Benefits Of Breastfeeding Essay

Children need to be fed. They need the right nutrients in order to be healthy, starting as soon as moments after they are born. It is something nearly the entire American population can agree on. Then why is it not legal everywhere to do so? South Dakota and Virginia have laws specifically stating mothers are not allowed to breastfeed in public, due to it being public indecency, and Idaho is the only state that has not passed any similar laws (Samakow 1). Even in the other 47 states where public breastfeeding is legal, such a stigma is held against it that mothers are often asked to leave public places or to “cover up” if they are breastfeeding (1). Because the purpose of women 's’ breasts is to provide food and nutrients for her child if she wishes to have one, all women should be legally allowed to breastfeed in public, and should be allowed a comfortable space that is not a restroom to breastfeed if they prefer to do so in private, since a woman’s life should

Infants are naturally susceptible to illness, and breastfeeding helps reduce this susceptibility not only early in life, but later on as well, decreasing a child’s risk for development of diabetes, heart disease, and cancer (1). Breastfeeding mothers’ chance for developing osteoporosis as well as breast, uterine, and ovarian cancer are reduced; breastfeeding also allows for easier weight loss after pregnancy and giving birth (1). Breastfeeding also works as an effective form of natural contraceptive, 98% more effective than condoms (1). A mother’s mental and emotional health can also benefit from breastfeeding; a mother’s emotional health and confidence is improved through the development of a personal and intimate relationship with her infant(s); this interaction between mother and infant helps set “health and psychological foundation for years to come”