Till about 6 months of age, the baby's only food source is breast milk. It has all the nutrients and energy a baby requires till that age. From 7th month to about 1 year of age, breast milk can still provide half the nutrient requirements of the baby. Here are some of the benefits of breastfeeding your baby -
- Breast milk provides all the nutrients in the right proportion to the baby for the first six months after birth
- It helps build the baby's immunity against many infections and diseases as it contains beneficial antibodies
- Incidents of meningitis is much lesser in breastfed babies
- Incidents of conditions like diabetes or abnormal lipid profile or hypertension are fewer in teenagers who were breastfed
- Breastfeeding babies for a longer duration also helps prevent obesity in the later years of life
- Breastfeeding is also believed to lower the risk of SIDS (Sudden infant Death Syndrome)
- Studies have shown that babies who were breastfed had higher IQ than breastfeed deprived ones
- Since breast milk is easily digestible, it avoids any gastric troubles for the baby
- Breastfeeding helps to create a special bond between the mother and the baby

Breastfeeding not only is beneficial for the babies, but for mothers too! It helps the mother to lose the pregnancy weight faster (and in a healthy way). It helps the uterus to come back to its original size. It helps prevent in the risk of breast and ovarian cancer in mothers who breastfeed their babies for at least a year or more. Studies have also shown that mothers who breastfeed the babies are lesser prone to postpartum depression.

Breastfeeding is equally beneficial for you and your baby. Don't miss out on the benefits!