Skip to main content
Turn on more accessible mode
Turn off more accessible mode
Skip Ribbon Commands
Turn off Animations
Turn on Animations
FollowFollow Focus on Content Focus on Content
Website input:
Help us make our website better. Give us your feedback in a short interview.
Dakota County Logo
  • Maps & Directions
  • |
  • Departments
  • |
  • About Us
  • |
  • Contact Us
Dakota County Logo
  • Government
      • Board of Commissioners
      • County Attorney
      • County Sheriff
      • Commissioner Meetings
      • County Manager
      • Budget & Financial Reports
      • Performance & Analysis
      • Land Use Planning
      • County Policies
      • Data Practices
      • Advisory Committees
      • Other Public Committees & Initiatives
      • Doing Business with the County
      • Information Technology
      • Jobs & Volunteering
      • Public Employee Training
      • Other Public Entities
      • Voting & Elections
  • Home & Property
      • Pay Property Taxes
      • Property Tax Statements
      • Property Tax 101
      • Property Tax Programs, Homesteads & Credits
      • Important Dates for Property Owners
      • Assessing Property
      • Recording Property Documents
      • Property Watch
      • Foreclosed Property
      • Tax-Forfeited Property
      • Online Property Maps
      • Online Property Records
      • Homebuyer & Homeowner Programs
      • Aggregate Tax
      • Evictions
      • Plats & Surveys
      • Taxing Districts & Tax Increment Financing
      • Selling Property
      • Maps & Mapping Services
  • Permits & Licenses
      • Service & License Centers
      • Birth Certificates
      • Death Certificates
      • Marriage Licenses & Certificates
      • Passports
      • Driver's License
      • Motor Vehicle Titles & Registration
      • Recreational Vehicle Licenses
      • Game & Fishing Licenses
      • Professional Licenses
      • Gambling Permits
      • Liquor Licenses
      • Cannabis Permits
      • Gun Permits
      • Assembly Licenses
      • Building & Land Use Permits
      • Business Hazardous Waste Licenses
      • Well Permits
      • Waste Hauler & Facilities Licenses
      • Highway Permits
  • Law & Justice
      • Most Wanted
      • Warrants
      • Criminal Complaint Search
      • Report a Crime Tip
      • Crime Prevention
      • Jail
      • Juvenile Detention
      • Crime Victim & Witness Support
      • Alternatives to Court
      • Service of Legal Documents
      • Law Library
      • Contact a Probation Officer
      • Probation & Community Programs
      • Conditions of Probation
      • Probation Fees & Restitution
      • District Courts
      • County Ordinances
      • Fingerprinting Services
      • County Attorney News Releases
      • County Sheriff News Releases
  • Health & Family
      • Healthy Living
      • Job Search Assistance
      • Parenting Help
      • Personal Finance
      • Public Assistance
      • Adult Protection
      • Child Care
      • Child Protection
      • Child Support
      • Adoption
      • Chemical Health
      • Foster Care
      • Mental Health
      • Aging & Disability Services
      • Emergency Preparedness
      • Health Services
      • Veterans Services
  • Environment
      • The Recycling Zone
      • Recycling Guide
      • Residential Recycling & Disposal
      • Business Recycling & Disposal
      • School Recycling & Disposal
      • Environmental Education Resources
      • Water Resources
      • Energy
      • Land Conservation
      • Sustainability
      • Environmental Funding
      • Environmental Reports & Studies
      • Report an Environmental Concern
  • Transportation
      • Current Road Construction
      • Planned Road Construction
      • Road Safety
      • Transportation Studies
      • Traffic Counts
      • Getting Around the County
      • Highways & Your Property
      • Transit
      • Contact Transportation
      • Transportation Planning
      • Sales & Use Tax
  • Maps & Directions About Us
    Departments Contact Us
Dakota County Logo
Heathy Living
 
Search
  • Home
    • Health & Family
      • Healthy Living
        • Breastfeeding or Chestfeeding
          • Pages
            • default

Contact

Public Health
651-554-6100
public.health@co.dakot​a.mn.us



  • Nutrition
  • Breastfeeding or ChestfeedingCurrently selected
    • Breastfeeding Community Resources
    • Make a Breastfeeding-Friendly Health Department
    • Breastfeeding Resources for Employees
    • Breastfeeding Resources for Employers
  • Walking and Moving
  • Preventing Disease
  • Commercial Tobacco
  • Your Health and the Environment
  • Worksite Wellness

Breastfeeding or Chestfeeding

Page Content

​​Breastfeeding, or chestfeeding,​ has many benefits for babies and their parents.

Benefits for bab​​ies

  • 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 pare​​nts

  • 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 m​​ore support

Breastfeeding, or chestfeeding, is healthy, but many families face challenges along the way. Learn what to expect a​nd where to go to get more support to reach your breastfeeding goals. 

Chestf​eeding

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.


Last updated: 4/7/2025 3:43 PM

Administration Center
  • 1590 Highway 55
  • Hastings, MN 55033
  • Ph: 651-437-3191
  • Toll free: 800-247-1056
  •  
  • See all County buildings
    Social Media
  • Facebook
  • X
  • LinkedIn
  • Instagram
  • Youtube
  • Next Door
  • Sign up for E-News
    Quick Links
  • Home
  • Accessibility
  • Nondiscrimination
  • Language Translation
  • Job Opportunities
  • Make a Payment
  • Privacy Policy
Dakota County, Minnesota
Sign In