When a teen mom is considering breastfeeding, it may be a tough task for her to break misconceptions, she has about breastfeeding. For example, many teens prefer bottle feeding as a healthier choice over breast feeding. They also believe that their breasts will lose their shape and it is “old school.” Teen moms, just like adults consider many factors when choosing breastfeeding.
Breastfeeding is by far one of the most natural attributes of the human body. Breastfeeding is a nature’s gift and has its own benefits:
· According to research, when teen moms breastfeed their baby immediately after delivery, the uterus slowly contracts reducing the risk of post-labor hemorrhage. Also, nursing helps you to slowly regain your per-pregnancy weight, which often results in shedding off those extra pounds. Breastfeeding when done the right way, slows periods, which acts as a effective form of birth control. This is really beneficial for teen moms who cannot access other forms of birth control during breastfeeding. Breastfeeding also reduces the chances of developing ovarian cancer and breast cancer.
· Breast milk is good nourishment for babies. It supplies your baby with essential nutrients and also contains antibodies that keep babies healthy, away from common diseases such as pneumonia and diarrhea. Studies have shown that breastfed babies are most likely to have lower cholesterol, lower blood pressure and lower possibilities of being obese in their adulthood. Moreover, breastfed babies develop into smarter adults.
· Oxytocin is a hormone that is responsible for uterine contractions after labor and causes the flow of breast milk upon latching. Recent studies have reported that oxytocin acts as the agent that helps create a strong emotional bonding between mother and child.
· Malnutrition has been taking up the lives of one third of the total deaths of children under five that occur annually every year. It is also responsible for sickness in young children. If all infants were breastfed for the first few months of their birth and then given healthy complementary food along with breastfeeding for up to two years of age, the lives of an additional 1.5 million children under five would be saved annually.
· Breastfeeding teen moms tend to gain more confidence in their parenting skills and a greater sense of control over their own lives, which would have been difficult to find when you’re a teen mom.
· Many teen moms lose their best friend as the time for the baby arrives. This may be because the friends are normally busy with other aspects of life or they just can’t relate. So, encourage teen moms to attend a breastfeeding support group with her close friend. She can introduce her friend at the meeting as the baby’s new relative. This helps keep teen moms from being overwhelmed as her friend is added as baby’s relative and feels more secure and more apt to stay in touch.
*About The Author: Brianne is a writer/blogger. She loves writing, traveling and reading books. She contributes on Dennis DeGrazia