The first week of October, October 1-7, is World Breastfeeding Week. In this week, the importance of breast milk and breastfeeding for baby health is generally emphasized because only breast milk is very important for the healthy development of newborn babies in the first 6 months. For this reason, the World Health Organization and UNICEF recommend mothers to breastfeed.
"Breast milk is the best food for the healthy growth and development of babies. It is indispensable for the physical and spiritual development of both the mother and the baby."
However, apart from the benefits of breastfeeding for the baby, there are also many benefits for the mother:
When the mother breastfeeds the baby, the relationship between mother and baby is strengthened. It becomes easier for the mother to adopt the baby and for the baby to gain a healthy personality. It provides emotional satisfaction to the mother. The baby cries less.
According to a study conducted with approximately 14 thousand women, the risk of depression is reduced by up to 50% in mothers who want to breastfeed their babies and can breastfeed, while mothers who want to breastfeed their babies but cannot breastfeed for various reasons have the highest rate of depression.
Thanks to the hormones secreted from the mother during breastfeeding, the mother becomes peaceful and rested:
Breastfeeding accelerates the return of the mother's uterus to its previous state. The uterus grows approximately 20 times during pregnancy. It enables the uterus to contract effectively with the help of the oxytocin hormone secreted during breastfeeding, so that the uterus reaches its pre-pregnancy size more easily. At the same time, contractions cause the ends of the blood vessels that remain exposed in the uterus after birth to contract. Thus, postpartum bleeding also decreases. In women who do not breastfeed, the uterus returns to its original size more difficult than in women who breastfeed, and it may be necessary to use synthetic oxytocin or some other drugs that cause the uterus to contract to reduce postpartum bleeding.
The risk of iron deficiency anemia is reduced in breastfeeding mothers; Since the amount of postpartum bleeding is less and they are less likely to menstruate as long as they continue breastfeeding, breastfeeding mothers quickly regain the iron stores they lost at birth.
Breastfeeding mothers lose weight more easily after birth. A healthy mother secretes an average of 700-800 ml of milk per day. This For this, they need to consume an average of 750 calories in addition to their daily calorie needs. 500 calories of this amount come from what the mother eats, while 250 calories come from the fat stored during pregnancy. This causes breastfeeding mothers to lose the excess weight they gained during pregnancy.
Breastfeeding is a natural method of contraception.
The prolactin hormone, which is responsible for milk production, controls ovulation in the brain. It affects the hormones that Thus, no new egg cell development occurs in the ovaries. Since there is no ovulation, the possibility of pregnancy disappears. As the baby continues to suckle, milk production and therefore prolactin production continues and ovulation is suppressed. However, this suppression gradually disappears when the baby is introduced to complementary foods. In women who feed their babies only with breast milk, it takes around 4-6 months for ovulation to return, and during this period, breastfeeding mothers are largely protected from unwanted pregnancies. The protection of breastfeeding for the first 3 months is over 90%. However, if menstrual bleeding begins during this period, it most likely means that ovulation has started and there is a risk of pregnancy. Therefore, additional protection is recommended for breastfeeding mothers after the first menstrual bleeding or after the 6th month if there is no bleeding. Breastfeeding protects against breast cancer. While breast cancer is more common in developed countries, it is less common in underdeveloped or developing societies. The reason for this difference is the number of children born to women and the total duration of breastfeeding. This protective effect increases with the total breastfeeding duration. Each year of breastfeeding reduces the risk by 4.3%. It has been shown that each birth provides an additional 7% reduction in this risk, regardless of the duration of breastfeeding. The low estrogen level during breastfeeding and a number of molecular changes that occur in breast cells during milk production make these cells more resistant to cancer development.
Breastfeeding also reduces the mother's chances of developing ovarian cancer. Ovarian cancer is a cancer that has a very insidious course and does not cause symptoms until its final stages. Studies have shown that women who give birth before the age of 30 and breastfeed their babies for a year or more have a significant decrease in the risk of developing ovarian cancer. . Since pregnancy and breastfeeding both suppress ovulation, they cause a decrease in cancers of this organ. The rate of progression of endometriosis is lower in breastfeeding mothers. It reduces the daily insulin need of the diabetic mother. It has been shown that today's diseases such as heart disease, hypertension and diabetes occur significantly less in mothers who have breastfed for 12-24 months. Breastfeeding protects the mother from osteoporosis (bone loss) that may occur in the future. Breast milk is available and free for everyone. There is no need for trouble such as preparing bottles and formula, boiling and cooling water. Breast milk can never be imitated exactly.
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