The Selfish Mum?

We are often told that Breast is Best for babies... 

It takes two...

But did you know that breastfeeding is also best for Mum, too?

For even more sources on the benefits of breastfeeding, please do go and find further info from: Mothering from the Heart, La Leche League, Motherwear, and KellyMom.
A Carnival of posts from a variety of sites links from here - discussing the many joys of breastfeeding.


Economic benefits
We know that breastfeeding has a financial benefit for all, as fewer resources are used.  Of course, it saves money in the family budget, too.  So Mum can spend the extra on chocolate.
I have met ladies who put the money they save on f**mula into a piggy bank for holiday money - great incentive to keep going longer!


Inoffensive nappies
Of course it's a generalisation, but the nappy-changing duty does get much more stinky when a child is given artificial milks. (Major culprit seems to be the lack of lactoferrin, but don't tell the manufacturers or they'll want to add in fake lactoferrin!)


Health Benefits:
Reducing risks of Mum's future health problems
- such as obesity, heart disease, diabetes, osteoporosis and metabolic syndrome.

A recent American Health Dept meta-analysis of worldwide studies suggests that breast cancer risk can be reduced by up to 28%, ovarian cancer by up to 21%, and diabetes (Type II) by up to 12%.

Note that these figures are about a large population - they refer to averages, and so it is still possible for a breastfeeding woman to have breast cancer, etc.


Reducing Cancer Risks

Lowered breast cancer risk.  As discussed in more detail in this interview with breast cancer researcher Dr. Kathleen Arcaro, breastfeeding is protective against breast cancer.

{Note that these figures are about a large population - they refer to averages, and so it is still possible for a breastfeeding woman to have breast cancer, etc.  Self-examination for lumps should continue throughout pregnancy & feeding, whether you feed with breast or bottle.}

Statistics from a very large research study told us that for every 12 months of breastfeeding, the risk of contracting post-menopausal breast cancer decreases by ~ 4.3%. This is on top of the reduction in risk of 7% for each birth.

{source: WHO Collaborative Group on Hormonal Factors in Breast Cancer. Breast cancer and breastfeeding: collaborative reanalysis of individual data from 47 epidemiological studies in 30 countries, including 50,302 women with breast cancer and 96,973 women without the disease. Lancet. 2002; 360 (9328): 187-195.}

For a while now, the reduction in risk has been explained by the absence of menstrual periods for a time while you are pregnant and breastfeeding - hence the increased benefit with each passing month of breastfeeding. But it could also be due to the engorgement of mammary tissue after birth.

A much higher reduction of risk (59%) applies to pre-menopausal breast cancer (for people who have a close relative who has been diagnosed). (source and further reading)

Latest news on research into this aspect (read the report in the Telegraph form March 2012, or read about the original paper.)

Fascinating article on using breastfeeding as a health promotion measure - here.


Lowered ovarian cancer risk. One of the reasons for the cancer-fighting effects of breastfeeding is that oestrogen levels are lower during lactation. It is thought that the less oestrogen available to stimulate the lining of the uterus and perhaps breast tissue also, the less the risk of these tissues becoming cancerous.
Also lowered risk of cervical and endometrial cancer.


Lowered risk of heart disease, diabetes, and metabolic syndrome.  Newer research investigating the effects of breastfeeding on heart health, insulin control, cholesterol, blood pressure, and diabetes are finding strong associations between breastfeeding and lowered risk for these serious health problems.
The reduction in risk of heart problems occurs after women have breastfed for more than 2 years (in total - not necessarily continuous). (Due to adjustment in fats in the mother's blood)

Lessens osteoporosis.
Non-breastfeeding women have a four times greater chance of developing osteoporosis than breastfeeding women and are more likely to suffer from hip fractures in the post-menopausal years. (more info) (research paper)

Multiple Sclerosis
Mothers who breastfed for more than 2 months have been shown less likely to have a relapse in the first year after birth.

