Breastfeeding: Why It’s Good for You and Baby

Breast milk is all your baby needs for the first 6 months of life. It has the right nutrients in the right amounts to give your baby a healthy start. Breastfeeding is good for you, too.

Benefits of Breast Milk

• Always ready — no mixing or heating needed
• Easy for your baby to digest
• Changes as your baby grows to meet their needs

How Breastfeeding Helps Your Baby

Breastfeeding supports your baby's health. Babies who receive breast milk have a lower risk of:

• Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)
• Ear infections, colds, and respiratory infections
• Allergies and asthma
• Diarrhea, constipation, and spitting up
• Obesity and diabetes
• Serious intestinal problems in premature babies

Key Benefits for Mom

Breastfeeding may help you:

• Lose weight after pregnancy
• Lower your risk of obesity, heart attack, and stroke
• Reduce your risk of breast and other cancers
• Lower your risk of high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes

How Long to Breastfeed

Doctors recommend breastfeeding for the first 6 months. After that, continue breastfeeding while mixing in solid foods for the first year or longer if you and your baby want to.

Learn about the stages of nursing and find more resources.

WIC Can Answer Your Questions

• Breastfeeding basics
• Going back to work or school while breastfeeding
• Pumping and storing breast milk
• Your legal rights to breastfeed in public or at work
• Breastfeeding support at your WIC clinic

If you’re bottle-feeding your baby, hold them upright during feedings. Ask WIC staff about paced bottle feeding.

For more information about breastfeeding, visit:

• NevadaWIC.org
• NevadaBreastfeeds.org