To breastfeed or not? Statistics Show More Mothers Are Choosing to Breastfeed

To breastfeed or not? That is just one of the many decisions new moms need to make. Countless studies have been conducted looking at the health benefits and statistics surrounding breastfeeding, all of which seem to conquer that there are numerous health benefits to be gained from breastfeeding. Statistics from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) show that there has been a drastic increase in the percentage of mothers deciding to breastfeed; revealing that over the last decade the percentage of babies that are being breastfed rose from just 6% in 2000 to a whopping 71% in 2010, and 2013 data indicates that the number of mothers still breastfeeding at the 6 month mark is also rapidly continuing to rise.   These statistics are all good news, providing babies with an improved chance of living a long and healthy life. Research has revealed that in addition to the numerous health benefits the babies gain from breastfeeding, those who were breastfed longer also showed improved social skills later in life and had lower medical costs in comparison to those who had not been breastfed.   Researchers have also predicted that healthcare and medical costs could be reduced by an estimated $2.2 billion a year if breastfeeding recommendations were met! Researchers advocate that continuing to improve hospital, community, and workplace programs to support breastfeeding mothers will help encourage even more new mothers to make the decision to breastfeed, and should also encourage breastfeeding mothers to continue to breastfeed for at least the babies first year of life, as recommended by the AmericanAcademy of Pediatrics.   Don’t let your busy lifestyle influence your decision on whether or not to breastfeed, or to keep breastfeeding. Mountainside Medical Equipment offers a wide range of products that are designed to make breastfeeding easier for both moms and babies. Browse through our selection of pregnancy and breastfeeding products and see what would work best for you! We have manual breast-pumps and automatic breast pumps, nursing pads, breast shells, breast milk storage kits, and breastfeeding lotion for sore nipples.   Sources: https://www2.aap.org/breastfeeding/faqsBreastfeeding.html http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/264228.php http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/275868.php