Breastfeeding BENEFITS!

Dragon Mood? -- pleased

There's an interesting article published by the BBC stating that breastfeeding provides health protection not only for the baby, but for the mother, as well.

Here's are some numbers to back the article's claim:

Research has found that breastfeeding reduces a woman's risk of ovarian and breast cancer and osteoporosis in later life.

And the list of benefits for the baby is long, with breast milk credited with protecting against obesity, diabetes, asthma and infections of the ear, stomach and chest.

The latest US study, by the University of Pittsburgh, focused on nearly 140,000 post-menopausal women.

On average, it had been 35 years since the women had last breastfed - suggesting the beneficial impact lasts for decades.

As well as cutting the risk of heart problems, breastfeeding for more than a year cut the risk of high blood pressure by 12%, and diabetes and high cholesterol by around 20%.

I breastfed Caroline for a year and Josh for a year, as well. I loved every minute of it. Well-l-l, almost every minute of it. But seriously, given the opportunity again, I would breastfeed my babies (or even someone else's baby -- go, Salma Hayek!) in a HEARTBEAT!

And now, thirty years after the fact, to find out that I am STILL benefiting from breastfeeding my children, well, that's like the ultimate FROSTING ON THE CAKE! It's so lovely to hear some GOOD NEWS!