Breastfeeding and Breast Cancer

Now we have even more of an initiative to breastfeed and breastfeed longer; breastfeeding and breast cancer are correlated in a good way. Breastfeeding past one year may decrease your risk of developing breast cancer significantly and breastfeeding for just 6 months can still have a positive effect. Breastfeeding even lowers your baby’s risk of breast cancer!

Estrogen has much to do with your risk of developing breast cancer and breastfeeding regulates estrogen levels. Breastfeeding and breast cancer aren’t the only relationship between your risk of breast cancer, pregnancy also has an effect on your chances. The more pregnancies you have and the more you breastfeed (even if it’s not for over a year), the lower your chances of developing some types of breast cancers.

One of the reasons for this is because when you breastfeed, you ovulate less than a woman who doesn’t nurse her baby. Breastfeeding for years instead of months is a good idea for this reason.

Breastfeeding also completes the normal, healthy fertility cycle of conception, pregnancy and lactation.

So the next time someone asks you why you breastfeed or are still breastfeeding for over a year, tell him or her that you want to provide your baby with the best food AND lower your risk for breast cancer!

Tags: Breastfeeding Benefits