Breastfeeding in Our Community: A Benefit to Mom and Benefit to Baby
Over the past few years, I have had the extraordinaryprivilege of working face to face with pregnant moms and new moms in Cincinnatithrough the Breastfeeding Outreach for Our Beautiful Sisters – BOOBS prenatalcommunity outreach program.
I most enjoy hearing all of their stories pertaining to breastfeeding, whether it's a story of success or a story of challenges. Pregnant mothers come together and encourage each other through the breastfeeding process. It can be a first-time mother or a mother who is currently successfully breastfeeding.
Success stories range from "breastfeeding is much easier and cheaper" or "it seems like my baby is so much more calmer" or "my baby had severe jaundice and she was put in the NICU, but I started to breastfeed her and right away her jaundice got better" and one of my favorites; "my baby had infant eczema really bad, well I started putting a little breastmilk on her skin and it cleared right up"! These success stories are shared amongst women who help build and support each other during a sensitive and vulnerable time.
Not only are there countless numbers of health benefits to the baby during and long after breastfeeding, but there are many key health benefits to breastfeeding to the mother as well. Breastfeeding mothers have direct health benefits as a result of breastfeeding their babies. For one, breast and ovarian cancer studies indicate that if women breastfed their children for a total of 4-12 months, can reduce the risk of breast cancer by 11%.1 In relationship to ovarian cancer, a study found that women who breastfed for at least two months decreased the risk of ovarian cancer by 20-25%.2
Weight loss is another key health benefit to mothers who breastfeed. I often have mothers in our breastfeeding sessions talk about how they were able to "get back into my skinny jeans" or "my stomach went down when I was breastfeeding." Research shows that producing breastmilk helps mothers to burn between 200 and 500 calories per day on average! In addition, research also confirmed that breastfeeding mothers kept the weight off versus mothers who do not breastfeed and try to lose weight.3
Other benefits to mothers that have been shared in our breastfeeding groups include comments such as; "I like that I am bonding with my baby" and "breastfeeding is just easier on me." More research benefits to breastfeeding mothers are lower risk of postpartum depression, help with birth spacing, uterine contraction, and reduce levels of stress.
Working in the community for over the past few years, I’ve had the awesome opportunity to build a program that educates specifically on both the benefits of breastfeeding to the mother as well as the baby. Outside of the scientific research, the daily testaments of breastfeeding benefits that are shared by the mothers in our community demonstrate progress towards a healthier community of mothers and babies.
- Dr. J McClain, PhD, Breastfeeding Outreach for Our Beautiful Sisters- BOOBS
You can learn more about BOOBS via their website, Facebook and Instagram.
1. Newcomb PA et al., 1994
2. Rosenblatt KA et al., 1993
3. Brewer et al., 1989
Photo Source: United States Breastfeeding Committee.