4 Breastfeeding Benefits for Baby

We all know that breastfeeding is beneficial for Baby both physically and emotionally – but what isn't often talked about is how good breastfeeding is for Mom! Abena Foreman-Trice of Waynesboro, Va., didn't know how wonderful breastfeeding could be for mothers until she breastfed her own babies.

"The ability to provide such a unique source of nourishment is nothing short of a miracle to me," she says. "When their petite bodies grew more robust, I felt proud knowing that they were big, happy and healthy due in large part to my decision to breastfeed."

What Foreman-Trice learned is the same thing most mothers who breastfeed their babies discover: Breastfeeding is good for the soul. "Being able to successfully nourish your baby's body with your own brings a sense of empowerment and pride," Foreman-Trice says. "There are so many things in life that we cannot control, but when women make the decision to breastfeed, they are taking control of their baby's health and well-being in a way that no other person can. Breast milk may nourish a baby's body, but providing it feeds a mom's soul."

Getting There

Donna Antennucci, a licensed nurse and IBCLC from the Florida Hospital in Orlando, agrees that breastfeeding baby can nurture a mother's soul provided she sticks with it long enough. "When I think back on the days that I breastfed my own babies, a smile always comes to my face," she says. "It was difficult in the early days and weeks, as it is for most mothers, but the hard days soon were replaced by the satisfaction I felt from knowing that my child was growing and thriving on my life-giving milk.

I am saddened when I hear of women giving up on their breastfeeding experience before they have had a chance to feel this praiseworthy reaction to such a monumental gift to their baby."

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Breastfeeding is often difficult to begin with, and for many mothers it is the first test of motherhood. Getting through the challenge of breastfeeding gives the mother a sense of confidence. "For me, it wasn't until my babies had been able to suckle at my breast and began to grow and thrive that I really began to feel like I was going to be any good at the mother role," Antennucci says. "Nursing my baby empowered me to a point of faith that I could not have ever dreamed of."

Carolyn Hawley of San Diego, Calif., has found that breastfeeding helps her feel close to her baby even when she can't physically be there. "I'm away from my son for more than eight hours a day, since I work full time," she says. "I pump to maintain my milk supply and give him milk to drink at daycare."

Nursing her son has given Hawley a time when she can leave the cares of a working mother behind and focus solely on her baby. "Breastfeeding allows me to have quiet, gentle time with my son," she says. "It allows me to have time that is only for me and my son. My son wakes up only once in the night, and I've gotten to the point where I enjoy the quiet time in the dim light. There is nothing quite as lovely as listening to Andrew make his little coos when he drinks."

The Jackpot

Shelly Holbrook, certified childbirth educator and owner of Puget Sound Birth Options in Tacoma, Wash., lists the following benefits as particularly of interest to moms:

Bonding With Baby: Breastfeeding is the best way to begin early nurturing with your child. The coddling and human touch of holding the baby is calming and sedating. Holbrook says it's so calming that a lot of women "fall asleep on the job!"
Pure Nutrition: Not only is breast milk perfectly balanced in its levels of nutrients, but it is always the right temperature. New mothers are prone to worry, especially in the first three years. Knowing that you are taking steps to increase the chances of a healthy child is a comfort to a mother's spirit.
Unique Gift: There is a great sense of peace and pride knowing that you are providing the very life force that drives your child's health.
Environmentally Sound: Those with an ecological conscience (as we all should have), know that they aren't contributing to waste problems by tossing hundreds of plastic liners, plastic nipples, bottles or pacifiers into the garbage. Knowing that you really are making a difference gives mothers a sense of pride.

Breastfeeding Baby isn't just good for the baby; it's good for Mom as well. Knowing that you are nourishing your child and giving something that no one else can imparts a great sense of accomplishment and satisfaction. It also connects you to other mothers around the world and throughout history. This connection, along with the bonding breastfeeding encourages, feeds your soul and spirit in a way that nothing else can.