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The many benefits of breastfeeding

August is breastfeeding awareness month.

ABILENE, TX. — After giving birth, many women face the learning process that is breastfeeding.

Many benefits come from breastfeeding such as passing on nutrients to the child in order to grow strong and healthy.

For the mother, breastfeeding decreases the likelihood of having breast, ovarian and endometrial cancers, as well as diabetes and heart disease.

"Breastfeeding is a very calorie intense process, so you're producing all this milk for the baby… so moms can burn a lot of calories,” says pediatrician, Hector Garcia.

Moms can burn 600 calories a day by breastfeeding, so diet plays an important role after giving birth.

"It's important to have a well-balanced diet, good fats, you know good protein, you want to have your carbs, you want to make sure you're getting the right amount of calories,” says Dr. Garcia.

However, some moms can’t produce enough milk.

"Anxiety or postpartum depression can affect the milk production in a mom, as well as other chronic diseases,” says Dr. Garcia.

A common question asked is, should it hurt. “The answer is no, you know usually it doesn't hurt, it can be a little bit bothersome when you are latching, but when your baby is feeding it shouldn't be hurting,” says Dr. Garcia.

Another recommendation is having partner support leads to successful breastfeeding. Being more engaged with the overall process goes a long way.

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