Spectrum News 1: Study Shows Breastfeeding Benefits Mothers’ Health, Not Just Babies’
Spectrum News 1 recently interviewed Hedi Hermann-Blanton, a lactation consultant at Cedars-Sinai, about new research into the advantages of breastfeeding, including long-term heart health benefits for mothers.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), babies who breastfeed receive a multitude of benefits, including essential nutrition, antibodies and protection against diseases, such as asthma and Type 1 diabetes. Breastfeeding likewise benefits mothers by reducing their risk of ovarian cancer, Type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure.
Given these benefits, the CDC recommends that babies be exclusively breastfed for the first six months of life. However, fewer than 25% of babies are consuming only breast milk at six months. To increase breastfeeding rates, experts say greater support for mothers is needed.
In addition to the established benefits, new research found that breastfeeding lowers a mother’s risk of future cardiovascular disease—especially for those who had gestational diabetes. The mother’s body uses its fat stores to produce milk, and in doing so “lowers her lifetime risk of cardiovascular disease, even if she came in with that risk before pregnancy,” said Hermann-Blanton, who was not involved in the study.
Other established benefits include a post-childbirth calming effect for mothers who are able to breastfeed their baby after delivery, Hermann-Blanton told Spectrum News 1, explaining that the newborn’s contact with the mother’s nipple helps relax the body.
“Any nipple stimulation releases oxytocin, and that helps the whole system calm down," Herrmann-Blanton said. "That recovery and relaxation very much helps new moms."
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