S P-020-08
Benefits of Breastfeeding
You may have asked yourself, “Why should I breastfeed my baby?” To find out some reasons, go to www.aap.org/family/brstguid.htm , and read the section titled “Why is breastfeeding so good for my baby?” This is the second section on the web page. Next, go to www.breastfeeding.com . Look in the third column under “Features”, and click on “Video Clips”. Click on the AVI video under Benefits for Baby. Then, click on the AVI video under Benefits for Mom. Both of these video clips take a couple of minutes to load.
Now that you have found out some benefits of breastfeeding for you and your baby let’s see how much you have learned. Put an M next to the breastfeeding benefits below that are for mom and a B next to the benefits that are for the baby. ____ Helps the uterus return to its normal sizes more quickly. ____ Breast milk is easier to digest. ____ Breast milk does not need to be prepared. ____ Breastfeeding burns more calories and helps get back to pre-pregnancy weight quicker. ____ It costs nothing to make breast milk, and it’s always in supply. ____ Fewer ear infections. ____ Fewer allergies. ____ Builds bone strength to protect against bone fractures in older age.
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____ Less vomiting. ____ Reduces the risk of ovarian cancer and in pre-menopausal women, breast cancer. ____ Less diarrhea and constipation. ____ Reduced Risk of getting pneumonia, wheezing, and bronchitis. ____ Reduced risk of getting meningitis. ____ Delays the return of menstrual period, which may help extend the time between pregnancies.
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