Benefits

The benefits of breastfeeding for baby and mother include:

     It improves the mother's health as well.  It lowers your risk of breast cancer, ovarian cancer, type 2 diabetes.
   
      Table 1. Health Risks for Mothers Who Do Not Breastfeed 
      - Breast cancer 
      - Diabetes mellitus 
      - Hyperlipidemia 
      - Hypertension 
      - Myocardial infarction 
      - Obesity 
      - Ovarian cancer

(Schwarz, E.B. & Nothnagle, M. (2015). The maternal health benefits of breastfeeding. American Family Physician, 91(9), 602-604.  Retrieved from http://ezproxy.bju.net/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ccm&AN=109733788&site=ehost-live)

It enhances better visual acuity, and speech and cognitive development.

It adjusts it's components to meet your baby's changing needs.

Breastmilk contains nutrients not found in formula.

• Contains rich brain-developing omega 3s such as DHA and AA; is rich in cholesterol and contains the fat-digesting enzyme, lipase, protein that is more easily digested, lactoferrin for intestinal health, lysozyme, an antimicrobial, growth factors, lactose, oligosaccharides, living white blood cells (millions per feeding), immunoglobins, digestive enzymes such as amylase and lipase/hormones such as prolactin, oxytoncin, and many others (processing in formula kills these); and more readily absorbed iron, zinc, and calcium.
• Formula does not have or has in significantly less amounts the above nutrients. 

It exclusively reduces the chance of illness in the first year of life. Breastfeeding has been shown to be a protective factor against many illnesses, including Otitis Media, upper and lower respiratory infections, allergies, intestinal disorders (such as Necrotising Enterocolitis), viruses, staph/strep/and e-coli infections, diabetes, juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, many childhood cancers, meningitis, pneumonia, pediatric obesity, salmonella, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), as well as lifetime protection from Crohn's Disease and Ulcerative Colitis.