Breastfeeding is not just a way of feeding—it is the best natural gift a mother can give her baby. Breast milk is perfectly tailored to a child’s needs, providing health, emotional, and developmental benefits.
Benefits of breastfeeding for babies:
It offers all the nutrients necessary for growth and development and strengthens the immune system. Breastfed babies have a lower risk of developing allergies, asthma, diabetes, and obesity. Close contact with the mother fosters emotional security. Breastfeeding also contributes to better sleep and calmness. Breastfed babies experience less intense colic and are less prone to reflux (spitting up).
Benefits of breastfeeding for mothers:
It promotes faster postpartum recovery by stimulating uterine contractions and reducing bleeding after birth. Mothers lose pregnancy weight more quickly.
Additional benefits include:
- Reduced risk of breast and ovarian cancer, and osteoporosis
- Helps regulate blood pressure and blood sugar levels
- Strengthens emotional bonding with the baby, as breastfeeding releases oxytocin—the “love hormone”—which deepens the mother-baby connection
- Lowers the risk of postpartum depression
Practical and economic benefits:
Breast milk is always available and completely free. There’s no need for washing and sterilizing bottles or preparing formula.
The Power of Breast Milk:
- Colostrum (the first milk) is rich in proteins and essential nutrients, contains antibodies, acts as a natural laxative, and helps prevent jaundice and low blood sugar.
- Nighttime milk contains higher levels of melatonin, which improves the baby’s sleep.
Medical recommendations suggest that each feeding session for newborns should last about 10–15 minutes per breast, meaning each meal takes around 30 minutes. Whether feedings occur every three hours depends on both the baby and the mother. Once lactation is established, feedings become shorter and more efficient, and the intervals longer. Babies should never be forced to continue nursing—they know when they’ve had enough. As they grow, many babies continue to seek nighttime feeding after their evening meal; it soothes and helps them fall asleep.
How long should a baby be breastfed?
Exclusive breastfeeding is recommended for the first six months, after which breastfeeding continues alongside the introduction of solid foods. In some cases, breastfeeding may continue up to the child’s second year, depending on the mother’s and baby’s wishes.
Breastfeeding is more than food—it’s health for life!
Dr Jelena Divčić
Pediatrician
