Breastfeeding aids in losing weight

Moms who exclusively breastfeed their infants may be better able to return to their pre- pregnancy weight. Breastfeeding offers benefits both to the mother and the child. Previous studies have suggested that due to its high-energy cost, breastfeeding is an effective means of losing weight post-pregnancy. To investigate the effect of infant feeding mode on maternal body composition, researchers from America compared pre-pregnancy and at-delivery weight, with weight at 12 weeks after delivery, among 24 mothers, aged 19 to 42 years. Seventeen of these new moms exclusively breastfed their infants, while 9 mothers mixed-fed their infants using formula or a combination of formula and breastmilk. It was found that mothers who exclusively breastfed lost more weight at 2-, 4-, 8-, and 12-weeks after delivery than did mothers in the mixed feeding group. This weight loss trend was evident in spite of the greater caloric intake and lower activity level among breastfeeding mothers, compared with mixed feeding mothers, the investigators found. The above findings indicate that the practice of exclusive breastfeeding helps mothers lose the weight accumulated during pregnancy and they do that faster compared to those who don't practice exclusive breastfeeding. The researchers recommended mothers to exclusively breastfeed their infants to avoid becoming overweight or obese.

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