What makes some mothers opt to prolong breastfeeding?

By: Debjani Arora | | Updated: October 12, 2014 5:01 pm

Mothers who decide to breastfeed their children beyond one year of age are driven more by their concerns for their children’s physical and social development than the advice of health care professionals, family and friends, found a research. ‘The three most important reasons that mothers gave for extended nursing were the nutritional benefits of breast milk, the other health benefits of breast milk and the opportunity to build a stronger social bond with their baby,’ said principal investigator Alexis Tchaconas from the Steven and Alexandra Cohen Children’s Medical Center in New York, US. Also Read - Stress in expecting mothers impact baby: Herbs to relieve stress during pregnancy

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To find out why some mothers choose to continue nursing after a child’s first birthday, researchers surveyed more than 50,000 US women ages 18-50. The investigators designed an online survey that asked mothers to rank 15 factors related to extended breastfeeding as ‘very important,’ ‘important,’ ‘somewhat important’ or ‘not important’. Besides health benefits and bonding with their child, other top factors that influenced mothers to breastfeed beyond one year included enjoyment, support from spouse or partner and not having to pay for formula. (Read: Breastfeeding Week 2014: 4 common breastfeeding woes and how to dodge them) Also Read - Late Pregnancy: Planning to get pregnant in 40s? Here are the probable complications

‘The recommendations of health care professionals were not identified as being important in terms of the mother’s decision to extend nursing,’ pointed out Andrew Adesman, senior investigator also the from Steven and Alexandra Cohen Children’s Medical Center of New York. The findings will be presented Monday at the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) National Conference and Exhibition in San Diego. (Read: 5 tips for successful breastfeeding)

Here are 8 reasons breastfeeding is good for the mother too!

It lowers the risk of bleeding after delivery: A breast crawl right after the delivery helps your baby get her first feed through breastfeeding. This act not only ensures that the newborn gets her share of nutrients and food to satiate and satisfy her hunger after the arduous process of childbirth, but also helps reduce the bleeding from the uterus that happens right after delivery and initiates the process of expelling the placenta out of the womb, to mark the completion of labour, says Sonali Shivlani, an Internationally Certified Pregnancy, Lactation and Child Nutrition Counselor. Know more about the amazing benefits of a breast crawl.

It helps combat iron deficiency: Iron deficiency is very common among Indian mothers. Continuous breastfeeding reduces this risk as it delays the return of menstruation and thereby prevents iron loss through menstrual flow. For the same reason mothers are advised to take their iron pills for at least three months post delivery. Read to know why you should have your iron pills during pregnancy.

It lowers risk of conception: Conceiving for the second time soon after the delivery isn t going to be ideal either for the mother, the baby or even the unborn child. It can cause undue psychological stress to the mother and the baby, put the health of the unborn child at risk and interfere with the growth and development in the womb. But exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months after childbirth along with an absence of menstruation acts as a protection and lowers the chances of conceiving soon after a pregnancy. However, it is sensible to use other family planning methods to ensure a considerable gap between two pregnancies for obvious reasons. Read more about 8 reasons breastfeeding is good for the mother too!

With inputs from IANS

Photo source: Getty images

Published : October 12, 2014 1:46 pm | Updated:October 12, 2014 5:01 pm

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