Why You Should Breastfeed For Two Years.

Two years seems like such a long time to breastfeed a child, but trust me it’s worth it. Breastfeeding is important for a child’s nourishment and also provides lot of health benefits for the child.
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My mother-in-law always advises that we should wait until a child can walk before we stop breastfeeding. The World Health Organization (WHO) actually recommends this because breast milk provides the best nutrition for a baby. It has all the important nutrients, vitamins, and minerals that a baby needs to grow strong and healthy. Breast milk has a perfect balance of proteins, fats, and carbohydrates. It even contains antibodies that help protect a baby from getting sick. That's why I don't rush to give medicine to my baby when they have a cold or a high temperature. I wait a few days because breast milk has everything they need to get better.

Breast milk contains antibodies, enzymes, and immune cells that can help boost the baby's immune system. The first milk a child sucks from the breast is usually rich in nutrients and antibodies and it’s called colostrum. This can provide protection against common infections like respiratory tract infections, ear infections, and gastrointestinal illnesses. If you are worried about cold and nasal congestion, there are various things you can do to help your child to breath better. Besides, it’s not advisable to give cough syrup or any medication that causes drowsiness to babies, so hold off on medication when you notice a cold and watch your breast milk do the magic. However if symptoms persist, take your child to a hospital.

My baby is 9 months old now, and because we are always connected when feeding, she knows me more than anyone else. She knows my voice, and my face. I don’t know if she thinks I’m food, but I love that she always wants to be with me and feels safe and relaxed with me. Breastfeeding doesn’t only provides nourishment and antibodies to a child, the act of breastfeeding itself promotes a close and intimate bond between you and your baby through physical contact, eye contact, and skin-to-skin contact to help build a strong emotional connection and promote a sense of security for the child.

The best thing about breastfeeding is that it’s convenient and cost-effective.Breast milk is readily available, always at the right temperature, and does not need preparation or additional cost like cereals or formula. Your child’s breastfeeding should be complimented with other foods because at some point, breast milk alone can’t sustain a child.

Your child isn’t the only one who benefits from breastfeeding, because as you breastfeed, your womb contracts back to its original shape and size, when I gave birth, I noticed that anytime I breastfed, I would feel a mild cramp like I was ovulating or something, until I learned about what was going on. So if you are patient to breastfeed, you don’t have to put yourself on a strict diet to lose weight, your body will naturally fix itself and lose all that belly fat you see.

Reference

https://www.who.int/health-topics/breastfeeding#tab=tab_1

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