Breastfeeding holds a lot of advantages for the child; simultaneously it benefits the mother as well. A breastfeeding mother gets shielded by various kinds of health issues occurring in the future, which are more prevalent in mothers who neglect the process.
Lactating mothers tend to have a 28% lower risk of both breast and ovarian cancer. Each year of breastfeeding is associated with a 4.3% decrease in breast cancer risk.
Breastfeeding also protects against developing metabolic syndrome which can actually give rise to various health and heart problems.
Women who breastfeed for 1–2 years over their lifetime faceless possibilities to develop diseases like high blood pressure, arthritis, high blood fats, heart disease and type 2 diabetes.
Also, mothers who lactate face lower risks of fighting postpartum depression compared to those who experience this after childbirth as the side effects of not lactating.
As the fat accumulated during pregnancy is used to produce milk, extended breastfeeding—at least 6 months—can help mothers lose weight. However, weight loss is highly variable among lactating women; monitoring the diet and increasing the amount/intensity of exercise are more reliable ways of losing weight.
Breastfeeding releases oxytocin and prolactin, hormones that relax the mother and make her feel more nurturing toward her baby. Uterus contraction is also a big advantage to the women who breastfeed. Breastfeeding soon after giving birth increases the mother's oxytocin levels, making her uterus contract and return to its normal size more quickly and reducing bleeding.
