For the mother:
- Reduces the risk of breast cancer.
- Reduces the risk of uterine and ovarian cancer.
- Lessens osteoporosis.
- Benefits child spacing.
- Promotes emotional health.
- Promotes postpartum weight loss.
- Costs less to breastfeed.
For baby:
- Contains all the vitamins and nutrients a baby needs in the first 6 months of life.
- Breast milk is packed with disease-fighting substances.
- Breastfeed babies tend to have less allergic reactions.
- Various studies have shown that breastfeed babies are more intelligent.
- Breastfeeding may protect your child from obesity.
A study by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (US) showed that children who are breastfed have a 20 percent lower risk of dying between the ages of 28 days and 1 year than children who weren't breastfed, with longer breastfeeding associated with lower risk.
For the first 4 to 6 months your baby will feed solely on your breast milk. At this point the paediatric will usually advise that it is time to start introducing solids into their diet.
I have breastfeed both my sons. With my eldest I stopped when he was a year old. I currently still breastfeeding my 7 month old and will continue to do so at least until he is a year old too.
Why a year? For me it seems like a natural cut off point. They are used to a varied diet by that point and so have less need of the milk. Plus by that time they have teeth and weigh quite a lot so it's no longer as comfortable for me.
Some mothers last longer though as this video shows:
If you're pregnant, will you breastfeed your baby?
When did you stop breastfeeding?
What age do you think is the right cut off point?
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