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Summary
Breastfeeding offers many benefits to your baby. Breast milk contains the right balance of nutrients to help your infant grow into a strong and healthy toddler. Some of the nutrients in breast milk also help protect your infant against some common childhood illnesses and infections. It may also help your health. Certain types of cancer may occur less often in mothers who have breastfed their babies.
Women who don't have health problems should try to give their babies breast milk for at least the first six months of life. Most women with health problems can breastfeed. There are rare exceptions when women are advised not to breastfeed because they have certain illnesses. Some medicines, illegal drugs, and alcohol can also pass through the breast milk and cause harm to your baby. Check with your health care provider if you have concerns about whether you should breastfeed.
If you are having problems with breastfeeding, contact a lactation consultant.
NIH: National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
Latest News
- Used Safely, Donor Breast Milk Can Help Preemie Babies (12/19/2016, HealthDay)
Diagnosis and Tests
- Warning Signs of Breastfeeding Problems (American Academy of Pediatrics)
Related Issues
- Breast-Feeding Twins: Making Feedings Manageable (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
- Breastfeeding FAQs: Sleep - Yours and Your Baby's (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
- Breastfeeding FAQs: Solids and Supplementing (Nemours Foundation)
- Breastfeeding vs. Formula Feeding (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
- Burping Your Baby (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish
- Colostrum: Your Baby's First Meal (American Academy of Pediatrics) Also in Spanish
- Easy Guide to Breastfeeding for American Indian and Alaska Native Families (Department of Health and Human Services, Office on Women's Health) - PDF
- Food Safety for Pregnant and Breastfeeding Women (Department of Agriculture)
- Infant Allergies and Food Sensitivities (American Academy of Pediatrics) Also in Spanish
- Nursing Supplies (American Academy of Pediatrics)
- Pumping and Breastmilk Storage (Department of Health and Human Services, Office on Women's Health)
- Selecting a Caregiver Who Supports Breastfeeding (American Academy of Pediatrics) Also in Spanish
- Sexually transmitted infections, pregnancy, and breastfeeding (Department of Health and Human Services, Office on Women's Health)
- Supply and Demand (American Academy of Pediatrics)
- Things to Avoid When Breastfeeding (American Academy of Pediatrics) Also in Spanish
- Travel Recommendations for the Nursing Mother (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
- Types of Breast Pumps (Food and Drug Administration)
- Using a Breast Pump (Food and Drug Administration)
- Weaning Your Child (Nemours Foundation)
- What to Know When Buying or Using a Breast Pump (Food and Drug Administration) Also in Spanish
- Your Guide to Breastfeeding for African-American Women (Department of Health and Human Services, Office on Women's Health) - PDF
Specifics
- Breastfeeding After Cesarean Delivery (American Academy of Pediatrics) Also in Spanish
- Breastfeeding FAQs: Pain and Discomfort (Nemours Foundation)
- Common Breastfeeding Challenges (Department of Health and Human Services, Office on Women's Health)
- Engorgement (American Academy of Pediatrics)
- Extended Breast-Feeding: What You Need to Know (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
- FAQ on Tattoos and Breastfeeding (La Leche League International)
- Mastitis (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
- Nipple Dermatitis (Logical Images)
- Possible Problems: Inverted, Flat, or Pierced Nipples (American Academy of Pediatrics)
- Pregnancy, Breastfeeding, and Bone Health (National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases)
- Serious Illnesses and Breastfeeding (American Academy of Pediatrics)
- Smallpox Vaccination Information for Women Who Are Pregnant or Breastfeeding (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
- When Should a Mother Avoid Breastfeeding? (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
Images
- Nursing Positions (Nemours Foundation)
Health Check Tools
- Daily Food Plan for Moms (Department of Agriculture)
Videos and Tutorials
- Benefits of Breastfeeding (Department of Health and Human Services, Office on Women's Health)
- Daddy Duty (Department of Health and Human Services, Office on Women's Health)
- Is My Baby Getting Enough Milk? (Department of Health and Human Services, Office on Women's Health)
- Making the Decision to Breastfeed (Department of Health and Human Services, Office on Women's Health)
- Overcoming Breastfeeding Challenges (Department of Health and Human Services, Office on Women's Health)
- Time to Eat! What Will You Feed Your Baby? (March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation)
Statistics and Research
- Breastfeeding Among U.S. Children Born 2000 - 2009, CDC National Immunization Survey (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
- Breastfeeding Report Card 2014 (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
- CDC Vital Signs: Hospital Actions Affect Breastfeeding (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) Also in Spanish
- LactMed: Drugs and Lactation Database (National Library of Medicine)
Clinical Trials
- ClinicalTrials.gov: Breast Feeding (National Institutes of Health)
Journal ArticlesReferences and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
Find an Expert
Men
- Dad's Role in Breastfeeding (American Academy of Pediatrics) Also in Spanish
- Fathers Can Support Breastfeeding (Department of Agriculture) - PDF
Patient Handouts
- Breastfeeding vs. Formula Feeding (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
- Overcoming breastfeeding problems (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish