The Selfish Reasons to Breastfeed

When I was pregnant with my first child, I was bombarded with information on why to breastfeed. Breastfeeding was best for baby. But after breastfeeding my third child, I also know there are many selfish reasons to breastfeed your baby.

It's Easy! This is my favorite reason. It's easy. With my first child, I stopped breastfeeding earlier than I expected. And after getting up in the middle of the night to make bottles, heat them up, and sit up to feed the baby, I realized that breastfeeding was much easier. All I had to do was bring the baby to bed with me, lay down and feed him. Also I have no bottles to sterilize and no formula to buy (no late night runs to the store when we forgot we where almost out). When we are leaving the house, I don't have to worry about bringing any bottles or keeping them at the right temperature. I don't have to find a place to heat up the bottle. I just make sure I have my nursing cover and a few diapers and wipes.

It's Free! Anybody that knows me knows that this is my favorite reason. You can plan to spend about $25-$40 a week on formula (sometimes more if your baby is on a special kind.) This is money I would rather spend on something else. I figure I'm saving at least $1200 for the year I'm breastfeeding. That's a nice weekend away or you can pay off all of those hospital bills from having a baby.

Weight loss! According to babyfit.com, breastfeeding requires 750 calories. Due to the fat reserves your body makes during pregnancy, a breastfeeding mom should eat 300 to 500 more calories a day. From friends and personal experience, I have found that most of this weight loss usually occurs three to six months after the baby is born. One reason could be that you are trying to eat more healthy, knowing that what you eat is what your baby is getting.

Health Benefits for Mother! We always hear of the health benefits of breastfeeding for the baby, but did you know that mommies that breastfeed also have some benefits? According to breast-cancer-research.com, mom's who breastfeed have a lower risk of breast cancer and ovarian cancer. This is because of the levels of estrogen during breastfeeding. Moms who breastfeed also have a lower risk of type 2 diabetes according to www.healthychild.com. One year of breastfeeding a baby can decrease the risk by 44%. There are also studies of breastfeeding being beneficial in prevention of osteoporosis.

Rest! This is another one of my favorite reasons. You have to rest to breastfeed. You can't be up doing the dishes, laundry, or picking up the kids' rooms. You have to relax with your baby. No one else can breastfeed for you. You are required to take a break every few hours. This is not only physically but mentally helpful. It gives you time to relax and only focus on one thing - your baby.

I know that breastfeeding can be hard - and sometimes stressful. Every time I think that it might be better to just quit and start formula, I think of all the ways it's good for baby, and the selfish reasons, too.