Benefits of Breastfeeding
Your breast milk is the ideal food for your baby because it contains just the right balance of nutrients, is gentle on your baby’s digestive system and can help prevent infection. Breast milk even changes along with your baby as he or she grows.
Prenatal breastfeeding classes are available at Missouri Baptist. However, some expectant mothers may desire, or benefit, from a private, individualized lactation evaluation and consultation with a lactation consultant. These private consultations are available for a nominal fee. For more information, please call our Lactation Services at (314) 996-5747.
Why Breast Milk Is the Best Milk
Your breast milk is the perfect first food to help your baby achieve every aspect of ideal growth and development.
Breast Milk Nutrients
Your breast milk is rich in the nutrients that best promote your baby’s brain growth and nervous system development. Research has found that breastfed babies perform better on intelligence tests as they grow older. Breastfed babies also develop better eye function than babies not fed breast milk. This is due mostly to certain types of fat in breast milk, which are not available in artificial formulas.
The carbohydrate and protein in breast milk are designed to be easily digested and more completely used by your baby’s systems.
Anti-infective Properties of Breast Milk
Your breast milk contains many different kinds of disease-fighting factors that help prevent mild to severe infections. Antibodies in breast milk protect against infection and breastfed babies have significantly fewer gastrointestinal infections, respiratory infections and ear infections. Breast milk also appears to have properties that help a baby's own immune system work best. If your baby does become ill when breastfeeding and receiving your milk, the infection is likely to be less severe than if your baby wasn’t fed your milk.
Breast Milk Digestion
Your breast milk was made for your baby, making it the most easily digested food your baby can receive. A nutritious and easily digested first food is important for your baby's immature digestive tract. Your baby’s systems are able to break down your milk into its basic ingredients, so that the nutrients and anti-infective factors are more available to fuel your baby's body functions and to promote your baby's growth and development.
Your milk is best suited to be the most gentle on your baby's body systems. The suitability of your breast milk plays a role in your milk's digestibility, and it allows your baby's body to function most efficiently. This is thought to be one reason that breastfed babies are less likely to develop allergic-related skin conditions and asthma.
The digestibility of your breast milk means that your baby's body is able to work less while receiving optimal nourishment.
Prenatal breastfeeding classes are available at Missouri Baptist. However, some expectant mothers may desire, or benefit, from a private, individualized lactation evaluation and consultation with a lactation consultant. These private consultations are available for a nominal fee. For more information, please call our Lactation Services at (314) 996-5747.