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Good for the Soul

Breastfeeding Is More Than a Physical Benefit

By Teri Brown

We all know that breastfeeding is beneficial for Baby – both physically and emotionally – but what isn't often talked about is how good breastfeeding is for Mom! Abena Foreman-Trice of Waynesboro, Va., didn't know how wonderful breastfeeding could be for mothers until she breastfed her own babies. "The ability to provide such a unique source of nourishment is nothing short of a miracle to me," she says. "When their petite bodies grew more robust, I felt proud knowing that they were big, happy and healthy due in large part to my decision to breastfeed."

What Foreman-Trice learned is the same thing most mothers who breastfeed their babies discover: Breastfeeding is good for the soul. "Being able to successfully nourish your baby's body with your own brings a sense of empowerment and pride," Foreman-Trice says. "There are so many things in life that we cannot control, but when women make the decision to breastfeed, they are taking control of their baby's health and well-being in a way that no other person can. Breast milk may nourish a baby's body, but providing it feeds a mom's soul."

Donna Antennucci, a licensed nurse and IBCLC from the Florida Hospital in Orlando, agrees that breastfeeding can nurture a mother's soul – provided she sticks with it long enough. "When I think back on the days that I breastfed my own babies, a smile always comes to my face," she says. "It was difficult in the early days and weeks, as it is for most mothers, but the hard days soon were replaced by the satisfaction I felt from knowing that my child was growing and thriving on my life-giving milk. I am saddened when I hear of women giving up on their breastfeeding experience before they have had a chance to feel this praiseworthy reaction to such a monumental gift to their baby."

Breastfeeding is often difficult to begin with, and for many mothers it is the first test of motherhood. Getting through the challenge of breastfeeding gives the mother a sense of confidence. "For me, it wasn't until my babies had been able to suckle at my breast and began to grow and thrive that I really began to feel like I was going to be any good at the mother role," Antennucci says. "Nursing my baby empowered me to a point of faith that I could not have ever dreamed of."

Carolyn Hawley of San Diego, Calif., has found that breastfeeding helps her feel close to her baby even when she can't physically be there. "I'm away from my son for more than eight hours a day, since I work full time," she says. "I pump to maintain my milk supply and give him milk to drink at daycare."

Nursing her son has given Hawley a time when she can leave the cares of a working mother behind and focus solely on her baby. "Breastfeeding allows me to have quiet, gentle time with my son," she says. "It allows me to have time that is only for me and my son. My son wakes up only once in the night, and I've gotten to the point where I enjoy the quiet time in the dim light. There is nothing quite as lovely as listening to Andrew make his little coos when he drinks."

Want to see more?

• Magic: The Difference Between Loving and Tolerating Breastfeeding
• From Mother to Mother: 6 Simple Ways to Promote Breastfeeding
• What About Mom? Breastfeeding Benefits Aren't Just for Baby
• Talk about it!