When the mother feeds the baby with the milk produced by her body through the breast, it is called as breast feeding.  Now is this breast feeding important is the next question which arises and many wrong notions  that have been developed with regards to breast feeding.

Benefits of Breast feeding to the Mothers:

Many young mothers do not want to breast feed their babies so as they don’t disfigure themselves.  But this is extremely wrong. Actually it so happens that your body is shaped by breast feeding which has been disfigured due to pregnancy. Here are the other benefits for the mothers.

• Mothers who breast feed their babies have less risk of ovarian cancer.
• Breast feeding diabetic mothers need less insulin
• Hormones released during breast feed increase the bonding between the baby and the mother.
• Breast feeding the babies immediately after delivery results in quick contracting of the uterus and result in less blood loss.

Benefits to the Baby:

Breast Feeding is not only beneficial to the mother but also to your child in the following ways:

• It contains all the necessary nutrients needed by the baby:

It is the complete food required by the baby. All the proteins, fats, carbohydrates vitamins and minerals which a baby needs to grow is present in the breast milk that too in the required proportion. So you need not worry about the balanced diet

• The baby can digest it easily:

As the breast milk is easily digestible it will lead to less stomach upset. Even the stools which are passed by the babies who are breast fed are less smelly when compared to those who are not breast fed. It is soft too. All this will help in building the body of the baby.

• It is the main source of providing the required immunity for the baby:

Breast milk helps the baby to fight against the diseases like diarrhea, common cold, other common illness. A non-breastfed baby is 15 times more likely to get diarrhea and 3 times more likely to get respiratory problem. If babies are fed with animal milk they are more likely to get allergies. It is because along with the milk the immunities are transferred from the mother to the baby.

• It is readily available for the baby and that too at the right temperature!

No preparation is required for the breast milk. You can provide it any where at anyplace and at any time. No head ache of boiling the milk and cooling the same. There is no tension of boiling the bottles or cleaning them!

More over if you breast feed your child you make him feel secured as your love flows at the maximum height at the time of breast feeding. You will also be able to pass on love, affection and warmth to your baby. It is also a common practice found among the mothers who breast feed their children that they keep on talking to their baby which will in turn increase the vocabulary of the babies.

The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends breastfeeding for up to two years or beyond and exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of life.

Some herbs which helps in increasing the breast milk :

• Shatavari. A popular herb in India and China, it has gained attention in North America recently. Shatavari is generally used to improve women’s reproductive health, but it has been shown to increase lactation as well sometimes with extraordinary results.

• Goat’s Rue. Also called French Lilac or Holy Hay, this herb is being used by moms hoping to increase their milk supplies. It is especially recommended for moms who are breastfeeding after reduction surgery since it has been reputed to build and repair breast tissue as well as increase milk production.