Breastfeeding Benefits For Moms
Breastfeeding is beneficial not only for infants, it also benefits the nursing mother. Studies have shown that breastfeeding reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes and breast cancer.
Breastfeeding lowers diabetes risks
By breastfeeding at least for a month, you can significantly lower your risk of developing type 2 diabetes later in life. In a study, researchers of the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine have found that the risk of being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes is same for mothers who had breastfed their children at least for a month and women who had never given birth. However, mothers who had never breastfed have twice the risk of developing diabetes than women who had never given birth. Moreover, longer you breastfeed, the better is it for your health. Health experts recommend exclusive breastfeeding for six months.
Breastfeeding reduces cancer risks
Health experts believe that breastfeeding might protect women from breast cancer. Nursing babies for six months could significantly lower the risk of breast cancer. Some studies have shown that risks of endometrial and ovarian cancers could be reduced significantly through prolonged breastfeeding. Health experts speculate that suppression of ovulatory hormones during breastfeeding might be associated with the cancer prevention property of breastfeeding.
Breastfeeding might protect women from heart diseases
It is unclear how breastfeeding lowers the risk of heart diseases, but researchers have found that women who breastfed at least for two years during their childbearing age had 23 percent lesser risk of heart diseases. Researchers speculate that by promoting loss of abdominal fat, breastfeeding might prevent heart diseases.
Breastfeeding reduces arthritis risk
Women who breastfeed at least for two years during their reproductive age have 50 percent lesser risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis. The risk of rheumatoid arthritis might be reduced by 20 percent by breastfeeding for 12 to 23 months during the childbearing age. Perhaps changes in the levels of the sex hormones during breastfeeding might lower the risk of arthritis.