New Bonus Benefits of Breastfeeding for Moms

New data shows that breastfeeding isn’t only good for the baby, but can also benefit the mother. Mothers who breastfeed may benefit from lower risks of heart attacks, heart disease, and stroke because of reduced fat stored in the body.

Though breastfeeding had been losing steam for many decades with the migration of more women in the workplace, it seems over the past several years the trend is actually gaining in popularity. Research has shown many positive effects of breastfeeding for a baby, such as lowering risks for infections in the gastrointestinal, urinary, and respiratory tracts, reducing instances of ear infections, diarrhea and the risk of SIDS (sudden-infant death syndrome). Breastfeeding has also shown to potentially ward off allergies, diabetes, and even obesity later in life for breastfed babies. According to Audrey Naylor, M.D., "Even if a mother breastfeeds for just a few weeks after giving birth, she is giving her baby an enormous health boost with positive effects that can be seen almost immediately, as well as long- term benefits that may help her child remain healthier clear into adulthood.” Now there is research emerging showing the benefits of breastfeeding on mothers who nurse.

A new study released in the May issue of Obstetrics & Gynecology, conducted by researchers at the University of Pittsburgh involved over 139,000 postmenopausal women. The study found that women who breastfed their babies for more than a year were around 10 percent less likely of experiencing a heart attack, stroke, or developing heart disease, compared to those who never breastfed their children. The researcher found that mothers who nursed their babies for at least a month may reduce risks of diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol. The study involved women ranging in age from 50 to 79 who had previously given birth, and 58 percent of the participants reported nursing their children. An average of 35 years had past since any of the participants had breastfed their children. Those women who breastfed for at least two years during their lifetime had a 13 percent lower risk of high blood pressure, 12 percent lower risk of diabetes and a 20 percent lower risk of high cholesterol.

This means that breastfeeding has some pretty significant benefits for the long-term health of mothers. According to Dr. Adam Aponte, chairman of pediatrics and ambulatory care at North General Hospital in New York City, "In the short term, breastfeeding increases the production of oxytocin, a hormone that not only encourages milk production, but also helps a mother feel more relaxed and calm." Previous research has shown that breastfeeding for as little as a month may reduce a mother’s risks of breast, uterine and ovarian cancer, and can potentially lead to stronger bones. Breastfeeding helps a mother’s uterus to contract even after birth and return to its pre-pregnancy state and preventing postpartum hemorrhaging.

Research suggests that breastfeeding reducing cardiovascular risks may be due to the reduction of fat stores in the body, but could also be linked to the release of hormones breastfeeding stimulates. According to Dr. Eleanor Bimla Schwarz, “We have known for years that breastfeeding is important for babies’ health; we know that it is important for mothers’ health as well.” She added, “Breastfeeding is an important part of the way women’s bodies recover from pregnancy.” Interrupting this process could lead to a number of health problems such as, heart attacks and strokes.

Based on research, breastfeeding seems to be a win-win situation, benefiting both mother and baby. The longer a mother nurses her baby the better for both of them. It is recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics that mothers breastfeed their babies with no supplementation of other liquids, only mother's milk, for six months, but to continue breastfeeding along with liquid supplementation if desired, throughout a baby's first year of life and beyond.