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You are here:
Breastfeeding
and cancer
Breastfeeding greatly reduces the chances that a woman will have
breast, uterine, or cervical cancer.
- If you have lactated for two years total,
you are 50% less likely to have pre-menopausal breast cancer.
- Breastfeeding also reduces your chance of getting cancer of
the ovaries or cervix, and post-menopausal breast cancer.
- The longer you breastfeed, the more you reduce your chances of
getting cancer.
- Remember: breast cancer is a leading cause of death for women.
This alone should make you seriously consider breastfeeding your
baby.
- Remember: extended breastfeeding is best for your baby
and for you!
- Related stuff:
- How does breastfeeding help prevent cancer?
- Part of the effect must be due to hormones. Your body has
highly altered hormone levels during pregnancy and lactation.
Presumably, hormones are also responsible for the fact that
breastfeeding mothers often experience a relief from symptoms
of asthma, diabetes, arthritis and some other chronic
diseases.
- However, part of the effect seems to be more direct (I have
no idea how it works): research has shown that in cultures
where women only nurse their babies from one breast (because of
their traditional clothing style, which allows easy access to
one breast but not the other) they are much more likely to
develop cancer in the unused breast.
- Breastfeed! It will make
your baby happier and healthier, and
it may very well save your life!
Back to:
The breastfeeding page
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