How does breastfeeding affect women?

The lactation period is a period that every pregnant woman will go through, because after the baby is born, the stomach and intestines cannot adapt to the food from the outside world. At this time, only the mother’s breast milk is the best source of food and nutrition for the baby. During breastfeeding, mothers should also pay attention to the correct breastfeeding method and take good care of their breasts, otherwise they are prone to sagging breasts. What other effects does breastfeeding have on women's breasts?

Studies have shown that estrogen is an important stimulating factor in the occurrence and progression of breast cancer, while progesterone may be a protective factor. Breastfeeding may reduce the risk of malignant transformation of mammary duct cells by prolonging the protective effect of progesterone and correspondingly shortening the duration of estrogen stimulation.

Australian scientists have conducted research in this area. Doctors compared 493 women diagnosed with ovarian cancer with 472 healthy women of similar age. The results showed that women who breastfed their children for at least 13 months had a 63% reduced risk of ovarian cancer compared to women who breastfed their children for less than 7 months.

Producing milk is an active metabolic process that consumes an average of 200-500 calories per day. To expend the same amount of energy, a formula-feeding mother would have to swim more than 30 laps in a pool or ride an uphill bike for an hour each day. Can help mothers lose weight and regain their figure!

After delivery, breastfeeding mothers who had gestational diabetes had lower blood sugar levels than non-breastfeeding mothers (Kjos, 1993). For mothers who are already at increased risk for diabetes, the greatest weight loss from breastfeeding may result in a reduced risk of subsequent diabetes.

Women who had type 1 diabetes before becoming pregnant often need less insulin while breastfeeding because their blood sugar levels drop. Furthermore, breastfeeding mothers tend to have higher levels of HDL cholesterol (Oyer, 1989). The maximum weight loss, improved blood sugar levels, and good cholesterol status that result from breastfeeding ultimately reduce the risk of heart problems. This is especially important because heart attacks are the leading cause of death among women.

This is the delicious taste of breastfeeding, which can benefit the health of mother and child!