Breastfeeding Benefits for Baby and Mother

Breastfeeding gives a baby the best start in life, and it also has lasting health benefits for the mother. Doctors and health agencies around the world, including the World Health Organization and the NHS in Britain, recommend it strongly. This guide explains what the official advice is, how breast milk protects babies, how breastfeeding helps mothers, common problems and how to get support in India.

Our old post on this topic was short and included claims that we could not confirm, such as a fixed number of calories burned. We have rewritten it using advice from the WHO, the NHS and Indian health surveys.

What the Experts Recommend

The WHO and UNICEF advise that:

• Babies should start breastfeeding within the first hour after birth.
• For the first six months, babies should have only breast milk, with no other food or drink, not even water. This is called exclusive breastfeeding.
• Babies should be fed on demand, as often as they want, day and night.
• From six months, babies should start eating safe and suitable solid foods while breastfeeding continues up to two years of age or beyond.

The NHS gives similar advice, with breast milk alone for about the first six months.

The First Milk: Colostrum

In the first few days after birth, the breasts make a thick, yellowish milk called colostrum. It comes in small amounts, but it is exactly what a newborn needs. Colostrum is rich in antibodies and other factors that help protect the baby against infection and support growth. In some families, this first milk is thrown away because of old beliefs, but doctors advise that the baby should receive it. Read more about preparing for a new arrival in our post on things to know about your newborn.

Benefits for the Baby

Nutrition That Changes With the Baby

Breast milk gives a baby the nutrition it needs, including vitamins and minerals. According to the NHS, it also adapts as the baby grows to meet their changing needs. Even after solid foods begin, breast milk remains an important source of energy. The WHO says it can provide half or more of a child’s energy needs between six and twelve months, and about a third between one and two years.

Protection From Illness

Breast milk helps protect babies from infections. The NHS says breastfeeding can lower a baby’s risk of:

• Infections, with fewer hospital visits as a result.
• Diarrhoea and vomiting.
• Sudden infant death syndrome, also called SIDS.
• Obesity.

The WHO notes that early, exclusive and continued breastfeeding can help prevent pneumonia and diarrhoea, which are among the leading causes of death in young children. Babies who are not breastfed are much more likely to die from these infections, especially in poorer settings.

Long Term Benefits

The benefits can last into childhood and beyond. The WHO says children and teenagers who were breastfed as babies are less likely to be overweight or obese and tend to perform better on intelligence tests. The NHS adds that any amount of breast milk has a positive effect, and the longer a baby is breastfed, the greater the benefits.

Benefits for the Mother

Breastfeeding is good for the mother’s health too. The NHS says it lowers a mother’s risk of:

• Breast cancer.
• Ovarian cancer.
• Osteoporosis, or weak bones.
• Heart and blood vessel disease.
• Obesity.
• Diabetes.

Learn more about one of these conditions in our guide to breast cancer causes, symptoms and treatment.

Spacing Between Pregnancies

The WHO notes that exclusive breastfeeding of a baby under six months causes hormonal changes that can delay the return of fertility, which helps space pregnancies. However, it is not a reliable method of contraception for everyone, and a woman can become pregnant before her periods return. Talk to a doctor or health worker about contraception after birth.

Bonding and Convenience

Breastfeeding can help build a close emotional bond between mother and baby. Breast milk is always available, at the right temperature, and costs nothing, which saves money on formula, bottles and sterilising.

Breastfeeding in India

India has made progress, but many babies still miss out. According to the National Family Health Survey for 2019 to 2021, known as NFHS 5, only 41.8 percent of children were breastfed within one hour of birth. About 63.7 percent of babies under six months were exclusively breastfed, up from 54.9 percent in the previous survey.

The government’s MAA programme, short for Mothers’ Absolute Affection, trains health workers and runs awareness campaigns to promote early breastfeeding, exclusive breastfeeding for six months and continued breastfeeding for two years and beyond. Many large hospitals also have lactation management centres to support mothers and provide donor milk for sick and premature babies. You can read about the yearly awareness campaign in our post on World Breastfeeding Week, and about wider maternal health in our post on National Safe Motherhood Day.

Getting Started

Comfortable Positions

There is no single right way to hold a baby for feeding. Common positions include the cradle hold, with the baby lying across your lap, the rugby hold, with the baby tucked under your arm, and lying on your side in bed. Whatever the position, the baby’s head and body should be in a straight line, facing your breast, with the baby’s nose level with the nipple so they can open wide and take in a good mouthful.

Signs the Baby Is Feeding Well

Mothers often worry whether their baby is getting enough. Good signs include the baby feeding often, swallowing during feeds, seeming content afterwards, having several wet nappies a day after the first few days, and gaining weight steadily at health checks. If you are unsure, ask your nurse, doctor or health worker to watch a feed.

Looking After Yourself

Most women can make enough milk on an ordinary healthy diet. Eat a variety of foods, drink when you are thirsty and rest when you can. Avoid smoking and alcohol, and keep tea and coffee moderate. Ask a doctor before taking any supplement or herbal product.

Common Problems and How to Manage Them

Breastfeeding is natural, but it is a skill that mother and baby learn together, and early difficulties are common.

• Poor latch: If the baby is not attached well, feeding can hurt and the baby may not get enough milk. A nurse, midwife or lactation counsellor can show you better positions.
• Sore nipples: Often a sign of latch problems. Getting help early usually makes a big difference.
• Full, hard breasts: Feeding often and expressing a little milk can ease the discomfort.
• Worry about milk supply: Frequent feeding helps the body make more milk. Count wet nappies and check weight gain with your health worker.
• Pain with fever: A painful, red area of the breast with fever or flu like feelings needs prompt medical advice.

Working Mothers

Going back to work does not have to mean stopping. Many mothers express breast milk and store it safely for a carer to give while they are away. In India, the Maternity Benefit (Amendment) Act of 2017 increased paid maternity leave to 26 weeks for most women in covered workplaces. It also requires establishments with 50 or more employees to provide a creche. Ask your employer about leave, nursing breaks and a private space to express milk.

When Breastfeeding Is Not Possible

Some mothers cannot breastfeed, or can only breastfeed partly, because of health conditions, medicines, the baby’s needs or other reasons. Any amount of breast milk helps, and mothers should never be made to feel guilty. If you need to use infant formula, ask a doctor or health worker how to prepare and store it safely. Mothers living with HIV who are on treatment can usually breastfeed with very little risk of passing on the virus, according to the WHO, but should follow their doctor’s advice.

Always check with a doctor before taking medicines while breastfeeding.

Where to Get Help

Support makes a big difference. In India, ASHA workers, ANMs, Anganwadi workers, nurses and doctors at government health centres can help with breastfeeding. Family members can help too, by sharing household work so the mother can rest and feed.

Skin to skin contact soon after birth, with the baby placed on the mother’s chest, can help the first feed get started.

What We Changed From the Old Post

We rewrote the post using WHO and NHS advice. We removed the claim that breastfeeding burns up to 500 calories and claims about constipation and eczema that our sources did not support. We added official feeding guidelines, colostrum, Indian survey figures, common problems, advice for working mothers and support for those who cannot breastfeed.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long should I breastfeed?

The WHO recommends breast milk alone for six months, then breastfeeding alongside solid foods up to two years or beyond.

Should a breastfed baby be given water?

Not in the first six months. Breast milk meets the baby’s needs, even in hot weather.

Does breastfeeding protect the mother?

Yes. It lowers the risk of breast and ovarian cancer and some other conditions.

Can I breastfeed when I have a cold?

Usually yes, for common illnesses such as colds. Ask your doctor about any medicine you need.