Breastfeeding - Surviving Pregnancy

You've most likely heard every doctor and health care professional say that breastfeeding new babies is the best nutrition there is. Not only is it the natural way to feed your baby, but the health benefits are enormous. Here are 10 great reasons why you should breastfeed your newborn baby.

1. Fat is vital to your newborn. Why? Because most all of the essential vitamins and nutrients that your baby needs, comes from fat. It gives vitamin A - D and E, and at the same time provides the necessary calories your baby requires. Breastfeeding gives your baby these vital nutrients to keep them healthy.

2. Milk from a cow can often times create an allergic reaction in a newborn infant. Breastfeeding reactions are extremely rare.

3. Milk from breastfeeding has many hormones and growth factors in it that assist your baby in growing and keeping healthy.

4. It's a fact that breastfeeding babies are healthier. They have lower risks of getting infections, illnesses and meningitis. Another important aspect is that a breast fed baby is 5-6 times less likely of getting childhood lymphoma. They are also much less likely to get ear infections than their bottle fed counterparts.

5. Another important reason for breastfeeding your baby has to do with staying fit. Research has been done and shows that breast fed babies are more fit and have a lower risk of becoming obese when they grow up. Why? It has been determined that bottle fed infants have much more insulin in their system which causes the fat cells to increase. We all know that obese children are more likely to develop diabetes, high blood pressure, and other cardiovascular diseases as they grow older.

6. Breast fed babies have also shown to be healthier than formula fed babies. They have reduced rates of sickness, ear infections, allergies, and even hospital visits.

7. Breastfeeding also creates a sense of security and bonding with their mother. No bottle fed baby gets this added sense of security. A baby gets a sense of comfort, safety and joy by being nursed from their mother.

8. A breastfeeding mother gets an added plus by being able to lose the extra pre-birth weight and regain their pre-pregnancy size. It's also great for fighting off the postpartum depression that can easily strike a new mom.

9. Breast milk is free. You can save your money by not having to buy formula. And it is readily available.

10. When breastfeeding your newborn, colostrum is what your baby will first feed on. It's gives your baby all the nutrients and vitamins an infant needs. In addition, colostrum has the necessary amounts of immunoglobulins which keeps your baby from getting bacterial and viral infections.

Only you can determine is breastfeeding is right for you. I encourage you to take the time to seriously consider it. Learn all that you can and make a well informed decision that is in the best interests of you and your baby.

Alien writes for pregnancy signs . He also writes for weight loss tips