Facts About Breastfeeding

If you are thinking of breastfeeding your bundle of joy, here are some interesting facts about breastfeeding that will help with your decision:

1. Breastfeeding Moms Sleep More

You probably don't feel like it, but it's estimated that breastfeeding moms get an extra 45 minutes of sleep per night, according to a study in the Journal of Perinatal and Neonatal Nursing. Another study in the journal Clinical Lactation found that breastfeeding moms reported getting an average of 6.61 hours of sleep per night as compared to 6.3 hours for formula-feeding moms.

2. Working Moms Who Breastfeed Miss Less Work

Believe it or not, because of the sickness-fighting benefits of breast milk and the fact that breastfed children get sick less often, a nursing mom is less likely to call into work, according to data collected by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

3. Breast Milk Can Come In A Rainbow Of Colors

From light blue to neon pink, and even black, your breast milk can turn all sorts of colors during your breastfeeding journey and still be perfectly healthy for your baby.
“The important thing to remember when worrying about color changes in your milk is that you only see it if you are expressing your milk. If your baby was latched and nursing, you would never see the color at all, and you would never worry about it,” lactation consultant Rebecca Costello of In the Flow Lactation tells Romper. “Every day, thousands of babies probably eat ‘funny-colored milk’ without their parents ever even knowing it. And the babies don't notice it, either! So if you see a color change in your milk, take a deep breath and don't stress.”

4. Your Breast Milk Changes Tastes Depending On What You Eat

Breast milk is never boring. It changes constantly depending on what you've eaten, the time of day, and the nutritional needs of your baby.
“Some flavors impact the taste of breast milk subtly, very similarly to amniotic fluid that gets swallowed by the baby in utero,” Ashley Georgakopoulos, Motif Medical lactation director and IBCLC, tells Romper. “It's nature’s way of acclimating baby to foods they may later eat in their culture.”

5. It's Legal To Breastfeed In Public In All 50 States

All 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands have legislation in place protecting (or at least allowing) breastfeeding mothers' right to nurse their child wherever they please, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

6. Breastfeeding Reduces Risk Of SIDS

Though not much is known about the cause of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), it is believed that breastfeeding can diminish a baby's risk. A study published by the American Academy of Pediatrics found that SIDS reduction is one of the many benefits of nursing that is hard to ignore.

There are so many other benefits to breastfeeding, it is impossible to list them all here! If you are pregnant, consider breastfeeding your new baby. Ask for help after you deliver. We are always happy to help you on your journey!