Are the Spacing Effects of Breastfeeding Still Relevant?

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As we approach World Breastfeeding Week (August 1-7),  I thought it would be nice to have a series of four articles about the child spacing effects of breastfeeding. The first part - this post - will be about the relevance of breastfeeding’s effect on child spacing.  Part two will discuss the effectiveness of breastfeeding for child spacing.  Parts three and four will be interviews with two members of the CNML Board.  I hope you will continue reading this series!  I think you will especially enjoy parts three and four!

To answer the question in the title…Yes, the spacing effects of breastfeeding are still very relevant and important for moms around the world! 

The American Academy of Pediatrics recently updated its breastfeeding policy to recommend two years or more of breastfeeding, because there are so many benefits of extended breastfeeding.  Not only do the spacing effects of breastfeeding for that length of time or more allow the mom time to get back to normal before conceiving again, they also allow the baby extra time to bond with mom and develop that special relationship with her.  Actually, research shows that increased birth spacing (most experts recommend 2-3 years) decreases both mom and baby morbidity and mortality, particularly in those that are malnourished or in less developed countries.  Also, many benefits of breastfeeding are dose dependent - the longer you breastfeed, the greater the benefit.  Therefore, breastfeeding for longer will lead to increased health benefits for both mom and child. Having a greater spacing between babies helps the mom emotionally, too.  It can be overwhelming to have several little ones in diapers at the same time.  Another nice benefit of having some spacing between children is that the older ones can help out with the younger ones while you are taking care of the baby or listening to one of your kids read or do a math lesson.