and comfortable. Babies can even tell their mother’s scent apart from others, strengthening their bond with you.
4. Breast Milk is Dynamic
It’s fabulous that breast milk adapts to the changing needs of a growing baby. Its composition varies during each feeding, throughout the day, and as the months go by.
This allows the baby to get the proper nutrients, hormones, and antibodies for their development. For instance, breast milk has more fat and calories during growth spurts to meet higher energy needs. Also, when the mom or baby is sick, the breast milk produces more leukocytes or white blood cells that help fight infections. It’s truly a gold standard of nutrition.
5. Breastfeeding Burns Calories
Breastfeeding is great for both babies and mothers. It can help moms burn 450 to 500 calories a day, making it easier to lose some pregnancy weight naturally. The energy needed to produce milk helps with this calorie burn.
For many moms, breastfeeding is a way to support postpartum weight loss while bonding with their newborn. However, it also makes you feel more hungry and dehydrated during breastfeeding sessions. So, eat a healthy diet and drink plenty of water.
6. It Can Put Your Periods on Pause
One interesting effect of breastfeeding is that it can delay the return of your period. This happens because the hormones that help produce milk, mainly prolactin, can also suppress the hormones needed for ovulation. How long it lasts varies from mom to mom and depends on how often and exclusively you breastfeed.
Some moms might not see their period come back for several months or even over a year, which could be a nice break during those initial exhausting months. Just a heads up, though, breastfeeding isn’t a guaranteed way to prevent pregnancy, and you can still ovulate even if your period hasn’t returned.
7. It Prevents Moms From Certain Cancers
Breastfeeding can actually lower a mom’s risk of developing certain cancers, diabetes, and heart disease. One way it helps is by delaying ovulation and reducing exposure to estrogen, which is tied to a higher cancer risk. Plus, while breastfeeding, the breast sheds cells, and that can include abnormal ones, lowering the chances of breast cancer.
8. Breastfeeding Makes You Happy
Breastfeeding makes moms happy and satisfied by releasing hormones such as oxytocin and prolactin, which help them relax and reduce stress. Oxytocin, known as the “cuddle hormone,” strengthens the bond between mother and child, creating feelings of love and joy. These feel-good hormones also reduce the chances of postpartum depression in moms.
9. Breast Milk is Different for Boys and Girls
Research indicates that the composition of breast milk can differ depending on whether your baby is a boy or a girl. For instance, breast milk produced for male infants may contain higher fat and protein, while milk for female infants might have more calcium and liquid consistency.
10. It Contains 200 Types of Sugars
Another fascinating aspect of breast milk is its complex sugar composition, containing over 200 types of sugars called oligosaccharides. These sugars help build your child’s gut microbiota and support their immune system.
Unlike formula sugars, oligosaccharides are not used for energy; they act as prebiotics, increasing good bacteria in the gut and protecting against harmful germs. Just another dynamic way that breastmilk shifts to nurture a growing child.
11. Your Baby Can See You
A newborn’s vision is one of the first senses to develop from birth. Babies can see clearly from about 8 to 15 inches away, the distance between their faces and their mothers during breastfeeding. This helps strengthen your bond as babies start to recognize your face.
12. Breastfeeding Reduces the Risk of Sudden Infant Death
Breastfeeding lowers the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), especially in the first year of life. Studies show that babies who are breastfed tend to have fewer SIDS cases than those who are not. While the exact mechanism that makes breastfeeding prevent SIDS is unknown, it likely has to do with the nutritional and immune benefits of breast milk.
Breastfed babies are healthy, have a strong immune system, and have better sleep habits. These factors may help lower SIDS risk. Another factor Is that breastfeeding moms and babies frequently wake up during sleep, which could help avoid some sleep-related issues tied to SIDS.
13. Breast Milk Introduces New Flavors
Breast milk introduces babies to different flavors from the mom’s diet. For instance, if mom eats distinct flavors like garlic or spices, those tastes can appear in her milk. This early taste exposure makes babies more open to new flavors when eating solids.
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Aqsa is a passionate writer who loves spending her free time jotting down her thoughts. But that’s not all. She is a devoted mom to two boys and a skilled pharmacist specializing in hematology. When she’s not running after her energetic kids, you can find her lost in a good book or writing beautiful words. A nature lover at heart, she enjoys exploring the outdoors, staying active, and always seeking ways to learn new things.
Aqsa is a passionate writer who loves spending her free time jotting down her thoughts. But that's not all. She is a devoted mom to two boys and a skilled pharmacist specializing in hematology. When she's not running after her energetic kids, you can find her lost in a good book or writing beautiful words. A nature lover at heart, she enjoys exploring the outdoors, staying active, and always seeking ways to learn new things.
