The Many Benefits of Nursing Your Newborn Baby

The Healthiest Milk
It's never a good idea to pressure anyone into breastfeeding, it's a decision that is very personal and has to be given a great deal of thought by a new mother. However their are many benefits for a new mother to be aware of for her child. For instance breast milk contains antibodies that can't be synthetically engineered in formula. As a consequence breast fed babies have stronger immune systems and get less colds and ear infections. It can also help prevent diarrhea and constipation both of which can give a newborns mom many troubled late nights.

It's Healthy for Mom
In the long run breastfeeding can be beneficial to you as a newborn mother as well. Breastfeeding is known to reduce the long term risk of breast and ovarian cancers plus in the short term you will find you are able to bond more closely with your newborn baby.

Breastfeeding Saves you Money
If you decide to spend most of your feedings nursing naturally and only use formula on rare occasions you should be able to save several hundred dollars your first year. That's enough money to help cover other expenses such as diapers, new baby clothes or even begin your newborns savings for college. You can eliminate formula entirely as well by using a breast pump and storing your breast milk in bottles for later use. By storing milk in bottles you can encourage dad or even your other older children to get involved and help out so that mom has a break every now and then.

Breastfeeding can be Difficult at the Start
Often a breastfeeding class is a great way to start when you decide to breastfeed your baby. When you first start breastfeeding it may feel a little unnatural getting the baby to latch on. In your first days in the hospital you may experience a lot of tenderness in your breasts, but this will often soon pass. While in the hospital you can ask the nurses for advice and help getting started. Just remember that once your newborn baby does start to latch on, any pain or discomfort should start to fade away. As you nurse your baby more the pain will vanish completely.

Don't be Afraid to Ask for Help
Most hospitals have outpatient services and on call staff called lactation consultants. Often these consultants are willing to make house calls and can help show you the right positioning for your baby while feeding as well as answer many of your questions. Remember that when breastfeeding early on you won't produce a lot of milk, but the milk you do produce will be high in nutrients. As you breastfeed your baby more you will begin to produce more and more milk every day to keep up with your babies nutrition needs.

Breastfeeding doesn't last forever
Eventually the time will come when it will all be over. One day the baby will lose interest as it switches to other foods, or perhaps mom simply burns out. Breastfeeding can be an incredibly enjoyable experience for a mother and create an incredible bond, but don't feel bad when it has run it's course. It's a natural part of life, and as long as you and the baby are happy and healthy that's all that counts in the end.