Rheumatoid Arthritis
Breastfeeding can reduce the risk of rheumatoid arthritis in the mother.

Recovery from birth & pregnancy
"A solace in my time of recovery" after a difficult birth.  Breastfeeding (and the oxytocin rush) helps you in recovery from any kind of birth.  In particular, the muscle of the uterus contracts & reduces in size with each feed, as your midwife will tell you!

Delayed return to fertility.  This is most relevant where the use of other forms of contraception is limited, of course - but exclusive breastfeeding (among other criteria) delays the return to fertility.  In many parts of the world this is critical in spacing of pregnancies.  Of course, you can become pregnant while breastfeeding, so be sure to get more information before using breastfeeding as a form of contraception.
Also, there are other benefits to the delayed return of periods - financial, emotional, and environmental. 

Weight Loss and Healthy Eating
There is a lot of advice online and in the books & magazines about how to ensure you eat 'properly' when you are continuing to eat for two. The urge to watch what we eat can benefit the baby, but it is of huge benefit to the Mother, too! KellyMom has a range of sensible advice - particularly with regard to the problems of low-carb diets such as Atkins.

It is well known that a breastfeeding mother will require an extra 500 calories a day. (So that's around 2500 calories in total.) Many women find that the weight drops off them (indeed celebrities are famous for it!), but of course there are also women for whom the breastfeeding time is a period when they feel they are carrying a bit.  Each person's body reacts to the baby experience in a different way.

What we can say is that breastfeeding seems to help women to lose weight in a steady manner - she will keep the weight off, rather than yo-yo dieting.  This is a much healthier way to lose weight.


The steady weight loss will be associated with a more healthy outcome in later life - this was suggested in a research paper (Summer 2010) into the risks of Type II Diabetes for the mother in later life.


Mental & Emotional Health Benefits:

Bonding with your baby
Bonding is not always something which happens immediately.  The feeling of closeness, and the hormonal effects of breastfeeding can bond you like Superglue! The sense of achievement you get from exclusively feeding your child is huge!  It is certainly something to be proud of, and is a vital boost to your self-esteem & mental state.
Pat Grace here tells us how breastfeeding helped her continue the close relationship with her son when she returned to work.

Less stress:  when your child has fewer illnesses - then your whole family is less stressed!

Self-confidence
Particularly we'll see this in our friends who had a really tough birth/pregnancy - but most mothers who learn the art of breastfeeding will gain in self-confidence and pride.  The sheer amazement that her body (all by itself!!) can grow and develop a foetus into a 6-month old child, is a powerful boost which is rarely eclipsed until the little darling can create his or her first Mother's Day card!!

PPD - Post Partum Depression
Breastfeeding, through the hormones released when a baby nurses, protects against postpartum depression.  It's also true, though, that breastfeeding difficulty can be a potent trigger of depression.  The good news is that when breastfeeding is the cause of depression, depression often lifts when breastfeeding problems are fixed.  That's why it's so important to get good help with breastfeeding as soon as possible.  There's far more information on this topic in this podcast interview with Dr. Kathleen Kendall-Tackett.
Another way of putting it is that PPD is more likely in women who don't breastfeed, and in women who wean early.
In many cases of PPD, breastfeeding can be a huge benefit - as it feels like the only thing which is going right.

Freedom to be
Cave Mother has thoughtfully laid out three stories which explain why she is thankful she breastfeeds her child.
Breastfeeding means you can go out without thinking over whether you have enough stuff (except nappies!!).
That's freedom to go the extra mile!


Time Out!
Below is a photo which the owner has kindly agreed I can use; it beautifully demonstrates a final point about the benefits of breastfeeding to Mum.

It slows her down!!! Folks around her are whizzing by, but Mum gets to sit down and take a break.  Lovely when you have toddlers, but also important in the earlier stage when you need to recover from pregnancy & birth.

So we can see that "Mum has to feed the baby every single time" is not a disadvantage of breastfeeding at all, it's one of it's joys!!