What are the benefits of breastfeeding?

Breastfeeding is a unique experience for a mother and her child. An adventure full of twists and turns andbenefits. Deciding to breastfeed means choosing natural (free and zero waste!) food for your baby and enjoying the many benefits, both physical and psychological, that come with it.

First of all, the Milk Away team would like to make it clear thatbreastfeeding is a choice. It is a decision to be made alone or as a couple and should never be influenced by the medical profession or anyone else for that matter. Your body, your motherhood, your choice. No judgement here. We don't think we are less of a mother because we don't breastfeed. Rather, we believe that a great mother is above all a free and fulfilled woman, who feels good about herself and in her shoes, and who does what she can.

That said, breast milk is a kind of white gold. A precious liquid whose composition is unique and perfectly adapted to each baby's needs. That's just as well because milk is the baby's exclusive food during the first few months of their life and remains essential thereafter, despite the future weaning journey.

The benefits of breastfeeding for the baby

They are numerous and widely proven scientifically.

• Breastfeeding provides frequent skin-to-skin contact with the mother. This practice generates a powerful feeling of well-being, comfort and protection in the child, who impregnates theunique smell of his mother and strengthens the bond of attachment thanks to the production ofoxytocin, a natural morphine nicknamed "thelove hormone".
• The production of this hormone during contact with the mother also promotes better sleep for the child.
• This close and regular physical contact will lead to the production of another hormone,endomorphin, which is capable of reducing the stress of the newborn baby in the face of the unknown world that surrounds him and that he will gradually discover.
• Breast milk contains exactly what the baby needs to grow up healthy. Many of its components are impossible to replicate artificially. It is packed with nutrients and living things such as white blood cells, stem cells and good bacteria that will support the development of all his organs, muscles and bones.
• Nature being extremely well done, it has even been proven that breast milk evolves perfectly according to the needs of the child. Not from week to week but from feeding to feeding! 
• It contains vitamins, minerals and proteins that will help the baby fight bacteria and viruses. It is also full ofantibodies, enzymes, amino acids, taurine and other hormones. A whole ecosystem is essential for the child'sgeneral immunity in the long term and the harmonious development of its brain. It has, therefore, been observed that breastfed children are better protected against certain inflammatory diseases such as respiratory tract infections (colds, flu) and gastrointestinal infections (gastroenteritis, diarrhoea). They are also less prone tofoodallergies andintolerances. It is also noted that if the baby or the mother gets ill, breastfeeding is even more interesting because the protective components of breast milk naturally increase, which reduces the recovery time.
• Breast milk contains 1.5 times more lactose than cow's milk. In addition to its sweet taste that babies love.
• Exclusive or partial breastfeeding for at least two months reduces the risk of sudden infant death syndrome by half. (*study published in the scientific journal Pedatrics)
• The very act of suckling is conducive to the proper development of the baby's face, teeth and jaw. Important points in theacquisition of language.
• Some studies suggest that the risk of obesity is also reduced in children who are breastfed.
• Last but not least, most studies around the world show that breastfed children perform better on intelligence tests due to better brain development, thanks, in part, to the fatty acid DHA.

The benefits of breastfeeding for the mother

They too are multiple and not negligible.Breastfeeding is more than just a way to feed your baby, it is the most natural way to understand and satisfy your child's needs.

• Skin-to-skin contact with baby promotes the production ofoxytocin, which encourages milk production and provides an immediate feeling of soothing and happiness. This hormone is also a very good anti-depressant and, therefore, reduces the risk of baby blues. Finally, the mother's entire hormonal state is altered during breastfeeding and her level of prolactin, the mothering hormone, soars. In short, the more contact you have with your baby, the more you care for him, the more you want to do it. 
• As with the baby, breastfeeding boosts the mother's health by limiting the risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, urinary tract infections, osteoporosis, breast, uterine and ovarian cancer. The longer you breastfeed, the lower the risk.
• Breastfeeding accelerates the contractions of the uterus, allowing it to return to its normal position more quickly after birth.
• Breastfeeding requires the body to work hard and consume energy and calories, 500 extra kilocalories per day to be precise. It helps considerably to lose the weight gained during pregnancy. Unless you take advantage of it to compensate for all the food frustrations accumulated during pregnancy... Even though it is always important to enjoy your food, you should keep in mind that a healthy and balanced diet is very important during breastfeeding because what mum eats, baby eats. So we avoid the chocolate, crisps, sweets and so on diet.
• As with babies, the production ofoxytocin helps them tofall asleep during night feeds. You wake up at night but you also fall back to sleep more easily.
• Breastfeeding considerably reduces the logistical worries of feeding. Milk is available at any time, in any situation, thanks to specially designed clothing(to the Milk Away eshop). It is always in stock, at the right temperature, free and zero waste. No need to sterilise, heat, cool, mix, etc. Frankly, there is no simpler and more efficient meal for mums on the go like Milk Away mums. From an ecological and economic point of view, it simply cannot be beaten. Through widespread breastfeeding in developing countries, millions of dollars are saved in health care, import and distribution costs.
• Prolonged breastfeeding also delays the return of menstruation, a phenomenon known aslactational amenorrhoea. We didn't miss them! As far as thecontraceptive effect of breastfeeding is concerned, it exists but we wouldn't bet on it. The return of menses is not at all an urban legend...
• As long as you are breastfeeding, you can also avoid the dreaded hair loss due to a drastic hormonal drop as a result of the cessation of lactation.
• It is even said that breastfeeding boosts the intellectual faculties of mothers, enabling them to perform certain tasks more efficiently.

When we tell you that mums are superheroes, we're just stating the facts!

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