Well, there is yet another great reason to consider breastfeeding your infant. It can lower your risk of developing diabetes after experiencing gestational diabetes while pregnant.
Gestational diabetes is diagnosed in women who have high blood glucose levels during pregnancy, but had never had the disease before becoming pregnant. Some statistics show that as many as 9.2% of all women will develop gestational diabetes. A large additional study, following a group of women with gestational diabetes, found that as many as 25.8% of those women will progress to developing type 2 diabetes within 15 years of childbirth.
A recent study looked even further into the statistics – dividing the women into two groups. One that exclusively breastfed for several months and one that bottle-fed during the same period. The results were dramatic. The women who exclusively breastfed were half as likely to have developed type 2 diabetes at the 2 year mark than the women who bottle-fed their infants. The statistics held true even when all other factors were taken into consideration.
What can we take away from this study? Better education for expecting mothers is needed to show the multiple benefits, for both mother and baby, of breastfeeding. If you have any questions about breastfeeding, speak to your doctor. We can give you the information you need to make an informed decision that is best for you and your baby.
Close