Breastfeeding benefits mother and child alike

I was a teenager when I went to Italy the first time. There, in a centuries-old church, I saw a woman breastfeeding her baby. Right there in front of God and everybody. It wasn’t the first time I’d seen a woman breastfeeding, but, it was the first time I had seen it done in public.

What struck me most was the look on the young mother’s face. She was at absolute peace. She looked like the sculpture of the Madonna that she was sitting near. My thought was, “What a beautiful bond she is creating between herself and her child.”

There are strong feelings about breastfeeding in public, so I won’t go there. There are also opinions on whether or not to breastfeed and, if so, for how long and I won’t go there either. But, in honor of National Breastfeeding Month, I will give you a little background in what the benefits are.

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