Breast Feeding Basics

It is obvious that putting a baby to the breast calms the baby, but what is less apparent is how calming breastfeeding can be for mothers. And it isn’t just because they stopped their baby from crying, which certainly calms me down. Breastfeeding has actually been shown in experiments to alter mood and reduce perceived stress in nursing mothers.

Researchers conducted two experiments using breastfeeding and bottle-feeding mothers that looked at the mother’s perceived stress and mood following the different types of feedings. The results: Breastfeeding was associated with reduced stress and an increase in positive mood, while bottle feeding made the mothers’ positive mood decrease from what it was before the feeding began. Health Psychol. 2002 Mar;21(2):187-93

Breast-feeding was associated with a decrease in negative mood, and bottle-feeding was associated with a decrease in positive mood from pre- to postfeeding. Results indicated that breast-feeding buffers negative mood. These effects appeared to be attributable to the effects of breast-feeding itself and not solely to individual-differences factors.

Do you find yourself feeling over-worked, unappreciated, and overwhelmed? Do you feel sad or stressed out? Do you suffer from anxiety? Now you have one more reason to find a quiet place to nurse your baby and kick back. Breastfeeding is a great way to reduce your stress and increase your positive mood.

This entry was posted on Sunday, March 30th, 2008 at 11:20 am and is filed under Benefits for Mother.
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