Breastfeeding, or chestfeeding, has many benefits for babies and their parents.
Benefits for babies
- Breast milk is easy to digest resulting in less diarrhea or constipation.
- Less likely to have asthma.
- Lower risk of ear infections and respiratory infections.
- Lower risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).
Benefits for parents
- Lower risk of breast and ovarian cancer.
- Lower risk of Type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure.
- May help with weight loss.
- It saves money (no formula costs, fewer doctor bills and medication costs, less lost time from work).
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends breastfeeding, or chestfeeding, for the first six months of a baby's life. After your baby begins eating solid foods, you can breastfeed as long as you and your child desire.
Get more support
Breastfeeding, or chestfeeding, is healthy, but many families face challenges along the way. Learn what to expect and where to go to get more support to reach your breastfeeding goals.
Chestfeeding
Chestfeeding is another word to describe feeding a baby milk from a person's chest. Not all parents view breastfeeding as a word that represent their anatomy. Dakota County Public Health tries to use the terms breastfeeding and chestfeeding together.