A breastfeeding baby has helped detect the presence of breast cancer previously, but the benefits of breastfeeding does not stop there.
According to a recent TIME article, breastfeeding has been known to improve infants’ health, and a recent study found that breastfeeding helps mums as well.
Researchers found that regularly breastfeeding for at least 2 months may result in mums who suffer from gestational diabetes halving the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
Gestational diabetes only develops during pregnancy. It is caused by having too much glucose in the blood. While the body uses glucose for energy, having too much of it is detrimental for both mums and their babies.
Thankfully, only 5-9% of all pregnancies in the USA are affected by gestational diabetes. Mums over the age of 35, overweight or have a family history of diabetes possess a greater risk.
The study that led to this discovery was led by researchers from Kaiser Permanete based in Oakland, California. For those who wish to read the full findings, the researchers have placed their full study on the Annuals of Internal Medicine.
They discovered that mums who breastfeed their child exclusively for at least 2 months have a 35-57& lower chance of developing type 2 diabetes in the 2 years after delivery and halting the progression of the gestational diabetes.
Mums who regularly breastfeed their baby after the period of 2 months will further decrease the chance of developing type 2 diabetes.
So mums, toss out the feeding bottle, and check out our suggestions on the things to get for breastfeeding.