National Brestfeeding Awareness Month

August is National Breastfeeding Awareness month. There are TONS of reasons why breastfeeding is beneficial to you and your baby.

Some benefits for baby include:

• diarrhea, lower respiratory illnesses, and ear infections happen less often in breastfed babies, and are less severe when they do occur
• breastfeeding for six months or more makes it less likely that your baby will go on to develop food or respiratory allergies
• Several studies have found a possible connection between breastfeeding and higher IQs
• Studies have shown that breastfeeding can lower a baby's risk of developing both acute lymphoblastic and acute myeloid leukemia
• Breastfeeding for more than six months appears to reduce a child's risk of developing insulin-dependent (type 1) diabetes

Some benefits for mother include:

• helping you shed pounds more quickly, especially during the first year
• help lower your stress level and reduce postpartum bleeding
• Numerous studies have found that the longer women breastfeed, the more they're protected against breast and ovarian cancer
• Two studies show that breastfeeding may actually improve a woman's bone density in the long run and reduce the risk of hip fractures in old age

I have never actually heard of any disadvantages to breastfeeding... so do it if you can!!!

This information was gathered from BabyCenter.com.