Most mothers breastfeed their children until the age of 6 months. The period till the first 6 months is considered to be the most beneficial time to consume breast milk and this may seem as the most appropriate age for breastfeeding too. The reason why most moms stop weaning their babies after 6 months is because of the kind of discomfort it may create in the society. But contrary to popular belief, breastfeeding after 6 months of age of the baby can be very beneficial as well.
The following are some of the positives associated with breastfeeding older children:
Benefits of Breastfeeding Older Children:
- Breastfeeding can be very calming-one of the greatest benefits of breastfeeding older children is that it can be very calming. Most toddlers and slightly older children tend to get very calm and relaxed on having mother’s breast milk.
- Breastfeeding can provide immune protection to an infant-another benefit of breastfeeding an older child is that it can provide immune protection to him/her. This extra immunity will benefit the baby in the years to come.
- Breastmilk has many nutrients-breastmilk has many nutrients and even if your baby doesn’t eat many of the other food items, these nutrients can make up for the loss of other important foods.
- It is a fact that all those toddlers who are fed with breastmilk for an extended period of time tend to have a higher IQ than the IQ of other children. They also tend to develop quicker motor skills than other kids.
Benefits of Breastfeeding Older Children to Moms:
The following are some of the benefits of breastfeeding older infants to moms:
- Natural contraceptive- it is a fact that almost 90% of the times, mothers who are nursing are at a much less risk of getting pregnant. So if you lengthen the time of breastfeeding, you will be on a natural contraceptive for a longer period of time.
- Weight loss- well, most moms may not lose any weight during breastfeeding but a lot of other moms reported that they lost weight very quickly while they were in their nursing phase. Since a female sheds about 1000 calories daily during breastfeeding, it is natural for her to lose weight. So breastfeeding an older infant can be considered a natural way to shed those extra pounds of weight.
- Another great benefit of breastfeeding older kids is that it can help to decrease her risk of cancer, ovarian cancer and endometrial cancer.
- Breastfeeding can also reduce the risk of rheutomoid arthritis and osteoporosis and this is one of its other benefits.
Breast milk Composition after Six Months
The following is a description of breast milk composition after the baby has turned 6 months in age:
- Breast milk produced in the ducts of a mother’s breast after 6 months consists of proteins, fats and other elements which are appropriate older children.
- The breast milk produced after 6 months contains much more immune protection which can help the infant a great deal by fighting off infections and keeping diseases at bay.
Photo Credit By: mamamia.com.au
