What breastfeeding really does FOR YOU
We all know that breastfeeding is good for our babies –there’s a slew of studies to prove that, which is why the World Health Organization recommends exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months and breastfeeding up to two years or beyond. But what’s less well known is that breastfeeding has plenty of physical and psychological health benefits for you too. And we’re not just talking about (maybe) shedding that baby weight quicker.
”Breastfeeding is an important part of the way women’s bodies recover from pregnancy,” explains Dr Eleanor Bimla Schwarz from the University of Pittsburgh, co-author of an extensive study into the long-term benefits of breastfeeding. ”The longer a mother nurses her baby, the better for both of them,” she says.
Local expert Sister Hettie Grove, a midwife and lactation trainer via SA Certified Lactation Consultants, adds that the health benefits of breastfeeding for mothers are only just beginning
