What I ♥ about Breastfeeding

• It releases oxytocin which helps the uterus clamp down after birth, drastically reducing the likelihood of postpartum hemorrhage.
• Oxytocin is the 'love' hormone--it helps facilitate the bond between mother and child, as well as making her feel warm fuzzies.
• That it's convenient--always available, never left behind, always the right temperature, always enough.
• It's ready right now, no making a hungry baby wait.
• It's FREE!
• It's easy at night. 
• Breastfed babies don't have nasty or stinky diapers.
• That it's the perfect nourishment for a child. 
• The supply adjusts to the baby's suckling--so I have more when he's in a growth spurt, and less when he's not, and I don't have to try to figure out which phase we're in because it happens automatically.
• That the nutrients adjust to the needs of my child as he grows and changes. 
• That it bolsters the baby's immune system by sharing my antibodies.
• That it delays the resumption of my menstruation.
• It lowers my risk of breast cancer.
• It lowers my childrens' risk of breast cancer and other cancers, including leukemia.
• That 'nursing' is so much more than just feeding my child at my breast--it is developing a relationship of attachment and love.

Eagle at about a week old
See his little hand holding on? 
Even then he knew what the good stuff was!

You might also enjoy TopHat's "Top Ten Cool Things about Breastmilk"