{"id":2363,"date":"2017-08-25T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2017-08-25T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/prd-www.mccdn.io\/vitals\/?p=2363"},"modified":"2025-10-24T16:19:19","modified_gmt":"2025-10-24T16:19:19","slug":"6-great-things-about-breastfeeding","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/updates-www.mccdn.io\/vitals\/6-great-things-about-breastfeeding\/","title":{"rendered":"5 great things about breastfeeding","gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"rendered","format":"text"}]},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Breastfeeding isn\u2019t just good for babies. According to Sarah Newport, BSN, RNC, IBCLC, it benefits everyone \u2014 from tiny newborns to the whole planet.<\/p>\n<h3>1. Nothing tops it for protection.<\/h3>\n<p>Human milk contains something no formula can offer: antibodies that protect babies from disease and infection.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cFor preemies in a hospital, that protection is of utmost importance,\u201d Newport says.<\/p>\n<p>When a baby is born prematurely, mom\u2019s body knows and automatically produces the exact blend of nutrients and antibodies her infant needs. Preemies who receive their mothers\u2019 milk typically don\u2019t have to stay in the hospital as long. Their risk of readmission is lower too.<\/p>\n<p>For all babies, breast milk offers protection against many health problems, including:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Diarrhea<\/li>\n<li>Ear infections<\/li>\n<li>Respiratory illnesses<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>\u201cBreastfeeding also lowers the risk for childhood obesity and diabetes,\u201d Newport says.<\/p>\n<h3>2. Toddlers benefit, too!<\/h3>\n<p>\u201cOnce babies start walking, many people see them as little grown-ups who shouldn\u2019t be breastfeeding,\u201d Newport says. &#8220;But their immune systems are still developing. Toddlers who breastfeed get ongoing immune support.&#8221;<\/p>\n<h3>3. The girls are safer.<\/h3>\n<p>\u201cBreastfeeding reduces a woman\u2019s risk for female cancers, particularly breast cancer,\u201d Newport says.<\/p>\n<h3>4. It\u2019s good for business.<\/h3>\n<p>According to Newport, \u201cBreastfed babies don\u2019t get sick as often, so their parents don\u2019t miss as much work.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Employer health care costs may come in lower, too.<\/p>\n<h3>5. It\u2019s earth friendly.<\/h3>\n<p>Producing and shipping baby formula consumes natural resources, and formula packaging goes into landfills. That means breastfeeding is easier on this planet we share.<\/p>\n<h3>Sharing knowledge<\/h3>\n<p>To help ensure success for every mother who chooses to breastfeed, MultiCare\u2019s lactation consultants:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Consult with every new mom who is breastfeeding<\/li>\n<li>Coach mothers of preemies through weeks of pumping breast milk until their babies can nurse<\/li>\n<li>Offer outpatient support to make sure breastfeeding at home is going well<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>It takes a village: Can you share with another mother\u2019s child?<\/h3>\n<p>For babies born early or who are ill, donated human milk can be lifesaving. And now, lactating moms can help save lives by donating surplus breast milk to the Mothers&#8217; Milk Depot at MultiCare Tacoma General Hospital.<\/p>\n<p>The hospital ships all donated milk to the Mothers\u2019 Milk Bank, a program of the Rocky Mountain Children\u2019s Health Foundation in Denver, to be screened and pasteurized. Then it\u2019s frozen and shipped to hospitals nationwide.<\/p>\n<p>Some returns to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at Tacoma General, which admits more than 600 sick newborns a year.<\/p>\n<p>Preemies consume tiny amounts of milk \u2014 typically starting with just 1 milliliter at a time, or about a fifth of a teaspoon! So a single donation could help many babies.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"\/fbc-milk-donation\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Read more<\/a> about how you can share the gift of life and health. Or call the Tacoma General NICU lactation desk at <a href=\"tel:253-403-5525\">253-403-5525<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Milk donors pay nothing for blood work and shipments. But what they share is priceless.<\/p>\n<p>This story was originally published in November 2014 and updated in August 2017.<\/p>\n","protected":false,"gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"rendered","format":"html"}]},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Breastfeeding isn&#8217;t just good for babies. Read about other benefits breastfeeding can offer.<\/p>\n","protected":false,"gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"rendered","format":"html"}]},"author":123,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[67,115],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2363","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-kids-health","category-womens-health"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v27.6 (Yoast SEO v27.6) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>5 great things about breastfeeding - MultiCare Vitals<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Breastfeeding isn\u2019t just good for babies. It benefits everyone \u2014 from tiny newborns to the whole planet. 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