Breastfeeding

Summary

Breastfeeding offers many benefits to your baby. Breast milk contains the right balance of nutrients to help your infant grow into a strong and healthy toddler. Some of the nutrients in breast milk also help protect your infant against some common childhood illnesses and infections. It may also help your health. Certain types of cancer may occur less often in mothers who have breastfed their babies.

Women who don’t have health problems should try to give their babies breast milk for at least the first six months of life. Most women with health problems can breastfeed. There are rare exceptions when women are advised not to breastfeed because they have certain illnesses. Some medicines, illegal drugs, and alcohol can also pass through the breast milk and cause harm to your baby. Check with your health care provider if you have concerns about whether you should breastfeed.

If you are having problems with breastfeeding, contact a lactation consultant.

NIH: National Institute of Child Health and Human Development

Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development

Related Issues

• Alcohol and Breast Milk American Academy of Pediatrics
• Breastfeeding FAQs: Pumping Nemours Foundation
• Breastfeeding vs. Formula Feeding Nemours Foundation
• Breastfeeding: Planning Ahead Department of Health and Human Services, Office on Women’s Health
• Breastfeeding: Vitamin D Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Burping Your Baby Nemours Foundation
• Inducing Lactation: Breastfeeding for Adoptive Moms American Academy of Pediatrics
• Infant Allergies and Food Sensitivities American Academy of Pediatrics
• Pregnancy and Breastfeeding Department of Agriculture
• Sexually Transmitted Infections, Pregnancy, and Breastfeeding Department of Health and Human Services, Office on Women’s Health
• Travel Recommendations for Nursing Families Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Types of Breast Pumps Food and Drug Administration
• Weaning Your Child Nemours Foundation
• What to Know When Buying or Using a Breast Pump Food and Drug Administration
• What You Should Know About Using Cannabis, Including CBD, When Pregnant or Breastfeeding Food and Drug Administration

Start Here

• Breastfeed Your Baby Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion
• Breastfeeding Department of Health and Human Services, Office on Women’s Health
• Breastfeeding: Hints to Help You Get Off to a Good Start American Academy of Family Physicians
• How Do I Breastfeed? Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
• The Biology of Breast Milk: Getting a Good Start on Nutrition National Institutes of Health

Specifics

• Breastfeeding after Cesarean Delivery American Academy of Pediatrics
• Breastfeeding and Special Circumstances Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Breastfeeding FAQs: How Much and How Often Nemours Foundation
• Breastfeeding FAQs: Some Common Concerns Nemours Foundation
• Colostrum: Your Baby’s First Meal American Academy of Pediatrics
• Common Breastfeeding Challenges Department of Health and Human Services, Office on Women’s Health
• Mastitis Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research
• Nipple Dermatitis VisualDX
• Pregnancy, Breastfeeding, and Bone Health National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases
• When Breastfeeding, How Many Calories Should Moms and Babies Consume? Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development

NIH MedlinePlus Magazine

• Breastfeeding and Pregnancy Could Lower Risk of Early Menopause

Patient Handouts

• Breastfeeding vs. formula feeding Medical Encyclopedia
• Overcoming breastfeeding problems Medical Encyclopedia
• Tips for Breastfeeding Moms Food and Nutrition Information Center

Clinical Trials

• ClinicalTrials.gov: Breast Feeding National Institutes of Health

Women

• COVID-19 and Breastfeeding Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Find an Expert

• Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development

Statistics and Research

• LactMed: Drugs and Lactation Database National Library of Medicine

Images

• Nursing Positions Nemours Foundation

Videos and Tutorials

• Overcoming Challenges Department of Health and Human Services, Office on Women’s Health

Journal Articles

• Breastfeeding

Diagnosis and Tests

• Warning Signs of Breastfeeding Problems American Academy of Pediatrics