Nature provides us with all the things that are necessary for the optimum survival and development of our children, one of the important scenarios that exemplify this truism is breastfeeding. In this era of convenience mothers can choose between giving their babies breast milk or formula, a lot of women opt for the latter stating work and convenience as their reason.

Studies show that breastfeeding has a lot of advantages over feeding with a formula for the baby, mother and society.

3-5 days after a baby is born, the mother’s mammary glands secrete a unique type of milk, colostrum, referred to as liquid gold because of its yellowish colour. This thick milk contains nutrients and antibodies which are necessary for the child’s body to develop resistance to diseases. Children are able to develop resistance to many illnesses like allergies, asthma, diabetes, obesity, childhood cancers, gastrointestinal diseases and SIDS. Breast milk is easily digestible by the baby’s stomach.

Opting for breast milk has a lot of benefits for the mothers too, it reduces their risk of developing illnesses like diabetes, and postpartum depression, and reduced risk of breast, endometrial and cervical cancers.

The skin-to-skin contact which is established between the mother and the baby during breastfeeding raises the oxytocin levels of the mother and creates a special emotional bond between the two of them that lasts lifelong.

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