Breastfeeding.

Sure, it’s cheaper than formula. And after you give birth, every.single.person. in the hospital will be pressuring you try to breastfeed. And of course, we all know it’s good for the baby.

But did you know that there are concrete, scientific reasons why breastfeeding is beneficial to moms?

Here are just a few reasons breastfeeding is good for you too, not just for baby.

1. Breastfeeding will help you lose baby weight.

Yes, everything you’ve heard is true!
Your body burns approximately 1000 calories each day producing breastmilk. That’s huge!

Oh, and a bonus: breastfeeding moms are encouraged to take in extra calories each day to help their bodies produce enough milk for their little nurslings.

2. Breastfeeding reduces your risk for cancer

Again, we all know that breastfeeding boosts baby’s immune system. But did you know that is also boosts yours? Moms who breastfeed reduce their risks for breast and ovarian cancer, as well as osteoporosis and heart disease! And the longer you breastfeed, the more you’ll reduce your risk.

3. Breastfeeding mamas get more sleep than their formula-feeding counterparts

Believe it or not, moms who breastfeed get approximately 45 more minutes of sleep per night than moms who formula-feed.

Photo credit: Alexander Tundakov – originally posted to Flickr as Feeding Is Fun, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=4206644