As October is National Campaign for Healthier Babies Month, First 5 Lake County is encouraging all new parents to learn more about the benefits of breastfeeding.

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), breastfeeding is the best way to give babies a healthy start to life.

In partnership with the AAP, First 5 Lake County offers the following advantages to breastfeeding for both moms and babies.

Benefits for your baby

Research shows that breast milk is the best food for your newborn.

• Breast milk strengthens your baby’s immune system by providing antibodies that help protect against germs and diseases. Breastfed babies have fewer illnesses (and less frequent doctors’ visits) than babies who are formula-fed.

• Breast milk provides the most ideal nutrition for infants and includes ingredients that help develop your baby’s brain.

• Studies show the longer a mother breastfeeds, the less likely her child will become overweight later in life.

Benefits for you

The benefits of breastfeeding are not only limited to babies, but have advantages for moms, too.

• Studies find women who breastfeed for at least three months often return to their pre-pregnancy weight more quickly.

• Breastfeeding helps lower your risk of breast and ovarian cancers, along with reducing the risk of developing osteoporosis later in life.

• It’s free! Breastfeeding saves you money by limiting the number of bottles and formula you must buy.

Benefits for both

Breastfeeding is a valuable investment in your child’s future and your relationship together.

• Breastfeeding offers one-on-one time between you and your newborn. Feeding is the first real connection between you and your baby.

• Breastfeeding provides an emotional bond which helps you and your baby get to know one another.

• The skin-to-skin contact offered by breastfeeding can reduce stress in both the baby and the mother.

• Breastfeeding is better for the environment. Breastfeeding reduces the number of formula cans and bottles thrown away each year, creating a healthier planet for you and your child.

For additional parenting advice on topics such as breastfeeding, parents and caregivers can order a free Kit for New Parents – a comprehensive parenting resource guide – by calling Ms. Maxwell at 262-1611 ext 146. The kits come in English or Spanish.

Tom Jordan is executive director of First 5 Lake County. Research shows that a child’s brain develops most dramatically in the first five years and what parents and caregivers do during these years to support their child’s growth will have a meaningful impact throughout life. Based on this research, California voters passed Proposition 10 in 1998, adding a 50 cents-per-pack tax on cigarettes to support programs for expectant parents and children ages 0 to 5. First 5 Lake County distributes approximately $825,000 a year in Proposition 10 revenues to programs and services that meet local needs.

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