Breast milk is by the far the best kind of nourishment for a newborn and it is suggested that a period of six months of breast milk nourishment is compulsory for all babies. We wanted to talk about this topic given the fact that it’s breast cancer awareness month. If you’re asking us what breastfeeding has got to do with cancer, read further.

1. Protection against breast cancer 

The spectrum of benefits that breastfeeding has to offer is huge. One of the major benefits that breast milk offers is the release of anti-carcinogenic hormone that gets secreted in the body of the mother and gets into the baby’s body while nursing. This hormone has the tendency to make the breast resistant to cancer. Research shows mothers who breastfeed lower their risk of pre- and postmenopausal breast cancer and can also lessen the risk of uterine and ovarian cancer.

2.  Nutritional Benefits

For the baby:

Breast milk  nourishes the baby and helps it fight off against bacteria and viruses. The milk contains certain specialized antibodies that will keep allergies and infections away. Also gastro-intestinal infections like diarrhoea and constipation in the initial days can be kept at bay this way. The immune-protective components include:

Lactoferrin (rich in iron)

Lysozymes & leucocytes (rich in antibodies to fight against bacteria & viruses)
Secretory IgA (an important immunoglobulin)

Bifidus factor (to promote the growth of beneficial bacteria)

For the mother:

Breastfeeding apart from establishing a lovely bond between the mother & the baby, also tends to stimulate healthy recovery during the post-partum phase. Release of Prolactin & Oxytocin gives the mom the necessary peace of mind and helps her deal with mood swings that may arise due to lack of sleep and disturbed circadian cycle.

According to a British report each 100ml of breast milk produced after 21 days of lactation is as follows:

70 calories

89.97 g of water

7.4 g of carbohydrates

4.2 g of fat

1.3 g of protein

Also, the body of the mother burns 400-500 calories a day in nursing the baby. For a new born, nursing once every 4 hours is advised by specialists. Give your baby the gift of breast milk!

Reference:

http://www.parentingscience.co m/calories-in-breast-milk.html

https://www.mdanderson.org/pub lications/focused-on-health/oc tober-2014/breastfeeding-breas t-cancer-prevention.html