Breastfeeding Can Reduce Risk for Diabetes

Most women know that breastfeeding the baby is healthier for the baby. We also know that it is much cheaper than using formula to nourish the baby. There are also possible health benefits to the mother. The mother can lower her risks of getting diabetes older in life. Diabetes is a disease that attacks the kidneys and affects you life in every way. Reducing your risks for diabetes keep you from having to deal with the difficulty in life that it can cause.

According to WebMD, studies show that breastfeeding your baby for just one month can reduce the risk that women have of contracting diabetes with age. The risk seems to be doubled for women who didn't breastfeed their babies at all as opposed to those who breastfed for one month or more in getting diabetes. That is a huge difference in risk factors and all women who are having babies should consider breastfeeding if for nothing more than the possibility that it will lower your risk by half of diabetes.

It is suggested that the longer women breastfeed their babies, the greater the benefits to the mother's and baby's health overall. Lowering the risk for diabetes is just one of the many benefits to health. Other benefits of breastfeeding include: healthy diet for baby, healthy diet for mommy and a host of other things that will be of great benefit. Breastfeeding even saves money on the grocery bill. Bottle feeding is expensive, it smells bad and it isn't nearly as healthy for the baby.

The women in this study were overweight when the study began. The risk level of diabetes for women who breastfeed was not affected by the fact that the women lost the weight. In other words, it is the breastfeeding that reduces the risk, not the weight loss in this case. It is definitely worth the consideration of breastfeeding if you have been sitting on the fence about whether you should breastfeed, this is just another reason to get off the fence and heading in the right direction.

You can't really go wrong if you choose to breastfeed. You have a lot to lose if you don't. Diabetes can be a devastating disease. If you have a chance to lower your risk, you should do it. That is especially true when you have a family history of diabetes. Although diabetes is a manageable disease, complications could mean having to get dialysis and may have to go on a list for kidney donations. Give breastfeeding a chance. Just one month of breastfeeding can greatly reduce your risks for this kidney disease.