Why is breastfeeding the healthiest option for not only the baby but the mother

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What is the most natural form of a human bond you can think of? Most people would say the first thing that comes to mind is a mother and her baby. One way mothers and their babies present this connection is through the art of breastfeeding. Breastfeeding dates all the way back to the beginning of humanity. Robert S. Mendelsohn comments that “Mothers milk, time-tested for millions of years, is the best nutrient for babies because it is nature’s perfect food.” Why is breastfeeding the healthiest option for not only the child but also the mother?
Lately breastfeeding has become a controversial topic, which should not even be discussed. The benefits of breastfeeding far out outweigh the cons. Breastfed babies have proven to less likely receive the following illnesses: asthma, diabetes, leukemia, and Sudden Infant Death (SIDS). Not only does it benefit the child, but also the mother. Mothers who breastfeed their babies have proved to have a lower risk of breast/ovarian cancer, and post-partum depression. The skin to skin contact associated with breastfeeding benefits the mother and baby and strengthens the bond created between the two.
As a nation, the United States is at an all-time high of 77% of infants who begin breastfeeding at birth. The amount of mothers who choose breastfeeding over bottle feeding is increasing every year. There are many organizations that encourage naturally breastfeeding babies such as the La Leche League and Best Fed Beginnings. Best Fed Beginnings states that “We now start skin-to-skin contact within five minutes of a vaginal delivery and keep the baby there for at least an hour or until the baby initiates breastfeeding.” This method is currently being used in the Central Virginia Baptist Hospital to ex...

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"Breastfeeding Fact Sheet." Womenshealth.gov. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Mar. 2014.
"Breastfeeding Report Card 2013." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 31 July 2013. Web. 30 Mar. 2014.
Deskin, Ashley, and Susan Wyant. "Discussion from Mothers." Personal interview. 26 Mar. 2014.
Eisenberg, Arlene, Heidi Eisenberg. Murkoff, and Sandee Eisenberg. Hathaway. What to Expect the First Year. New York: Workman, 1989. Print.
"Quotes about Breastfeeding, Breast Feeding Advocacy Sayings, Nursing Babies." Quotes about Breastfeeding, Breast Feeding Advocacy Sayings, Nursing Babies. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Mar. 2014.

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